Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

[MacAdder]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53032895

Pleased by this decision, John Cleese's comments yesterday are right as far as I'm concerned - the original decision lumped Fawlty Towers, and programmes like Till death us do Part, in with Love thy Neighbour and they were completely different things.

Absolutely. No comparison whatsoever.
Alf Garnet and Eddie Booth were bigoted opinionated racists. Basil Fawltey was a "normal" bloke who wanted an easy life but was whipped kept getting himself into farcical situations.
The only bit of possible racism I can remember was the aforementioned Germans sketch where he had had the blow on the head from that naughty moose!

Unlike Love thy neighbour and TDUDP, FT is a show that stands the test of time but mainly was just funny.

[jon1959]

Absolutely. No comparison whatsoever.
Alf Garnet and Eddie Booth were bigoted opinionated racists. Basil Fawltey was a "normal" bloke who wanted an easy life but was whipped kept getting himself into farcical situations.
The only bit of possible racism I can remember was the aforementioned Germans sketch where he had had the blow on the head from that naughty moose!

Unlike Love thy neighbour and TDUDP, FT is a show that stands the test of time but mainly was just funny.

I wouldn't put Till Death Do Us Part and Love Thy Neighbour in the same bracket. The first was satire (although of its time and wouldn't be made today), the second was shallow, 'cheap laughs' comedy based on racial stereotypes.

[the other bob wilson]

I wouldn't put Till Death Do Us Part and Love Thy Neighbour in the same bracket. The first was satire (although of its time and wouldn't be made today), the second was shallow, 'cheap laughs' comedy based on racial stereotypes.

I agree with you - my intention was to pair Fawlty Towers and TDUDP against Love the Neighbour.

[xsnaggle]

I wouldn't put Till Death Do Us Part and Love Thy Neighbour in the same bracket. The first was satire (although of its time and wouldn't be made today), the second was shallow, 'cheap laughs' comedy based on racial stereotypes.

And with Love Thy Neighbour as my memory serves me (which isn't very well) he usually ended up losing anyway.

[jamieccfc]

And with Love Thy Neighbour as my memory serves me (which isn't very well) he usually ended up losing anyway.

Yes he did, live thy neighbour gets a raw deal imo the words that are used are offensive in this modern time but by no means was it a racist show it was actually cleverly written

[CCFCC3PO]

I wouldn't put Till Death Do Us Part and Love Thy Neighbour in the same bracket. The first was satire (although of its time and wouldn't be made today), the second was shallow, 'cheap laughs' comedy based on racial stereotypes.

I agree. Warren Mitchell told a very good story about some racist bloke going up and saying to him "You tell it like it is, love your show Alf". Mitchell replied with "My show is making fun of people like you."

Love Thy Neighbour is horrendous, in hindsight, and was definitely "of its time". It has been repeated in my lifetime, but it was dreadful and, as you say, cheap.

[delmbox]

The only bit of possible racism I can remember was the aforementioned Germans sketch where he had had the blow on the head from that naughty moose!

Apart from the scene where the N word is used about 8 times uncensored

But to be fair you probably haven't seen that (me neither) because the BBC have been taking the sensible decision to air an edited version of that episode since 2003, thinking that that kind of language isn't appropriate at 1930 on BBC2 on a Sunday, even if it is "of its time".

UKTV were still airing the original version, and that's what was taken down yesterday pending review. As that link says, they've now reinstated it with warning about the language.

A classic gammon frothing at the mouth over nothing situation, I lost count a long time ago what number this is