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John Cleese, 83, has defended the sitcom he created and starred in over four decades ago, following claims that Gen Z don’t quite understand the humour it uses. Taking to Twitter in the early hours of this morning, the actor issued a solemn warning adding that he has been surprised by the series’ reception over the years.
Earlier this week, a Bristol Live reporter and member of Generation Z delivered her take on the very first Fawlty Towers episode, which aired in September 1975.
The reporter noted that humour has changed in the 48 years since the show was created and while she “didn’t get the humour behind any of the jokes”, she understood why it was such a sensation in its time.
Fans of the series on social media were not too impressed by the verdict, with one tweeting: “What I don’t understand is what she didn’t understand…It just puzzles me.”
At 3am, John shared this message, adding a warning of his own.
He wrote: “It’s surprised me for years that people have such different senses of humour.
“The only danger arises when people with very little s.o.h are allowed to decide what kind of humour is acceptable.”(sic)
The actor’s comments section was somewhat divided on the topic as well, with one fan noting: “I love pretty much everything you ever do, but I never laugh at Fawlty Towers. I deeply admired its technique, though.”
Another supported John adding: “All I know is I’ve nearly passed out from lack of oxygen due to laughing from watching John Cleese in basically anything he has been in.”
Many of John’s five million followers also shared their avid anticipation for a Fawlty Towers reboot.
John announced the plan earlier this month, revealing he will be teaming up with his daughter Camilla Cleese who is believed to be writing and starring in the new show too.
The original sitcom focused on the exploits of Basil Fawlty, played by John, and his wife Sybil, portrayed by Prunella Scales, as they ran their fictional hotel in Torquay.
However, it’s reboot is said to be exploring how Basil will navigate the modern world along with his daughter as the pair run the now boutique hotel.
The actor has just recently fired back at other criticisms the potential reboot received earlier this week.
John admitted he was growing concerned over the backlash of his announcement, tweeting: “I worry that so many of the British critics are saying that the FT sequel is such an awful idea because Rob Reiner might start getting cold feet, and cancel the whole thing.
“He’s fairly new to comedy and doesn’t have that fingertip sensitivity to it that British critics do.”
The show has already been remade in the US three times, first in 1979 under the name Chateau Snavely and then in 1983 simply titled Amanda’s.
In 1999, the American remake was revived as the sitcom Payne, but none brought much success for the franchise.
In 2009, John famously declared that there would never be another episode of Fawlty Towers, according to The Guardian, as he noted: “I think everyone would be excited if we did it.
“The problem is, when you do do something that is generally accepted as being very good, a horrible problem arises, which is: how do you top it?
“The expectation of what you will do is so high.”
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