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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5124 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-10-08
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 180 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Often hailed as the greatest ever British sitcom, Fawlty Towers is closer to the more elaborate tradition of farce. Comprising two series made in 1975 and 1979, the total of just 12 episodes were painstakingly constructed by writers John Cleese and Connie Booth. Unlike most British farce, however, Fawlty Towers deals with the big themes--death, psychology, xenophobia and even sex-o-phobia (Basil's marriage to Sybil is the most sterile ever depicted in a sitcom).Basil's contempt for his guests is, of course, legendary. It takes little from patrons to unleash his sledgehammer sarcasm: "Rosewood, mahogany, teak? Sorry, I was wondering what you'd like your breakfast tray made out of," he sneers at a guest who dares request breakfast in bed. Like every Englishman, he wants to be king of his own castle and resents having to take in lodgers to maintain the place, especially the open-necked younger generation, whom he regards as sub-human. Mostly, though, Fawlty Towers is comedy of exasperation--who can forget the "damn good thrashing" Basil gives his clapped-out car, or the nervous breakdowns he almost suffers trying to make himself understood to Manuel? It's also comedy of embarrassment. The very fear of losing his dignity generally leads Basil into the most spectacularly undignified of predicaments. His inevitable misery is our sheer delight.--David Stubbs

Series 1:
A Touch of Class
The Builders
The Wedding Party
The Hotel Inspectors
Gourmet Night
The Germans

DVD Description
Scene selection
Digitally remastered
Regions 2 and 4
4:3
Dobly Digital Dual Mono
Subtitles: English SDH, English, German, French & Dutch

Important note: This DVD will suffer from freezing on the following DVD players only:

Sony RDR-GX120

Samsung DVD5600

Cinetec 5050

Power DVD V7 (PC DVD Player)

Panasonic DMR E55, E15

Please note this is a player-specific problem, rather than with the DVD.

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Customer Reviews

First class, side splittingly funny
A superb epitomisation of great British wit, sarcasm and farce. One is never sure whether to laugh at Basil or to feel embarassed for him. The episode with the Irish builder will have even the most humourless of people in tears of laughter. A must buy for anyone with a sense of humour and a perfect introduction for those that haven't. Comedy does not get better.

Fawlty batch of DVDs
I would like to second the reviewer who said the final three episodes on this DVD would not play. I wish I had read that before. I ordered the DVD, final three would not play. So I got it replaced by Amazon. Guess what? Final three would not play on that DVD also. What a nuisance having to send it back and wait forever for a refund. Beware of this DVD!

DVD is a disgrace
Maybe this is a coincidence (not likely), but several people I know own this DVD (including myself) and on every one the final three episodes DO NOT PLAY! There is some kind of fault with the menu screen and when you select "The Hotel Inspectors", "Gourmet Night" or "The Germans", the opening music plays but nothing else comes up. Add to that a complete lack of extrras and second rate presentation, I simply cannot say anything positive about it! Of course the show itself is great but unless you want to waste your money on three episodes, get the boxset with everything on.
COMPLETE RIP-OFF, AVOID AT ALL COSTS.