From: your.name@isp.com   
      
   "catpandaddy"  wrote in message   
   news:ie9dgr$n28$1@news.eternal-september.org...   
   >   
   > Fawlty Towers only lasted for 12 shows total, but people consider it to be   
   a   
   > good series even so!   
      
   By coincidence I saw an interview with John Cleese last night. According to   
   him, America has tired, and failed, to do their own version of Fawlty Towers   
   three times. In one version they decided to get rid of the Basil Fawlty   
   character completely (all his lines were basically given to the Cybil   
   character played by Bea Arthur). He also said one attempt later became   
   Cheers.   
      
   There have been versions made in other European countries with more   
   succcess. The German version simply remade everything EXACTLY the same   
   (right down to the actions), with just the language translation. The Germans   
   apparently also love the "don't talk about the War" episode.   
      
   The same show also had an interview with an Australian actress who said   
   America had tried to make their own version of the Australian "comedy" show   
   Kath & Kim - another disaster, but not a surprising one since the original   
   was also utter drivel.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)