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Potential film adaptation

With only 12 episodes made of Fawlty Towers, the BBC were keen to prolong the show. But both Cleese and Booth had felt that series 2 had been far better than series 1 and trying to make a third series that would be even better was near impossible.

However, according to John Cleese in the extras section of the Fawlty Towers special 3 disc DVD, and in the book Fawlty Towers Fully Booked, a plot had been developed for a 90 minute feature-length film in which the hotel would be removed and utilizing the characters in a broader, more ambitious landscape. Cleese says:

“ We had an idea for a plot which I loved. Basil was finally invited to Spain to meet Manuel's family. He gets to Heathrow and then spends about 14 frustrating hours waiting for the flight. Finally, on the plane, a terrorist pulls a gun and tries to hijack the thing. Basil is so angry he overcomes the terrorist and when the pilot says, "We have to fly back to Heathrow," Basil says, "No, fly us to Spain or I'll shoot you." He arrives in Spain, immediately arrested and spends the entire holiday in a Spanish jail. He is released just in time to go back on the plane with Sybil.

It was very funny, but I couldn't do it at the time. Making Fawlty Towers work at 90 minutes was a very difficult proposition. You can build up the comedy for 30 minutes, but at that length there has to be a trough and another peak. It doesn't interest me. I don't want to do it.

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