John Cleese "of course the Fawlty Towers reboot won't be as good" | Q&A Panel | Comic-Con Yorkshire

John talks everything from his career to his opinion on the Tory government. Not to be missed.
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[@andyhinds542]

He is so right about our British press. We have the worst newspapers in the world, especially anything owned by Murdoch.

[@Mogamishu]

When the US farts, the UK inhales.

[@adamhickey396]

Can I just mention how gracious Cleese is to the person giving the question at 24:46 The person is clearly apprehensive, nervous and their question comes across as awkward as a result, yet Cleese does not once badger them, nor roll his eyes or scoff, tut or make a sarcastic quip about it and, at the end, gives a great answer for them. Very few celebrities give such time to people like that

[@user-et6pj4db9s]

True but then he negates that by being rude to several other people who were only emoting their love for his work but cos he's heard it a thousand times he cuts them off. Also the guy asks to play paper rock scissors which would take literally two seconds and he refuses.

[@andyhinds542]

I perceive the fish slapping dance as funny because it's about a clash of egos. One person trying to impact with a couple of small fish; then the other guy just slapping him with a big fish straight into the water. Message being, be careful who you pick your fights with.

[@ClaudiaGonzalezKinkyFloyd]

poor John, it seems he is trying to do the best, but the public is from another planet to him

[@user-et6pj4db9s]

The trouble is John is an eccentric and he's also old and by now heard these same questions and gushes from people a million times already so he has no patience left for the mundane routines of everyday people, though notably despite being rude to just about everyone else he let the stuttering fan finish what he wanted to say cos he could see he was so nervous.

[@Yxalitis]

I am most proud of my role in Ben Hur host: no reaction

[@gennettor8915]

Exactly - in spite of Cleese's remark that the audience as "a sense of humor", nobody gets the joke....

[@326Alan]

To be fair, it's not a reference that the youth of Yorkshire would be familiar with...! (Note that he made a point of allowing someone older to ask a question because most were young!) It was an American film released in 1959 and now likely only a familiar title among the elderly (or people studying mid-20th century films)

[@timelordvictorious]

yep think she really thought he was in it

[@gennettor8915]

Ironic that Cleese says that the audience has a "sense of humor" when everybody there, including the interviewer, subsequently don't understand or laugh at any of his jokes!

[@tomz500]

I think the normal branch is why it was funny. Too ridged or too floppy, you were noticing the branch. You noticed it was too ridged or too floppy. It was a distraction. You were seeing that rather than what John was doing. The normal branch you were watching Basil having a nervous breakdown. haha!

[@user-et6pj4db9s]

Yeah I don't think there was that much mystery, for the stunt to work a normal rigid branch would just break and a floppy branch would make Cleese's thrashing look ineffectual so it had to be a bendable branch that wouldn't break but which could hold its form as he smacked the car with it.

[@Bonzenmann]

Wow, Cleese is 83 now and he's so much going on in his life. 😳 I wonder if that "Fawlty Towers" reboot will actually happen...

[@ianinkster2261]

It's not a reboot ; it's a sequel

[@Problembeing]

Love thge end. Right, I've had your money, I'm orff! lol

[@ccgamedes33]

While I lough outload with the fish piece everytime I see it, for me the beekeeper sketch with Atkinson is off the charts, dare I say a symphony of comedy.

[@npc3po301]

We've lost 'Gallows Humour', the era of Python played to an audience that had been through war and adversity so dark humour had been a weapon we used to pull us through so people understood the context, the modern age is largely protected from adversity and LOOKS to be offended, anything too observant gets jumped on, nails that stand up too high terrifies the other nails

[@no288]

Yep. They are so easily offended now. I grew up with Fawlty Towers. John Cleese visited my workplace in the 80s. So its sad to see that humor has taken such a beating . (

[@portapotty69]

I have a feeling we are due for a large serving of adversity.

[@andyhinds542]

I think that Bye Bye Comedy is right to a certain degree, but come on, Philomena Cunk is a gem amongst the detritus of the last few years. Still Game is another.

[@inoderlulzer5163]

The Office is good, too. And I don't know if Little Britain came out there as well, but I very much enjoyed that too.

[@BernardTheMandeville]

The Office was originally from 2001, Philomena Cunk was first seen on Charly Booker's Weekly Wipe in 2013 and Still Game started in 2002. So not exactly recent.

[@ZoltanBalintQC]

wow i haven't see John Cleese in a while.. i hate getting older.. most of my favorite actors are so old now, it makes me stop wondering why i don't see much of them anymore

[@mikearchibald744]

Wasnt Monty Python essentially a committee of six?

[@robsmithadventures1537]

I love he gets more brave as he gets older haha

[@user-et6pj4db9s]

Everyone's the same, I'm only in my 40s but I've already stopped caring as much as when I was in my 20s. Cos when you're young you're forever worried about impressing people, once you're old you know nobody cares about you anymore so you can just be yourself.

[@RobRoss]

I was 10 and living near Los Angles in 1977 which is around the time I first discovered Monty Python. A friend had told me about them, as well as Benny Hill. (Benny Hill was memorable because in Britain they would occasionally have topless women, which were normally censored when it played in the USA. But every once in a while they missed one. For a 10 year old boy, that was an amazing experience. LOL😂 ) But I remember LOVING Monty Python. It was just silly. It was grown men acting like kids. It greatly influenced my own sense of humor. I should mention that at that time, there were exactly 3 major network channels in the USA, and a few local ones. Monty Python was found on the “UHF” dial, a mysterious thing I didn’t understand at the time. I just knew that if you were lucky, while you were randomly tuning into different UHF stations you could occasionally find an episode playing.

[@peteworthy8322]

I have never really liked John Cleese as a person. Nobody seems to know anything about comedy or the business, except him. However, I have to say that I admire, and thoroughly enjoy his work. He is very talented. He understands, and brillliantly uses, the secret to great comedy, which is is absurdity.

[@portapotty69]

I'm sure Mr. Cleese will be devastated that the legendary Pete Worthy never liked him.

[@peteworthy8322]

Like me, he probably couldn't care less.

[@user-et6pj4db9s]

​@@portapotty69 Did he say Cleese would care? He's allowed to make an observation. Cleese can be a know all and he's got pretty impatient and rude in his old age. People just wanted to tell their idol how much his productions meant to them but cos Cleese has heard it all before he has no time for them which is pretty rude. He is right about the industry though, the people in charge of the money for projects have no sense of humour but it's always been that way no different then to now. Cos they're not there for the art, they're there to make money.

[@1MysteryZ1967]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@timelordvictorious]

feel the joke john Cleese maid about being in Ben Hur went over the poor ladies head. I do disagree with john Cleese a bit for example I do like the show ghosts that was maid by the bbc . Feel the lady did not know what she was dealing with and old mister Cleese was saying anything even if it pissed folks off.

[@christopherbrookfield4785]

Is John Cleese having a baby? He must of eaten all the pies! ❤❤❤

[@Io-Io-Io]

You are letting yourself go, you are becoming mr Creosote

[@inoderlulzer5163]

I understand where John Cleese is coming from out of his perspective of who is running comedy on the BBC. But their job is to decide what's "effective" in comedy and what probably won't fly ( no pun intended ). Also, everything he said about the BBC and the comedy commisioners, was rather meagre in argument, because he didn't really say what was wrong with their stance of comedy. All he said was: They are disagreeing with what we find funny ( it's their damn show ), therefore they don't know what they are talking about.

[@claeseriksson4198]

Never seen John this grumpy before (at least on stage). It takes away from his charm.

[@andydixon2980]

He does come across quite bitter but everything he said about the UK being in a generally shit state, and literal minded wokeist's killing our comedy, i'm not surprised.

[@AGGD767]

You’d be grumpy too with a comatose audience

[@ryang790]

I burst out laughing wenenva an actor just shites on roles the audience presumes they adore haha. I thort the chariot crack was quite funny lol piers morgan ha. He wasnt that funny in bond tho sorry john love ya tho. Britains funniest man for a while definitely

[@PhilosopherNewport]

Mmmmm, knee-high boots and visible upper flank...

[@andyhinds542]

Never mind about Debora Messing looking pregnant; John Cleese himself looks pregnant in this video! Mind you, in all fairness, so do I.

[@thesocialmediascientistmbe]

He comes from a time when talent was based on abilty more than looks - as nowadays.

[@a.KniteOwl]

who's to say that John Cleese CAN'T get pregnant if he so identifies as such? HM?!?!?!😤

[@npc3po301]

@@a.KniteOwl But he hasn't got a womb! Where's the foetus going to gestate? Is he going to keep it in a cardboard box!?

[@a.KniteOwl]

@@npc3po301 if he identifies it, THEN YESSSSS

[@no288]

Even though he can't its, _every man's right to have babies if he wants them_ . ; )

[@tuveuxlademocratieoutuveux4692]

*Well then DON'T DO IT for God sakes !!!... You're about to ruin a perfect success story that didn't need any sequel !*

[@rerite2]

Flatten the belly, John.

[@andersondavies3589]

Oh my goodness! What kind of humourless, dumb crowd he is wasting his pearls to!

[@2007flymo]

suppose people will say 'he's from a different generation' but John Cleese presents himself as a bit of a knob with his remarks. then again just my opinion take it as you wish :)

[@EnglishFuture-xg1gw]

for example?

[@intelligencelimited2708]

Coincidentally, you present yourself as a bit of a knob with your remarks, but just my opinion.

[@joshuajoshua2732]

And?

[@jonmortimer5831]

I see why you think that. I like him on balance and I'm not sure why your comment has illicit such a strong response from others. You've not said what a complete arse or anything extreme, just a bit of a knob. Fair enough. I think he's just at an age where he speaks his mind and the audience is largely pretty dull, probably brought the knob out in him. So to speak.

[@2007flymo]

@@jonmortimer5831 people are triggered to easily by others opinions on the net that's why they didn't like my comment but I appreciate your reply and respect it