Anglophile Reviews: Fawlty Towers Remastered DVD Set

I’ve made it quite known that my favorite British Comedy of all time is Yes, Minister. However, there is a new contender in the runner: Fawlty Towers.

I was provided a copy of the new Remastered DVD Box set to review by the kind folks at the BBC and took to watching it right away. My wife and I got through it in a matter of days – watching 6 episodes in a row at one point.

Simply put, this show is hilarious. Fawlty Towers follows the trial and tribulations of hotel owner Basil Fawlty – played brilliantly by John Cleese. He’s a bit high strung and prone to making situations far worse than they need to be to comedic effect.

The cast of characters is rounded out by Sybil, the wife that Basil is always afraid of, Polly the hapless maid and Manuel the idiot Spaniard valet who understands more English than he lets on.

All the characters have great chemistry together and there wasn’t an episode that wasn’t funny. I just love finding a gem from 30 or so years ago and discovering a new show to love.

My favorite episode is “The Germans.” You can imagine the hilarity that ensues when a few Germans come to visit the hotel. It’s where the classic phrase “Don’t Mention the War” comes from.

Here’s a clip from “The Germans”:

The DVD set itself is very impressive. All the episodes have been remastered and they look great despite their age. However, they don’t look TOO great – the show still looks real. Oftentimes when shows get remastered they don’t that great. They look great here.

The extras are a lot of fun too. There’s exclusive interviews with all the main cast of characters – some which were recorded this past year. The first time they’ve all been interviewed together. Each episode features insightful director’s commentaries. There’s a hilarious selection of outtakes and an interesting little documentary of Torquay -where the show is set.

Overall – I recommend picking up this box set if you want a good laugh. It’s affordably priced ($34.49) and will provide hours of laughs.

I give it 5 out of 5 Union Jacks!