Fawlty Towers revival is in the works, John Cleese will play with his daughter

One of the most acclaimed comedy series of all time returns to television over four decades later. 'Fawlty Towers', the beloved British sitcom starring John Cleese, is enjoying a revival, with the return of the 'Monty Python' star.

The series is in development at Castle Rock Entertainment, with Matthew George, Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner and Derrick Rossi executive producing for the studio. Cleese will write and perform in the revival with his daughter, Camilla Cleese.

"What I love about Matt is that, unlike many producers, he really 'gets' the creative process," Cleese said in a statement announcing the project. "When we first met he came up with a great first idea and then Matt, my daughter Camilla and I had one of the best creative sessions I can remember. Over dessert we had a concept of together so good that days later it won the approval of Rob and Michele Reiner. Camilla and I can't wait to expand it into a series."

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The original "Fawlty Towers" ran for two seasons of six episodes each in 1975 and 1979. Written by Cleese and his then-wife Connie Booth, the series starred Cleese as Basil Fawlty, the landlord Selfish and unhappy seaside inn proprietor, who plans to make this ramshackle establishment a success inevitably ends in failure. Prunella Scales played Fawlty's wife, Sybil, while Booth and the late Andrew Sachs played hotel staff.

Despite its short run of 12 episodes, the series was widely acclaimed and remains a touchstone of British television. In 2000, the British Film Institute ranked it No. 1 in their list of Britain's 100 Greatest Television Programmes. In 2019, Radio Times named it the greatest British TV sitcom of all time, according to a panel of comedy experts.

The new series will see Cleese return as Basil, with Camilla Cleese as his newly discovered daughter, who teams up with him to run a new boutique hotel. The rest of the cast from the original series are unlikely to return; Sachs died in 2016, Scales retired in 2020 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and Booth retired from acting in the 90s.

Cleese is best known for his work with the legendary comedy troupe Monty Python. He starred in the '60s sketch show "Monty Python's Flying Circus" and in the band's films "The Holy Grail," "Life of Brian" and "The Meaning of Life." He also starred in and wrote the 1988 comedy classic "A Fish Called Wanda," earning an Oscar nomination for its screenplay, and starred in such films as "Time Bandits," "Silverado," the "Shrek" franchise, and two James Bond Films.

"John Cleese is a comedy legend," Rob Reiner said in a statement. “Just the idea of ​​working with him makes me laugh. »

"Meeting John and Camilla was one of the highlights of my life. I'm obsessed with 'Fawlty Towers' and the legendary characters it created," George added. "I watched the first two seasons so many times that I lost count. I dreamed of one day being involved in a sequel to the story. Now it's come true."

In recent years, Cleese has become a bit of a lightning rod for statements about "cancel culture" and his political stances, including his public support for the controversial 2016 Brexit referendum. Other recent comedian controversies include comments that "cancel culture" is having a "disastrous effect" on comedy, defending J.K. Rowling from accusations of transphobia by joking that he "wants to be a 'Cambodian policewoman' and backing out of a Cambridge Union event after the organization banned a speaker who impersonated Hitler.

John Cleese is represented by CAA and Anonymous Content. Camilla Cleese is replaced by Weintraub Tobin Chediak Coleman Grodin.

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