Episode of UK sitcom 'Fawlty Towers' pulled over racist slurs

[left-of-center2012]

One of the most memorable episodes of one of the most popular British sitcoms of all-time has been withdrawn from a U.K. streaming service because of numerous racial slurs. UKTV, a streaming service owned by the BBC, confirmed Friday that it was temporarily removing the 1975 Fawlty Towers episode “The Germans.”

In the episode, hotel owner Basil Fawlty (played by John Cleese of “Monty Python” fame) is seen rocking back when a black man approaches him in the hospital where his wife Sybil is readying for an operation on an in-growing toenail, only to find out that he’s the doctor. But what's causing particular offense, is a scene involving one of the hotel's long-time guests, an elderly major, who uses deeply offensive language (the ‘N’ word) about the West Indies and India cricket teams.

“The episode contains racial slurs so we are taking the episode down while we review it," a spokesman for UKTV said. “We regularly review older content to ensure it meets audience expectations and are particularly aware of the impact of outdated language.” The spokesman said the company wants to “take time” to consider options.The full episode is still being aired on Youtube, Netflix and on Britbox, which is half-owned by the BBC, without any warnings or editing.

Cleese has criticized the decision, describing those who fail to see the episode is a critique of racism rather than an endorsement of it as “stupid.” He told The Age, an Australian newspaper, from his home in Los Angeles, that the major “was an old fossil” from decades past and that the program was making fun of his views.

While questioning attempts to airbrush the past, Cleese expressed his support for the aims of the Black Lives Matter protest movement. “At the moment there is a huge swell of anger and a really admirable feeling that we must make our society less discriminatory, and I think that part of it is very good,” he said.

https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/episode-uk-sitcom-fawlty-towers-pulled-racist-slurs-71216277

[hlthe2b]

1. I fear we are losing focus (and some seem no longer able to appreciate the value of satire)

sigh...

[heckles65]

2. Cleese can be an old crank nowadays

but I agree with him here. Not only that, the episode is screamingly funny!

"Yes you did you invaded Poland."

[Ron Obvious]

3. Sad. Book burners don't get irony

Nor have a sense of humour. I think their sense of righteousness gets in the way.

These must be the same people who didn't understand Huckleberry Finn either and want it banned. They can't see beyond the superficial and see what it's really all about and what the message is.

[Tipperary]

4. Yes. nt

[mucifer]

5. It's not my personal battle. I choose to listen to the conversation. But, as a Jew I have to say

I appreciate the German episode. I wouldn't pull it from viewing.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

6. How is a racist character using a racial slur "satire"?

[OnDoutside]

7. Have you seen Fawlty Towers ?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

8. Yes.

[left-of-center2012]

9. The whole show is satire

All 12 shows.

[Dr. Strange]

13. Hmmm...

Would you consider All in the Family satire?

[Ron Obvious]

14. Did you ever see the show it's based on?

It's a British sitcom called "Till Death Us Do Part", and it's much more hard-hitting than AITF. Alf Garnett, the Archie Bunker character, is much more over the top and far less lovable than Archie. Sadly, a lot of people also didn't get that he was supposed to be satire and loved the character, which used to drive the actor to despair.

So, nothing new under the sun.

[Dr. Strange]

15. Heh. The British versions tend to be quite different from Americanized versions.

I used to watch The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (the 70s version) when I was a kid. When I found out there was going to be an American version, I was excited. Richard Mulligan was going to play the title role and I loved him on SOAP. No way it can fail.

And then it did. Really bad.

[left-of-center2012]

10. Times change; people evolve

The show was ranked first on a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000,
and in 2019 it was named the "greatest ever British TV sitcom" by a panel of comedy experts compiled by the Radio Times.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fawlty_Towers

[JCMach1]

11. Not sayings it's the level of literature, but it is satire

And it is a piece of popular culture.

The episode in question is actually lampooning Euro political correctness...

Are we pulling Huck Finn too? Not down for that.


And trust, I am down for almost every statue... Even carve a surrender flag with the stone mountain riders.

[MisterNiceKitty]

12. re: episode of UK sitcom 'Fawlty Towers' pulled over racist slurs

FYI, OP this link says the episode is being reinstated with some modifications (& none to content).

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/jun/12/john-cleese-attacks-stupid-removal-of-fawlty-towers-episode

I was just about to look for it online and download it & I haven't seen nor thought about the show in decades.

The protests are descending into an attack on symbols rather than substantive reform. But then again maybe
substance was never the point, exploiting division and creating conflict and chaos is. But it's backfiring as the abrupt turn
against the Confederate flag shows. I suspect this response from our institutions was unexpected and now more candidates to sow divisiveness are being rabidly sought for.