Fawlty Towers risks fan fury as reboot sees a main character killed off
It was always going to be struggle to satisfy every Fawlty Towers fan with the hit series’ reboot, but the latest news on the revival of the BBC sitcom is set to anger many.
John Cleese will reprise his role as stressed-out hotel owner Basil Fawlty, but the actor’s revival of the show will launch with Basil killing off his wife Sybil.
Fawlty Towers only ran for 12 episodes in the 1970s and starred John as Basil and Prunella Scales, now 90 and living with Alzheimer’s, as Sybil.
The much-anticipated reboot will see the Monty Python star step back into his starring role but many of the show’s favourite faces will not feature.
Sadly, the new version won’t feature Andrew Sachs as hapless Spanish waiter Manuel, as the actor passed away in 2016 at the age of 86.
John Cleese to star in new series of Fawlty Towers alongside his daughter
Prunella Scales as Sybil, John Cleese as Basil, Connie Booth as Polly and Andrew Sachs as Manuel (Press Association)But the reboot is set to introduce hotelier Basil’s secret daughter — the result of an affair with a guest.
John, 83, revealed: “The new one starts with Sybil’s death and Basil’s daughter getting a text message from her father saying, ‘Sybil did’.
“She texts back, ‘Sybil did what?’. Basil is about to deliver the eulogy and says what an absolutely wonderful woman Sybil was.
“And then the camera pans around and you see that behind his back he has his fingers crossed.”
John is reviving the show with real-life daughter Camilla. He explained: “Sybil dies and Basil goes to see his daughter because it was all part of a naughty affair that he once had with a guest at the hotel.
“My daughter will probably be a hotelier who’s running this small hotel.
John Cleese and Prunella Scales (Mirror Screen Grab)“It’s going to be a sort of slightly posh boutique hotel in the Caribbean with a multicultural staff because that’s the world of hotels.
“And there’ll be no one in except Basil.”
Cleese, 83, is set to write and star in the reboot alongside his daughter Camilla, 39, who says the show will “honour the tone” of the original but won’t involve as much “crazy physical, comedic things as before”.
Earlier this year the Mirror exclusively revealed that the granddaughter of Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs said she couldn’t wait for the reboot of the show that made him a star.
John Cleese's Monty Python co-star shares concern over Fawlty Towers revival
Georgina Baillie is thrilled the hit series is returning – although she does wonder how it will navigate the modern world.
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