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Manic, condescending, sycophantic and rude, Basil Fawlty played by John Cleese is one of the funniest British comedy creations ever shown on television. From today, to mark the 30th anniversary of the series, a special edition remastered DVD boxset of Fawlty Towers is released and the original series becomes available to download in the UK on the iTunes Store ().

For the DVD boxset, every episode of the of the BAFTA-winning sitcom has been remastered, with a whole host of special features including, for the first time ever, audio commentaries from John Cleese on all 12 episodes.

Fans can download a whole series or a single episode from iTunes store which will give them the flexibility to watch the iconic sitcom on which ever digital platform they choose (). In addition interviews, exclusive to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Worldwide, of John Cleese discussing the making of Fawlty Towers will soon be made available to download for free on iTunes.

John Cleese commented on the release, "It's so pleasing to see that Fawlty Towers continues to make the British public laugh. I think fans will find the commentaries interesting and understand better the process of making the shows. I hope this will lead to a lot of laughing out loud in public places."

A series of clips, featuring interviews with John Cleese commenting on some of the most iconic Fawlty Towers moments are available for press to download and embed.   

Fawlty Towers was famously inspired by a rude hotel proprietor John Cleese encountered whilst filming with Monty Python. Written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, Fawlty Towers remains one of the most inspired and best-loved TV series of all time.

Cast to perfection the series features Cleese playing the highly-strung Torquay hotel owner Basil Fawlty, Prunella Scales as his domineering wife Sybil, Connie Booth as Polly, the dependable maid and Andrew Sachs in the memorable role of Manuel, the non-comprehending, tyrannized waiter from Barcelona.

Each storyline remains a classic, with every guest another inconvenience in Basil's life – from the regulars, eccentric dodderer Major Gowen and charming elderly ladies Miss Gatsby and Miss Tibbs, to visitors such as Bernard Cribbins' fastidious spoon salesman and the deaf but imperious Joan Sanderson as Miss Richards. Whether it is builders, Germans, wedding guests, American tourists, corpses or even rats, there's always someone or something to drive Basil to desperation.

You can view two exclusive clips through the following links:

For another classic Fawlty Towers clip and interview, please visit the and use the following details: login: 2epressoffice password: TopTVonDVD

NOTES TO EDITORS
DVD Product Information

• RELEASE DATE: 19th October 2009
• PRICE: £24.46
• CAT. NUMBER: ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳DVD2795
• DURATION: 12 x 30mins, 3 discs
• EXTRAS :  Exclusive commentaries from John Cleese on all 12 episodes, extended interviews with the cast (including Connie Booth), taken from the recent documentary on UK Gold, Director's commentary from John Howard Davies on series 1 and Bob Spiers on series 2, interviews with John Cleese, Prunella scales and Andrew Sachs, accompanying 8-page booklet, artist profiles, out-takes and Torquay Tourist Guide (short documentary)

Amy Broomfield

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