Fawlty Towers BBC 1 8.30

[Bosscat]

Well they might then have to remove the sign to the hotel at the start of programme. As you have probably noticed they make an anagram from the name. One I recall was Flowery Tw@ts. That will have the perpetually offended sobbing into their recycled hankies.

Already been mentioned in posts above

[Stayingup]

Looks like we've had a dusting of snow overnight on this thread, how romantic and Christmassy

You are allowed a laugh aren't you? Even in Yorkshire!!!

[Stayingup]

Already been mentioned in posts above

Ah yes.

[Stayingup]

From memory I can maybe see "Basil and the light switch" getting chopped.

Maybe the odd line from the "Germans"

Anymore?

Oh yes. Same programme, tne old colonel about the cricket. That would cause utter consternation and revulsion in Islington and parts of Leeds.

[Stayingup]

I know we're struggling to make new programmes due to the Pandemic, but re-runs of a seventies sitcom?

Things really are bad. They've been showing them on GOLD for years. It'll be Del boy and co next week.

Yes bring it on. Comedy with Pathos. Or we could have Danny Boyle. He's about as funny as boil.

[Rileybobs]

Oh yes. Same programme, tne old colonel about the cricket. That would cause utter consternation and revulsion in Islington and parts of Leeds.

I’d like to think that the majority of people, unconstrained by geographic location, would find that scene totally unacceptable for national tv. Or do you think that language is fine?

[Devils_Advocate]

You are allowed a laugh aren't you? Even in Yorkshire!!!

Yes and i've had double the fun what with getting to watch Fawlty Towers and also watching the snowflakes on here get upset cos they've changed a few scenes.

[aclaretinstevenage]

I wish Alf garnett was back televised uncensored, that would really put the cat amongst the pigeons.

Followed by reruns of "It ain't half hot Mum"

[Jamesy]

I'm very happy with my life and my home is a happy. I just can't be doing with blame culture, compensation culture and off with their head culture. So I choose to ignore it and if that makes me a snowflake then I guess I am. We are supposed to have freedom speech but you can't say boo these days without offending someone.

You are not a snowflake, in fact you are the polar opposite. It’s the snowflakes who are offended by nearly everything and it hurts their feelings at the same time. You are probably in the Ricky Gervais camp where he says to people if you are offended by my views or what I say, then F@ck off.

[Taffy on the wing]

Wait until they re-run the Black and White minstrel show!

[Jamesy]

Wait until they re-run the Black and White minstrel show!

Now you just know that that ain’t gonna happen! Don’t want to niggle the snowflakes or woke brigade. Oops I think I have just used the latest word now deemed offensive.

[Devils_Advocate]

Don’t want to niggle the snowflakes

Dont worry I think Firthy has thicker skin than that......just!!

[Firthy]

Dont worry I think Firthy has thicker skin than that......just!!

Skin like a Rhino. I was a senior officer in a prison for almost 30 years. Still not snowing over here.

[Cirrus_Minor]

This was originally a post about one of the most popular comedies in history being re-run again on BBC 1.

There are dozens of television programmes available nowadays, so if you are outraged about this or outraged because people are outraged by Fawlty Towers, don’t watch it, watch another programme.

[Devils_Advocate]

Skin like a Rhino. I was a senior officer in a prison for almost 30 years. Still not snowing over here.

I did think you might have been in a prison or two but not quite what I had in mind

[Jamesy]

Skin like a Rhino. I was a senior officer in a prison for almost 30 years. Still not snowing over here.

Might be a quick flurry of snow on here quite soon though!

[Devils_Advocate]

This was originally a post about one of the most popular comedies in history being re-run again on BBC 1.

There are dozens of television programmes available nowadays, so if you are outraged about this or outraged because people are outraged by Fawlty Towers, don’t watch it, watch another programme.

Noone is outraged by faulty towers but a few seem to be upset at a few scenes getting removed - thats the ironically rediculous thing about this thread and most threads of the same nature.

[Rileybobs]

Do you snowflakes get offended by the director’s cuts of movies too?

[exilecanada]

I'm going out on a limb, but I guess it's safe to say Auntie Beeb won't be showing reruns of the movie "Blazing Saddles' anytime soon?

[evensteadiereddie]

Watched a couple the other night on possibly Netflix/Prime. They’ve stood the test of time well but a good flashback to that era. One of them was a bit shocking in terminology but people learn more from it by keeping it in imo. It was from a different time when different things were seen as acceptable. Why chop and change it so we can pretend things were different. Just put a warning up about the language etc and people then have a choice whether to view it. Oh I forgot it’s the BBC.

Nobody's pretending things were different , it' s just that most people have a clearer view of racism, for example, and whether it's funny or not.
If you don't like the idea of a programme losing one or two lines from a generation ago, watch something more to your taste....I'm sure there'll be something.

[Steve1956]

Nobody's pretending things were different , it' s just that most people have a clearer view of racism, for example, and whether it's funny or not.
If you don't like the idea of a programme losing one or two lines from a generation ago, watch something more to your taste....I'm sure there'll be something.

Another Thread your trying to get pulled just like you got the Wilf one pulled.....

[fidelcastro]

Yes bring it on. Comedy with Pathos. Or we could have Danny Boyle. He's about as funny as boil.

Danny who?

[timshorts]

This seems to have turned into a thread about British comedy and comedians that I have never found funny and one that I absolutely detest. So can I add the league of gentlemen into the mix. And Peter sellers. And that thing about rag and bone men.

Comedy seems to be a very generational thing. A lot of the dramas that get put on talking pictures I prefer to watch than most of the trash that comes on sky movies, but the comedy films from the same era just aren't funny. There is stuff that I remember being funny but when I watch it again, it just isn't. Everything listed above (with the possible exception of it ain't half hot mum) never was imo.

[Firthy]

Nobody's pretending things were different , it' s just that most people have a clearer view of racism, for example, and whether it's funny or not.
If you don't like the idea of a programme losing one or two lines from a generation ago, watch something more to your taste....I'm sure there'll be something.

Or better still leave a programme as it was intended to be and put a warning at the start for anyone they think might be offended so they can avoid it and watch something more to their taste.

All this crap of cutting scenes and pretending they never happened is political correctness over compensating yet again.

[evensteadiereddie]

Again, nobody's pretending the scenes never happened - despite the number of times you repeat the claim. Those racist scenes, for example, are neither necessary nor acceptable in a modern, well-balanced society. Does a racist comment from the Major really amuse you ? Honestly ?
If you and people like you like to relive those good old days, that's your problem but don't expect decent folk to put up with it.
As I said, I'm sure there's plenty of stuff elsewhere to satisfy your needs.

[Firthy]

Again, nobody's pretending the scenes never happened - despite the number of times you repeat the claim. Those racist scenes, for example, are neither necessary nor acceptable in a modern, well-balanced society. Does a racist comment from the Major really amuse you ? Honestly ?
If you and people like you like to relive those good old days, that's your problem but don't expect decent folk to put up with it.
As I said, I'm sure there's plenty of stuff elsewhere to satisfy your needs.

What are my needs exactly??

[tim_noone]

Noone is outraged by faulty towers but a few seem to be upset at a few scenes getting removed - thats the ironically rediculous thing about this thread and most threads of the same nature.

I categorically deny being outraged at Faulty tyres.

[exilecanada]

This is such an interesting thread. Before it gets locked down or deleted, it'd be interesting to poll the age group of those for or against shows of Fawlty Towers type being re run on Auntie Beeb. I'm from the Baby Boomer generation and found such shows hilarious, and still do. There's no question such shows wouldn't be tolerated in today's society, toleration levels have changed, but it doesn't alter the fact they were funny, and still apparently have an audience. History happened, there's no point in sweeping it it under the carpet.

Not trying to argue, merely stating a POV.

[Devils_Advocate]

This is such an interesting thread. Before it gets locked down or deleted, it'd be interesting to poll the age group of those for or against shows of Fawlty Towers type being re run on Auntie Beeb. I'm from the Baby Boomer generation and found such shows hilarious, and still do. There's no question such shows wouldn't be tolerated in today's society, toleration levels have changed, but it doesn't alter the fact they were funny, and still apparently have an audience. History happened, there's no point in sweeping it it under the carpet.

Not trying to argue, merely stating a POV.

I think you're misreading a lot of the discussion. I am well into my comedy and the 90's were my peak time but as far as Im concerned Fawlty Towers is the best comedy of all time and is absolutely timeless

The people doing the moaning on this thread are the older posters being over sensitive that a couple of lines have been removed. Fawlty Towers probably had over 200 scenes across both series and rather than enjoying the 198+ that are still there for some reason they are focusing on the two that aren't.

To top it off they then have the nerve to act like they are the victims of snowflake culture when they are the only ones upset

Fawlty Towers is not offensive or outdated at all and is just a brilliant piece of comedy that stands the test of time better than anything I know. The sooner some older people accept that not everything in the world caters to their tastes and their moral views than the sooner we can get rid of some of the pathetic responses we get from them on bog standard subjects like this

[TheFamilyCat]

I'm looking forward to them remaking it with a black actor playing Basil

[houseboy]

I wish Alf garnett was back televised uncensored, that would really put the cat amongst the pigeons.

Unfortunately what the politically correct offended of this world fail to see is that Garnett was a creature of ridicule. We didn’t laugh with him we laughed at him. We laughed at his ignorance and intolerance. We laughed at his unbelievable attitudes. He represented much of what was bad at that time and as such would stand up now as a good example of how not to be. I think it would work much better than trying to force people into a Procrustean bed of political correctness and gagging such as we are seeing more and more of these days.
As someone has already pointed out on here, there is no point to banning the past like it never happened, the past is there to be learned from in all its grizzly glory. As the man said, ‘The past is a another country, they do things differently there’.

[fidelcastro]

On a completely separate note, the episode named 'Gourmet Night' is a timeless classic, but watch for a clear view of a sound engineer in the corner of the screen when Manuel stands on the duck that Basil had brought back from the restaurant... it's so obvious, that it's like they must have done it on purpose!

[Devils_Advocate]

Unfortunately what the politically correct offended of this world fail to see is that Garnett was a creature of ridicule. We didn’t laugh with him we laughed at him. We laughed at his ignorance and intolerance. We laughed at his unbelievable attitudes. He represented much of what was bad at that time and as such would stand up now as a good example of how not to be. I think it would work much better than trying to force people into a Procrustean bed of political correctness and gagging such as we are seeing more and more of these days.
As someone has already pointed out on here, there is no point to banning the past like it never happened, the past is there to be learned from in all its grizzly glory. As the man said, ‘The past is a another country, they do things differently there’.

I disagree. The younger generation get Alf Garnett and see the joke and can probably see a lot of resemblance in the backward old boomers they come into contact with.

The sad thing is that there are a lot of people of your age who take Alf Garnett literally and look up to him as the shows protagonist and not the fool.

I bet there's plenty on here who long for the days when you could act and speak like Alf Garnett and people would pat you on the back rather than avoid you

[houseboy]

Nobody's pretending things were different , it' s just that most people have a clearer view of racism, for example, and whether it's funny or not.
If you don't like the idea of a programme losing one or two lines from a generation ago, watch something more to your taste....I'm sure there'll be something.

I think what you might be missing is the fact that a free country should be free of censorship and what appears to have happened in this case is just that. People have the freedom to not watch, read or listen to anything they find offensive but if you censor something then those who believe in freedom of speech, thought and expression lose the right to enjoy what they like. It might seem like an over reaction but really it is about some people taking away the freedoms of others to further their own beliefs in what they consider to be right and wrong.
People have the right to be offended but they have no right to take away the rights of those who are not.

[Jakubclaret]

Unfortunately what the politically correct offended of this world fail to see is that Garnett was a creature of ridicule. We didn’t laugh with him we laughed at him. We laughed at his ignorance and intolerance. We laughed at his unbelievable attitudes. He represented much of what was bad at that time and as such would stand up now as a good example of how not to be. I think it would work much better than trying to force people into a Procrustean bed of political correctness and gagging such as we are seeing more and more of these days.
As someone has already pointed out on here, there is no point to banning the past like it never happened, the past is there to be learned from in all its grizzly glory. As the man said, ‘The past is a another country, they do things differently there’.

AG was the archetypal bloke on the block in that particular era & simply called things as he saw them whether you agreed or disagreed, despite the faults & obvious misgivings I’d prefer somebody like that in society compared to some, in this particular era we seem to skirt & scrutinise around too many thorny issues which shouldn’t really be prickly. I’d prefer AG to a heroin/spice addict about to knock a old lady over any day of the week, it was very different back then & in some parts of society AG seamlessly fitted in & you learnt to live with it.

[houseboy]

AG was the archetypal bloke on the block in that particular era & simply called things as he saw them whether you agreed or disagreed, despite the faults & obvious misgivings I’d prefer somebody like that in society compared to some, in this particular era we seem to skirt & scrutinise around too many thorny issues which shouldn’t really be prickly. I’d prefer AG to a heroin/spice addict about to knock a old lady over any day of the week, it was very different back then & in some parts of society AG seamlessly fitted in & you learnt to live with it.

He was ‘Everyman’ in that sense yes. You are right though. Back then we had the right to choose what we believed, rightly or wrongly, nowadays we are being TOLD what to believe and that is sinister in my view. Political correctness is, in my humble opinion, akin to the dark days of religious intolerance where people are portrayed as monsters if they say or do something that is considered ‘unacceptable’.

[fidelcastro]

He was ‘Everyman’ in that sense yes. You are right though. Back then we had the right to choose what we believed, rightly or wrongly, nowadays we are being TOLD what to believe and that is sinister in my view. Political correctness is, in my humble opinion, akin to the dark days of religious intolerance where people are portrayed as monsters if they say or do something that is considered ‘unacceptable’.

I know exactly what you mean. You can't even smear racist graffiti with your own excrement on someone's car anymore.

PC madness!

[evensteadiereddie]

Another Thread your trying to get pulled just like you got the Wilf one pulled.....

Christ, Steviebaby, you're getting a bit desperate, aren't you ? Why should this thread be pulled after being allowed to run for so long ?
And how on earth did I get the Wilf one - whatever that was - pulled ?

Strange even by your standards.

[evensteadiereddie]

What are my needs exactly??

Far too many to do justice to on here, Firthy, I suspect, that's a joke, please don't be offended - but the need to watch reruns of racist comments in an old sitcom is a strange one.

[JohnMac]

Oh yes. Same programme, tne old colonel about the cricket. That would cause utter consternation and revulsion in Islington and parts of Leeds.

Bloody hell, The Major has been promoted

[JohnMac]

This is just another 'if you don't agree with my point of view you are wrong' thread.

It doesn't matter which side you are on, you are wrong!

[Firthy]

Far too many to do justice to on here, Firthy, I suspect, that's a joke, please don't be offended - but the need to watch reruns of racist comments in an old sitcom is a strange one.

Here is the problem. Certain posters on here think that some are offended by removing the scenes or we have some need to see these scenes. Well sorry to disappoint I am not in the least bit offended by it and I'm not even watching the reruns as I have seen them many times before.

I just happen to have an opinion that I disagree with it. These scenes do not promote or cause racism and I even doubt that many from the ethnic minorities would be offended by them. I'm of the opinion that political correctness is going too far and that these older comedies were as already said just parodies and highlighted racism rather than promoted it. We can't change history and reomving these scenes doesn't mean they never happened.

As I said put warnings at the start of each programme so people can make their own choice whether or not to watch it but don't force political correctness on everybody. we can't hide from the past and pretend it never happened. We should use history as an example to make sure that many racist things never happen again not remove it because it might be offensive to some.

[Rileybobs]

Here is the problem. Certain posters on here think that some are offended by removing the scenes or we have some need to see these scenes. Well sorry to disappoint I am not in the least bit offended by it and I'm not even watching the reruns as I have seen them many times before.

I just happen to have an opinion that I disagree with it. These scenes do not promote or cause racism and I even doubt that many from the ethnic minorities would be offended by them. I'm of the opinion that political correctness is going too far and that these older comedies were as already said just parodies and highlighted racism rather than promoted it. We can't change history and reomving these scenes doesn't mean they never happened.

As I said put warnings at the start of each programme so people can make their own choice whether or not to watch it but don't force political correctness on everybody. we can't hide from the past and pretend it never happened. We should use history as an example to make sure that many racist things never happen again not remove it because it might be offensive to some.

How can the BBC justify showing scenes with with totally inappropriate racist language before the watershed? No one is pretending those scenes didn’t happen, this whole thread has been a discussion about it happening.

Equally the people like yourself who are offended by the scenes being cut can just buy the dvds if you’re so keen to watch the racist scenes.

[Jakubclaret]

He was ‘Everyman’ in that sense yes. You are right though. Back then we had the right to choose what we believed, rightly or wrongly, nowadays we are being TOLD what to believe and that is sinister in my view. Political correctness is, in my humble opinion, akin to the dark days of religious intolerance where people are portrayed as monsters if they say or do something that is considered ‘unacceptable’.

I preferred television back then free from heavy censorship, due to that much modification I seldom watch television these days & usually opt to listen to the wireless, as society in the main we are going backwards.

[claret2018]

Contender for most overrated tv show of all time, along with OFAH. The comedy has aged terribly, let alone the rest of it.

[claret2018]

I preferred television back then free from heavy censorship, due to that much modification I seldom watch television these days & usually opt to listen to the wireless, as society in the main we are going backwards.

Loads of stuff was censored “back in the day” on tv.

[Jakubclaret]

Loads of stuff was censored “back in the day” on tv.

Yes but not to the level we are seeing now, I can’t mention some of the words, certain words are banned now & wasn't before, I’d like to see a return of stronger language without even warnings but broadcast when the kids should have gone to bed.

[Boss Hogg]

I doubt the BBC would show Alf Garnett programmes now and certainly not unedited because that would give a wide ranging audience choice and it doesn’t comply with their agenda. I wasn’t that into it but the joke is on him as mentioned higher up and certainly not people and subjects he aimed his insults at. If anything it makes you not want to be like that. Cutting it and trying to mould it into something else would defeat the point.

[Firthy]

How can the BBC justify showing scenes with with totally inappropriate racist language before the watershed? No one is pretending those scenes didn’t happen, this whole thread has been a discussion about it happening.

Equally the people like yourself who are offended by the scenes being cut can just buy the dvds if you’re so keen to watch the racist scenes.

Easy answer is to show them after the watershed with warnings or disclaimers. I am just of the opinion that removing these scenes is wrong and that political correctness is over compensating. As I stated in my last post I have no need to watch them and am certaimly not offended by it.

In fact I'm more offended at your accusation that I am offended by the removal of the scenes when I have already stated I'm not. Just kidding but you get my point that people are too easily offended these days.

The only time political coorectness will offend me is when they change the name of the Isle of Man where I live because the name is sexist. And just to put things into perspective, as much as I disagree with many things in the media these days, I get more u[pset when I lose at Ralph's Spot the Ball than I do with anything concerning political correctness.

The media is very dangerous with the internet there to spread any crap that someone wants to spout. For example, Meghan's staged interview with Oprah gets more covergae and attention than children being beheaded by militants in Mozambique. 8 Asian people have just been killed at 3 Spa's in America by some idiot and they belive it's because some yanks blame the East for the Covid outbreak, all fuelled by the internet.

As Stephen Fry said. He was asked to help set up the internet to give coverage to the arts. He now says it's the sorriest thing he did beacuse it was like opening Pandora's box. Yes there are lot's of good things like this forum but equally it allows propaganda to be spread so easily nowadays.

[Rileybobs]

Easy answer is to show them after the watershed with warnings or disclaimers. I am just of the opinion that removing these scenes is wrong and that political correctness is over compensating. As I stated in my last post I have no need to watch them and am certaimly not offended by it.

In fact I'm more offended at your accusation that I am offended by the removal of the scenes when I have already stated I'm not. Just kidding but you get my point that people are too easily offended these days.

The only time political coorectness will offend me is when they change the name of the Isle of Man where I live because the name is sexist. And just to put things into perspective, as much as I disagree with many things in the media these days, I get more u[pset when I lose at Ralph's Spot the Ball than I do with anything concerning political correctness.

The media is very dangerous with the internet there to spread any crap that someone wants to spout. For example, Meghan's staged interview with Oprah gets more covergae and attention than children being beheaded by militants in Mozambique. 8 Asian people have just been killed at 3 Spa's in America by some idiot and they belive it's because some yanks blame the East for the Covid outbreak, all fuelled by the internet.

As Stephen Fry said. He was asked to help set up the internet to give coverage to the arts. He now says it's the sorriest thing he did beacuse it was like opening Pandora's box. Yes there are lot's of good things like this forum but equally it allows propaganda to be spread so easily nowadays.

Showing it after the watershed is depriving youngsters from being able to see a piece of British comedy history. How is that any less fair than you having to watch a series with a couple of scenes edited out?

I’m actually joshing about you being offended to prove a point. Which is that the people who don’t feel that these scenes are suitable for the BBC to broadcast aren’t necessarily offended. It’s far too lazy to throw that word around and suggest people are ‘snowflakes’.

I’ve seen the scenes in question and wasn’t in the least bit offended. I just feel that showing scenes where people are being described as w*g and ni**er on tv, certainly pre-watershed is wholly unacceptable. I don’t want my little boy to think that those are acceptable words to use. I’m actually pretty stunned that, even on here, people think those words should be broadcast on our national tv service at 8.30 in the evening.