Fawlty Towers

[Captaindemotion]

^ Was it him? I must've mixed the two up. Well, whoever the 'ape' comments were directed at, that's who I was wondering about.

It wasn't uncommon in the 1970s for UK TV comedy characters like Rigsby in Rising Damp or Fletcher in Porridge to make borderline (or worse) racist comments, at which the audience laughed loudly, which is why I wonder about Fawlty. It seems now unthinkable for award character to call a black person an ape but back then it wasn't.

 

[J.T.B.]

^ Was it him? I must've mixed the two up. Well, whoever the 'ape' comments were directed at, that's who I was wondering about.

I've never heard anything about Mr. Johnson being written as black. AFAIK he was always intended to be the same as he ended up: A foil to show Basil's discomfort with anything to do with sex, and his insecurity about and resentment for the reputation of the Latin/Mediterranean man being desirable, passionate, sexually potent etc.

 

[Gil T.Azell]

The Communication Problems Episode was good.
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIVDx-8kWZo[/yt]

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Was it him? I must've mixed the two up. Well, whoever the 'ape' comments were directed at, that's who I was wondering about.

I've never heard anything about Mr. Johnson being written as black. AFAIK he was always intended to be the same as he ended up: A foil to show Basil's discomfort with anything to do with sex, and his insecurity about and resentment for the reputation of the Latin/Mediterranean man being desirable, passionate, sexually potent etc.

Good enough. Thanks for the answer.

 

[Trek Survivor]

The "ape" comments were about his overtly hairy chest as far as I recall.

Fawlty Towers is a classic. Every episode. It's always on G.O.L.D and no matter how many times I've seen them I keep coming back for more. Just rewatched that "Waldorf Salad" episode - an absolute classic.

"I think we're just out of Waldorfs..."

 

[stoneroses]

Fawlty Towers is a million times better than the clichéd Are you being served (not that it's not funny).
It is the kind of show you can watch over and over again and find new things you didn't spot before.
Is this a piece of your brain....down stairs? Do give my regards to the Earth's core
Your What? I am the owner

 

[JT Perfecthair]

The Major uses the N-word in one episode in a way that todays viewer might be surprised by, but it was hardly an uncommon comment among that age group and era he was portraying.

 

[Othello]

Thanks to Netflix I am finally watching what was polled as the most popular British sit-com of all time, starring John Cleese.

I'm two episodes in, and this is completely unfunny and not clever at all. I'm flummoxed. Why is this show so popular?

And don't get me wrong I absolutely love Brit-coms. Even the older ones. Are You Being Served is much better than this, as broad as it is...

I can't fathom anyone not thinking it's funny. No comedy I've ever watched on tv has ever come remotely close.