Comedian John Cleese conceived a plot for a 'Fawlty Towers' movie installment where Basil Fawlty would hijack a plane to ensure he spent his holiday in Spain, according to his recent remarks.
Cleese, 86, shared the idea via video link during an appearance on "Joe And David's Magical Sitcom Tour." In his proposed storyline, Basil's plane is hijacked en route to Spain, leading him to subdue the hijackers. However, upon learning the plane is returning to London, Basil takes control and forces the pilot to fly to the Mediterranean, ultimately resulting in his imprisonment.
"Joe And David's Magical Sitcom Tour," a new series on U&Gold, features comedians Joe Wilkinson and David Earl visiting locations associated with "Fawlty Towers." The show is described as "gentle, nerdy television for blokes who want an excuse to be kids again."
In the program's first episode, Wilkinson and Earl visited Studio TC1 at the BBC Television Centre in White City, London, where several "Fawlty Towers" episodes were filmed before a live audience. They were reportedly informed that the studio was needed for filming "The Great British Bake Off" spin-off, "An Extra Slice."
The duo also traveled to Torquay to see the site of the former Gleneagles hotel that inspired the series. They recreated a scene by parking a Mini in the cul-de-sac featured in the "Gourmet Night" episode, where Basil Fawlty's character experienced a breakdown.
The series follows Wilkinson and Earl as they explore the heritage of classic sitcoms, having previously featured "Porridge" and planning to cover "The Office" in a future episode. The comedians explore their nostalgia for the shows, with Earl recounting a family story of his father laughing so hard at "Fawlty Towers" that he fell off the sofa.