Fawlty Towers (1975)
Don’t mention the war!
Owner Basil Fawlty, his wife Sybil, a chambermaid Polly, and Spanish waiter Manuel attempt to run their hotel amidst farcical situations and an array of demanding guests.
| Type | TV series |
|---|---|
| First aired | 19 September 1975 |
| Status | Ended, last episode 25 October 1979 |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created by | Connie Booth and John Cleese |
| Starring | John Cleese, Prunella Scales and Connie Booth |
| Seasons | 2 seasons, 12 episodes |
| Episode length | about 30 min |
| Time to watch it all | about 6 hours |
| Rated | TV-PG |
| Scores | TMDB users 8.3/10 |
Where to watch Fawlty Towers
We could not find Fawlty Towers on any of the subscription services we track in the US right now. That changes often; open it in Binge Boss and we will show you where it lands.
Where to watch Fawlty Towers in 3 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Australia | Binge $19.00 AUD, Foxtel, ARD/ZDF, ABC iview free |
| Ireland | Skygo, Now TV |
| United Kingdom | Skygo, Now TV £9.99 GBP |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Fawlty Towers is a 1975 comedy built on the nervous energy of John Cleese as Basil Fawlty, a hotel owner. The series runs 6 hours across 2 seasons, a brief commitment. It captures the specific horror of being trapped with people who think you are charming. The tagline, "Don’t mention the war!", sums up the whole premise.
How it did with audiences
Fawlty Towers never posted a box office figure, so we measure its impact in stars instead. On TMDB, users rate it 8.3 out of 10. That is a high mark for a show that spent its entire run trying to ruin holiday vacations. The audience clearly enjoyed watching the ruin.
What came next for the cast
John Cleese stepped out of Monty Python's Flying Circus and And Now for Something Completely Different. He later appeared in Life of Brian and voiced a character in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Connie Booth, who shared the Python stage with Cleese, moved on to Little Lord Fauntleroy. The timeline lists these titles. It does not explain the jumps.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Fawlty Towers.
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Sources
- Fawlty Towers on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q212731 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Fawlty Towers” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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