Morgan BellJohn Cleese slams Modern Writers
May 12th 2009 12:03
Fawlty Towers is an enduring classic of British television comedy.
But the BBC almost dismissed the TV show initially.
In 1974, John Cleese submitted the script he had written with his then wife, Connie Booth. The letter back from the BBC script editor said:
"This is full of clichéd situations and stereotypical characters, and I cannot see it being anything other than a disaster."
That first series took 43 weeks to make. And while the average BBC sitcom scripts were about 65 pages an episode, for 'Fawlty Towers', the scripts were about 140 pages.
"That's why I think people can go on watching it - there's so much more in it than there is in most shows"
John Cleese
In an interview to coincide with a documentary commemorating the 30th anniversary of the second series, Mr Cleese told the Daily Telegraph that the "golden age" of British comedy is over.
"I don't think the writers work as hard as they used to, and I think they may lack experience, because the writing isn't as good,"
"I do proudly claim that in the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties we had the least bad television in the world. I don't think that's true any more."
Today, Cleese says, the people who run TV are interested only in money and viewing figures, and are fearful of new, imaginative ideas.
"What works wonderfully, is if people who know what they're doing, at least some of the time, are allowed to trust their gut. That's when you get interesting television."
original story by Phil Gladwin
But the BBC almost dismissed the TV show initially.
In 1974, John Cleese submitted the script he had written with his then wife, Connie Booth. The letter back from the BBC script editor said:
"This is full of clichéd situations and stereotypical characters, and I cannot see it being anything other than a disaster."
That first series took 43 weeks to make. And while the average BBC sitcom scripts were about 65 pages an episode, for 'Fawlty Towers', the scripts were about 140 pages.
"That's why I think people can go on watching it - there's so much more in it than there is in most shows"
John Cleese
In an interview to coincide with a documentary commemorating the 30th anniversary of the second series, Mr Cleese told the Daily Telegraph that the "golden age" of British comedy is over.
"I don't think the writers work as hard as they used to, and I think they may lack experience, because the writing isn't as good,"
"I do proudly claim that in the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties we had the least bad television in the world. I don't think that's true any more."
Today, Cleese says, the people who run TV are interested only in money and viewing figures, and are fearful of new, imaginative ideas.
"What works wonderfully, is if people who know what they're doing, at least some of the time, are allowed to trust their gut. That's when you get interesting television."
original story by Phil Gladwin
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Comment by RubySoho
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Comment by Janet Collins
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It's interesting to see how some of these older serials didn't seem to lose interest for a long long time.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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yeah i had to re-read that line a couple of times! haha
its a bit of a back-handed compliment hey, like all tv is bad bit British tv is the least bad . . . funny man
hi Janet,
i remember watching them (re-runs) on the ABC as a little kid, my parents loved the show and so did i . . . we both own the full series on DVD now . . . it really was something special
Comment by Janet Collins
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That just goes to show how it has done the test of time, don't you think?
Comment by Morgan Bell
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oh definitely, it was masterfully written and it will endure the generations
i think perhaps because it did draw on so many stereotypes that still exist today, like Basil was the highly strung racist prude, and so many of the guests have little quirks that anyone who has worked in hospitality or retail would easily recognise
it has passed the test of time with flying colours!
Comment by RubySoho
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Comment by Norm
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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its funny phrasing hey, i like how he avoided saying it was "the most good" or it was "the best"
hi Norm,
he made that show and he MADE that show!
i made him make it, im just that powerful!
Comment by Cibbuano
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I'm not sure I'd say that good writing has disappeared... I don't watch much TV, but I definitely enjoyed The Office, The IT Crowd and The Mighty Boosh!
Comment by Morgan Bell
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i have not seen Palin talking on Cleese, i didnt realise he was hard to work with . . . but that seems to be a common theme with many creative people, they can be very hard to work with
i kind of think with tv, as with film, and with literature, that there is probably as much if not more great products being created, its just that the production pool is so much larger, there are so many more people (full stop), so many more wealthy people, so many more literate people, so many more free people etc creating works in the arts
i think sometimes the "quality" works (or shows) can seem dwarfed by the formulaic mainstream
its just a matter of finding your niche
thanks for the comment
Comment by Earl Leonard
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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yeah i tend to agree, theres more of everything, more good, more bad, and more ugly . . . hideous haha
The Office (UK version) and Extras were brilliant shows, i also think Ab Fab, Little Britain, The League of Gentleman, and Let Them Eat Cake are all recent "classic" British tv comedy shows that will be enjoyed for generations to come
Comment by Anonymous