Faulty Towers is an English comedy series. Created by John Cleese, member of the legendary comedy group Monty Python and his wife Connie Booth. Talks about the life of a provincial hotel, its owner Basile Faulty, his wife and staff. In total, two seasons in six episodes came out. Considered one of the greatest British comedy series of all time.
History of creation
The idea of creating the series “Towers of Faulty” came to John Cleese in 1970, when during the filming of one of the projects, he and his associates in the comedy group “Monty Python” stayed in one of the hotels in Torquay, Devon County. Hotel owner Donald Sinclair delighted Cleese with his unusual behavior, later the actor described him as "the rudest man in the world."
John Cleese, along with his wife Connie Booth, an actress and screenwriter with whom he worked on the creation of Monty Python's Flying Circus, stayed at the hotel even after filming in order to more thoroughly explore Sinclair’s habits and collect material for the script.
At that time, Cleese was one of the screenwriters of the popular British sitcom Doctor in the House. It was there that in one of the series of the third season a character similar to Sinclair appeared, but it was not Cleese who played him, but another actor.
The first version of the script was rejected by the BBC. Employees of the television company considered the series too clichéd, and were also against the fact that the entire action of the Falt Towers takes place inside the hotel. When the series was still put into production, Cleese and Booth worked on the script for each series for several months and occasionally rewrote the material ten times. Between the production of the first and second season, the couple divorced.
Plot
The main plot of Falti Towers focuses on the owner of the hotel, Basile Faulty, his imperious wife Sybil, receptionist Manuela, maid Polly and chef Terry. Basil is trying to increase the level of the hotel and attract more solvent customers, but his snobbery, nervous nature and lack of manners prevent him from succeeding.
In general, the series is a typical comedy of situations where comic situations arise as a result of misunderstanding between characters, coincidences and intentional deception. At times, elements of farce flicker.
Characters
The main character of the series is the owner of the Falti Towers Hotel Basil Faulty. He is distinguished by snobbery, cynicism, rude manners and aggressive behavior. Faulty dreams of joining a higher social class and somewhat "ennobled" his own institution, but always fails.
He is afraid of his powerful wife Sybil and often tries to resist her pressure, but to no avail. He breaks down mainly at the receptionist Manuel and his guests. Character creator John Cleese said in an interview that "Basil could have successfully managed the hotel if he hadn't been disturbed by guests." Despite his terrible character, the character is the source of many comedic situations in the series and sometimes shows his bright side.
Basil is played by actor John Cleese. One of the founders of the comedy group "Monty Python" and the creators of the sketch show "Flying Circus Monty Python" and four feature films in the group. BAFTA Award Winner and Academy Award nominee. Wrote some books.
Sybil Faulty is Basil's wife. Energetic, decisive, often it is she who is forced to neutralize the crisis that arose in the hotel and deal with especially difficult guests. Her relationship with her husband is one of the main sources of humor in the series. Basil is sincerely afraid of his spouse, but often insults her in the face in a special literary manner.
The role of Sybil was played by actress Prunella Skales. Nominated for a BAFTA Award.
Polly Sherman is a waitress and a maid at the Folty Towers Hotel. Often acts as the voice of the mind. The most loyal character to Basil and Sybil, however, even she sometimes refuses to help them neutralize problems in the hotel.
The role of Polly was played by Connie Booth, one of the creators of the series and the wife of John Cleese. After a divorce from Cleese and the closure of the series for 30 years, she refused to talk about the series in the media, changing her decision only on the anniversary of the premiere.
Also regular characters are receptionist Manuel and chef Terry, who appeared in the second season of the series.
Influence
After the premiere of Fault Towers, critics were mixed reviews, but soon they began to praise the series. After closing in 1979, the sitcom gradually became a cult. In 2000, he took first place in the ranking of the best series according to the British Film Institute, and in 2006 he took second place among the best sitcoms in history, according to the scriptwriters of comedy series.
Today, Faulty Towers is considered a classic of British comedy, and is also popular in the US and Australia. Many documentaries about the creation of the series have been released, and sitcom actors often reunite for interviews in honor of the next anniversary of the premiere.