THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER At last here is the u ltimate celebration of the nation's
beloved sitcom from its legendary creator John Cleese. Enjoy the behind-the-scenes magic with
stunning on-set photographs from the archives ... and a laugh a page! ***** 'Amazing detail
... a superb book on my favourite comedy series' Goodreads review ***** 'So special and had
me laughing ... a fantastic book' Goodreads review ***** 'Wonderful book with lots of
insight' Goodreads review Duck surprise. The car that wouldn't start. The psychiatrists.
Those builders... Fifty years ago Fawlty Towers hit British TV screens for the first time
becoming an instant classic. Now for the first time John Cleese tells his stories from behind
the scenes of his favourite moments. From writing scripts that were so carefully planned they
were double the length of similar shows' to casting lighting how the show was almost
cancelled before it started and other production shenanigans these are your favourite moments
from Fawlty Towers as you've never seen them before. Exploring the how and why of creating
classic comedy there is a laugh on every page and a dose of nostalgia for vintage TV fans.
With gorgeous commissioned illustration and archival imagery the book revisits such iconic
scenes as Basil thrashing his car a rat appearing in a box of cheese biscuits and Basil
goose-stepping across the dining room to an audience of horrified guests. Written by and
starring Cleese and his then-wife Connie Booth the first series of Fawlty Towers aired in 1975
with a second series broadcast in 1979. It featured Cleese as the irascible hotel manager Basil
Fawlty Prunella Scales as his sybaritic wife Sybil Andrew Sachs as the hapless waiter Manuel
and Booth as Polly an efficient waitress and art student. It won three BAFTAS and despite
having only 12 episodes in total continues to be regularly voted the best sit-com in British
history. Fawlty Towers: Fawlts and All was a top 10 Sunday Times bestseller in Hardback
Non-Fiction week ending 8th November 2025.
