The Complete Fawlty Towers [1975] | ![The Complete Fawlty Towers [1975]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512VE9BM6dL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Directors: Bob Spiers, John Howard-davies
Actors: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth, Bernard Cribbins
Studio: 2 Entertain Video
Category: DVD
List Price: £29.99
Buy New: £11.98
You Save: £18.01 (60%)
New (23) Used (1) from £11.98
Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 30
Format: Pal
Languages: Dutch (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), German (Subtitled), English (Original Language)
Rating: Parental Guidance
Region: 2
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Items: 3
Running Time: 360 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.6 x 1
EAN: 5014503486228
ASIN: B000ASALV0
Theatrical Release Date: 2001
Release Date: October 3, 2005
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Often hailed as the greatest ever British sitcom, Fawlty Towers is closer to the more elaborate tradition of farce. Comprising two series made in 1975 and 1979, the total of just 12 episodes were painstakingly constructed by writers John Cleese and Connie Booth. Unlike most British farces, however, Fawlty Towers deals with the big themes--death, psychology, xenophobia and even sex-o-phobia (Basil's marriage to Sybil is the most sterile ever depicted in a sitcom). Basil's contempt for his guests is, of course, legendary. It takes little from patrons to unleash his sledgehammer sarcasm: "Rosewood, mahogany, teak? Sorry, I was wondering what you'd like your breakfast tray made out of," he sneers at a guest who dares request breakfast in bed. Like every Englishman, he wants to be king of his own castle and resents having to take in lodgers to maintain the place, especially the open-necked younger generation, whom he regards as sub-human. Mostly, though, Fawlty Towers is comedy of exasperation--who can forget the "damn good thrashing" Basil gives his clapped-out car, or the nervous breakdowns he almost suffers trying to make himself understood to Manuel? It's also comedy of embarrassment. The very fear of losing his dignity generally leads Basil into the most spectacularly undignified of predicaments. His inevitable misery is our sheer delight.--David Stubbs
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| Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
The real toast of British comedy November 16, 2008
P. DATTA (Stockton on Tees, Teesside)
The Complete Fawlty Towers offers 12 delighful and entertaining episodes to viewers in a nicely presented DVD package. BBC is renowned for its long line of great comedies during the glorious era of the 70's to the 80's. Fawlty Towers represents the list. The extras are not that impressive, but it is really not important as you are treated with endless laugher.
The idea of Fawlty Towers was inspired by the hotel trade business during the 1970's. Basil's (played wonderfully by John Cleese) character is a typical representation of a rude and agressive hotel owner based in a seaside location. He lacks respect for anyone eles that is perceived not within his level. He makes cruel and predujuice remarks. The customer care skills are absymal,as his attidude towards customers stinks. The hilarious antiques involving petit quarrels and eccentric behaviour towards guests are the main highlights of the show. The wife Sybril is the mirror image of Basil. Manuel the spanish servant (played wonderfully by Andrew Sachs) does not speak English fluently, little clumby in what he does and is an unfortunate victim of Basil's bullying and racist attacks. That is a flavour of what to expect. It potrayed the hotel business and politics in a comical display.
Depsite the short-running of Fawlty Towers, it is still voted one of the best British TV programmes according to recent surveys. The ideas and characters are the main selling points that established Fawlty Towers as a frontrunner of classical British comedies. The Complete Fawlty Towers is a great set DVD set for anyone who loves and appreciates quality comedy.
 Fawltless Comedy, slightly dissapointing extras October 30, 2008
C. ASHTON
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I am sure that you, reading this review of the Fawlty Towers boxset, are already well aquainted with this marvellous sitcom, and I am not going to bore you with details of the hilarity. Naturally (naturellement!) the episodes themselves are worth 5 stars apiece.
I am instead going to inform you of the things that you may not already know- the quality and quantity of the extras, and the transfer to DVD.
The first few episodes do not have very clear pictures- I bought series 1 on DVD seperately a while ago and the picture on this edition is somehow more grainy.
The interviews are a good accompaniment to the boxset, with a particularly long one from John Cleese. In addition to these is information on what some of the actors have done since Fawlty Towers, which is interesting but a little boring.
I mainly bought this boxset for the outakes- these would no-doubt be a fascinating insight into the actors, and funny also! But they were distinctly underwhelming- apart from John Cleese making silly faces at the camera I only counted 3 proper outakes, of which only 1 was worth seeing.
These faults, however, are totally overshadowed by the brilliance of the sitcom and, although some of the extras felt a little rushed, the extras do make a nice addition to the boxset and make it feel complete. If you already own both series on DVD then there is no real need to buy this boxset. But if, like me, you enjoy having all of your comedy in one place, and if you are itching to experience these extras, then by all means, go ahead. At 13.48, this is an absolute bargain, and if you do not purchase this boxset I shall come around and insert a large garden gnome in you.
Good day!
Classic British Comedy September 17, 2008
Vicky Welsby (NSW, Australia)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Fawlty Towers is definitely among the top 5 comedies ever made. This DVD has both series and an extras disc. I have to say, although better than nothing at all (which is what the BBC seems to like to give some of it's classics, i.e. Only Fools and Horses) the extras aren't that brilliant. There's a couple of out takes, which are funny, and brief profiles of the actors. The interviews with the stars are long and, although it was interesting to find out what inspired the series and the characters, I ended up turning them off before the end because I was starting to get a bit bored of them.
The series itself is classic, there's no two ways about it, and most certainly deserves 5 stars on its own. Scenes like "Don't mention the war" and "Waldorf Salad", along with "Que?" and "Mr Fawlty I know nothing" will have you howling with laughter, even if they are over 30 years old. If you love Fawlty Towers as much as I do, then this DVD is definitely worth having.
excuse please...which one is man with beard? August 28, 2008
S. Ward (UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
That has to be one of my favourite lines from a sitcom that has so much quality in it! You can pick any episode and find many great lines in it. The writing and the acting are both superb, this is a must have for your DVD collection.
It's all been said August 15, 2008
Lou Knee (England)
Inspired lunacy and very well scripted. It's all been said before so I'll just comment briefly on this DVD package. The extras are fantastic, despite what a few reviewers have said - A director's commentary for every episode of each series, and so you get two different viewpoints; There's an interesting programme on the original 'Basil Fawlty', a man it seems from some accounts not too toned down from Cleese's mad creation; There's the usual actor career notes, but best of the lot by far for me, is three great interviews by Sachs, Scales and Cleese on the making and everlasting legend of FT. Cleese in particular is very illuminating on the show's conception and speedy development into what became one of the very greatest shows, never mind sitcoms, ever created. Cleese is hilarious himself and his very mischeivous sense of humour comes out when he is describing how he and Booth came to choose certain plot lines and scenarios. Very interesting are his comments on the un-PC nature of much of the sitcom now and what he thinks of that. He reveals how technically minded he is by telling us how he studied various sitcoms and mechanisms of comedy to achieve exactly what it was he was after here. A perfectionist was revealed, as if we didn't already know that, and while it's evident yet again what some lesser comedians who've worked with him have said about him being big headed and full of his own self worth, there is no hiding from the fact that he is an extremely gifted and extremely original master of comedy, or a genius, in short.
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