TQOTD: Sitcoms

[pat]

The genesis of this series was in a disastrous stay on the island of Torquay by the members of Monty Python, who were shooting on location. The stay included Eric Idle's briefcase being thrown into the street by the hotel proprietor because he feared it contained a bomb. What was the series?




In a classic case of making hot toddies from lemonade, two years after this event John Cleese turned his experience and perspective into making a series about a seedy hotel -- Fawlty Towers, thus earning the gratitude of Pythonistas everywhere. Interestingly enough, one of the running gags was the Spanish waiter, Manuel, who usually responded to any request "Que?" (to which Fawlty usually said "Don't mind him -- he comes from Barcelona"), but when the series was released in Spain, Manuel was changed into an Italian.

Source (for this and the past two days sitcom questions): Cult TV: The Comedies , Jon E. Lewis and Penny Stempel, Pavilion Books Ltd. 1998.

Comments

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

Too easy. Fawlty Towers.

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

Yes. I knew it was too easy when I asked it, I just loved the anecdote about the hotelier throwing Idle's briefcase into the street. And the fact that Manuel became an Italian in the Spanish release of the series. I figured asking what island the incident with the Pythons had taken place on would be too hard.

[elynne.livejournal.com]

At the end of the Fawlty Towers DVD, there's a... thingy... documentary, about the hotel in Torquay, and the legends about its proprietor. Interesting stuff. It's quite a tourist magnet, now. ;)

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

ook. weeble.

Fawlty Towers was based on a real hotel? That's . . . horrifying. And really funny.

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

I really don't think Torquay is an island...

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

Aarrggghhh!!! You're right. I should know better than to rely on my knowledge of geography when I'm sleepy.