Fawlty Towers revival is under way including John Cleese

Beloved BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers is set to be revived with star John Cleese returning to write alongside his daughter Camilla Cleese.

The show which was originally written by Cleese and Connie Booth was just 12 episodes long and ran for two seasons of six shows in 1975 and 1979.

Despite its short run, the comedy series transcended its temporary time on television, going on to be named greatest British sitcom of all time by a panel of television experts for Radio Times magazine in 2019, having become a household name and earning countless re-runs of air time.

The sitcom followed the desperate exploits of Torquay hotelier Basil Fawlty, portrayed by Cleese, and he wife Sybil, played by Prunella Scales while they tried to run their hotel and navigate the pitfalls of work and marriage.

Yesterday, Castle Rock Entertainment issued a statement that it had closed a deal with the actor and the series’ former writer, John Cleese to bring back the show.

The reboot is set to explore how cynic Basil best navigates the modern world. The hotelier will also be joined in the new series by a daughter he has just discovered is his, with the pair teaming up to run a boutique hotel.

Actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner are joining the show as executive producers, along with director and producers Matthew George and Derrick Rossi.

Speaking on Matthew, Cleese said, "What I like about Matt is that, unlike many producers, he really 'gets' the creative process.

"When we first met, he offered an excellent first idea, and then Matt, my daughter Camilla, and I had one of the best creative sessions I can remember.

"By dessert we had an overall concept so good that, a few days later, it won the approval of Rob and Michele Reiner.

"Camilla and I look forward enormously to expanding it into a series."

Reciprocating the sentiment, the producer gushed of his initial meeting with Cleese, stating that it was one of the "great thrills" of his life.

“I’m obsessed with Fawlty Towers and the legendary characters he created,” George continued.

"I’ve watched the first two seasons so many times I have lost count. I dreamed of one day being involved in a continuation of the story. Now it’s come true."

Rob Reiner said: "John Cleese is a comedy legend. Just the idea of working with him makes me laugh."

Besides Fawlty Towers, Cleese is best known as one of the original members of the Monty Python comedy troupe.

The group produced a number of sketch shows and films including Monty Python And The Holy Grail, Monty Python’s Life Of Brian and Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life.