John Cleese Says 'Fawlty Towers' Revival Won't Be 'Wokery'

UK comedy fans received some unexpected good news this week when John Cleese announced he would be returning for a third season of his beloved sitcom 'Fawlty Towers'. The revival, which is produced by Matthew George and Rob Reiner through the latter's Castle Rock Entertainment banner, is set to feature beleaguered Cleese hotel manager Basil Fawlty teaming up with his daughter to run a new inn. .

The initial statements from Cleese and Reiner announcing the project contained more generalities than specifics. But new information about the show's content is starting to emerge. In an interview with UK outlet GB News (via Deadline), Cleese explained that the new season will be set in a "jewelry little hotel" on a Caribbean island. He explained that the Caribbean setting will allow the series to feature a more diverse cast when the story picks up 40 years after the end of season 2.

"If you put it in the Caribbean, it gets very multiracial," Cleese said. “People in the hotel industry come from all over, so we can bring together a lot of different people. The hallmark of "Fawlty Towers" was the pressure cooker atmosphere created in the hotel."

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While the "Fawlty Towers" revival will be Cleese's most significant acting role in decades, it's not like the comedian has strayed from the spotlight in recent years. Cleese has been increasingly outspoken about his grievances with what he sees as a “cancellation culture” and how it has created a hostile environment for comedians. He was also a strong supporter of the 2016 Brexit referendum. Some fans wondered if his worldview would find its way into new episodes of 'Fawlty Towers', but Cleese said critics speculating on the content of the new season didn't know what they were talking about.

"They obviously know better than I what's in it. Maybe they should write an episode for me that they find acceptable. Maybe it's not very funny, but I'm sure that would really appeal to some of their readers," he said. "The idea that it's all going to be a wokery thing didn't particularly occur to me."

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