Fawlty Towers , Porridge

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

a lot of comedy dates

Only fools and horses , one foot in the sodding grave etc

But Fawlty Towers , Porridge etc are so well written they still seem fresh

Fawlty Titties

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: Fawlty Towers , Porridge

a lot of comedy dates

Only fools and horses , one foot in the sodding grave etc

But Fawlty Towers , Porridge etc are so well written they still seem fresh

Fawlty Titties

Fawlty Towers seems fresh? It's a great comedy, but it's so stuck in the 70s I couldn't confuse it with modern day life.

[splott parker]

Re: Fawlty Towers , Porridge

Flowery Twats

[splott parker]

Re: Fawlty Towers , Porridge

I watched a couple of episodes of On The Buses on Forces TV, early Sunday morning. Compelling viewing, so bad it was good, God we were easy pleased back then yet to this day people still occasionally give you an ‘I ‘ate you Butler’ as if it’s a line from a classic show.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: Fawlty Towers , Porridge

I watched a couple of episodes of On The Buses on Forces TV, early Sunday morning. Compelling viewing, so bad it was good, God we were easy pleased back then yet to this day people still occasionally give you an ‘I ‘ate you Butler’ as if it’s a line from a classic show.

The 3 films that came afterwards did pretty well. I think the first 'On The Buses' film in 1971 was the most grossing film of the year, even beating 'Diamonds Are Forever'.

[splott parker]

Re: Fawlty Towers , Porridge

The 3 films that came afterwards did pretty well. I think the first 'On The Buses' film in 1971 was the most grossing film of the year, even beating 'Diamonds Are Forever'.

No doubt Eric, it was massive at the time, but watching it the other morning.....Dear God:facepalm:

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: Fawlty Towers , Porridge

Fawlty Towers seems fresh? It's a great comedy, but it's so stuck in the 70s I couldn't confuse it with modern day life.

Its miles ahead of most seventies , eighties and even nineties comedy

Porridge is also class

But stick on one foot in the grave or only fools and horses and you can hear the canned laughter

Duty Free , keeping up appearances , so much dreadful crap around in those days

[splott parker]

Re: Fawlty Towers , Porridge

Its miles ahead of most seventies , eighties and even nineties comedy

Porridge is also class

But stick on one foot in the grave or only fools and horses and you can hear the canned laughter

Duty Free , keeping up appearances , so much dreadful crap around in those days

Treat ‘em mean, keep ‘em keen, Only Fools and Horses went on far too long, it became a yawn.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: Fawlty Towers , Porridge

Its miles ahead of most seventies , eighties and even nineties comedy

Porridge is also class

But stick on one foot in the grave or only fools and horses and you can hear the canned laughter

Duty Free , keeping up appearances , so much dreadful crap around in those days

I agree it's miles ahead of so much comedy, especially current stuff, but it's hardly fresh!

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: Fawlty Towers , Porridge

No doubt Eric, it was massive at the time, but watching it the other morning.....Dear God:facepalm:

Yes, it would never be remade as it was!!

[Mario Miethig]

Re: Fawlty Towers , Porridge

Used to love Only Fools and Minder. Both went on too long and are now so dated, I’ll probably never watch an episode again.
I find Fawlty Towers, Porridge, Rising Damp and The Two Ronnies still funny. Ronnie Barker was a comedy genius.
Another dated one is Are you being served?, though Mrs Slocombes going on about her pussy still make me laugh.

[jon1959]

Re: Fawlty Towers , Porridge

We watched the first series of Yes Minister and Reggie Perrin a few weeks back. Yes Minister has completely stood the test of time - but sadly Reggie hadn't. I wish we hadn't watched it at all - just kept the memories of first time around when it was brilliant.

Fawlty Towers is a bit different as we must have watched all (12?) episodes at least half a dozen times each. Familiarity doesn't breed contempt, but it does take the edge off. Saw a couple of episodes over the weekend and could almost anticipate every line. Genius, but probably need to give them a rest for a decade or so before watching again.

[William Treseder]

Re: Fawlty Towers , Porridge

The 3 films that came afterwards did pretty well. I think the first 'On The Buses' film in 1971 was the most grossing film of the year, even beating 'Diamonds Are Forever'.

Was that the one where Stan and Blakey take a bus into Longleat, safari park?
That always makes me laugh!

[splott parker]

Re: Fawlty Towers , Porridge

We watched the first series of Yes Minister and Reggie Perrin a few weeks back. Yes Minister has completely stood the test of time - but sadly Reggie hadn't. I wish we hadn't watched it at all - just kept the memories of first time around when it was brilliant.

Fawlty Towers is a bit different as we must have watched all (12?) episodes at least half a dozen times each. Familiarity doesn't breed contempt, but it does take the edge off. Saw a couple of episodes over the weekend and could almost anticipate every line. Genius, but probably need to give them a rest for a decade or so before watching again.

Fawlty Towers differs from the others with it not just focussing on what’s happening at the forefront of scenes, there’s very often things going on in the background that you only notice on watching a second, third or even fourth time, the major dithering over something or other, Manuel confusingly going about his day, the two old ladies acting inquisitively etc while Basil, Sybil, Polly etc are acting out the main part. Genius really.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Fawlty Towers , Porridge

We watched the first series of Yes Minister and Reggie Perrin a few weeks back. Yes Minister has completely stood the test of time - but sadly Reggie hadn't. I wish we hadn't watched it at all - just kept the memories of first time around when it was brilliant.

Fawlty Towers is a bit different as we must have watched all (12?) episodes at least half a dozen times each. Familiarity doesn't breed contempt, but it does take the edge off. Saw a couple of episodes over the weekend and could almost anticipate every line. Genius, but probably need to give them a rest for a decade or so before watching again.

Show me an episode of Fawlty Towers and I can recite every line before it's been said - I don't claim any great credit for this because I think there are plenty more who can as well. I can remember watching Fawlty Towers episodes for the first time with the rest of my family and they'd all go the same way, a few gentle laughs in the first five minutes or so, but from about the fifteen minute mark onwards, uncontrollable laughter. Fawlty Towers is the only comedy show I've ever seen that physically hurt me because I was laughing so much. Yes, it's not lasted well in some respects, but I can still watch and enjoy an episode on something like Netflix if there's nothing else worth watching on.

Same with Yes (Prime) Minister - not as laugh out loud funny, but the original series at least was so sharp and well written and, as you say, seems as relevant now as it was back in the 80s.

A word about On the Buses, I agree with the it's so bad it's good line - as for the films, I watched one fairly recently in wonderment as it ticked the boxes of all of the 70s cliches that you read about these days, I'm genuinely amazed by Eric's comment about one of the films being the biggest grossing British production in 1971 (I was only fifteen then and I knew it was crap!).