# Fawlty Towers episode pulled **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 12, 2020, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554 "2020-06-12T18:44:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/1 "2020-06-12T18:44:11Z")
The Germans episode. I don’t recall racial slurs maybe the US version cut them out? Or maybe my memory is bad. [https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/episode-uk-sitcom-fawlty-towers-pulled-racist-slurs-71216277](https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/episode-uk-sitcom-fawlty-towers-pulled-racist-slurs-71216277) ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/2 "2020-06-12T18:48:24Z")
This is in the UK only as mentioned early in the article. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/3 "2020-06-12T18:54:16Z")
It was only pulled in the UK . But did the US get the censored version? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/4 "2020-06-12T18:55:29Z")
Again from the article: > [@](#): > > The full episode is still being aired on Netflix and on Britbox, which is half-owned by the BBC, without any warnings or editing. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/5 "2020-06-12T19:01:56Z")
I saw it on PBS way back in the early 80s so I guess that version was not cut? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/6 "2020-06-12T19:06:05Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I saw it on PBS way back in the early 80s so I guess that version was not cut? No it wasnt. PBS back in the day was much more adventurious. They even aired a play with nudity. Steambath. > **[Steambath (TV Movie 1973) ⭐ 7.9 | Drama, Fantasy](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167415/)** > > 1h 30m | Not Rated [https://www.amazon.com/Steambath-Bill-Bixby/dp/B07S85WKH4](https://www.amazon.com/Steambath-Bill-Bixby/dp/B07S85WKH4) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/7 "2020-06-12T19:06:28Z")
[This](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53020335) is what the BBC reports. > [@](#): > > In it, the Major uses highly offensive language, and Cleese’s Basil Fawlty declares “don’t mention the war”…A UKTV spokesman said: "UKTV has temporarily removed an episode of Fawlty Towers The Germans from Gold’s Box Set. > > "The episode contains racial slurs so we are taking the episode down while we review it. We regularly review older content to ensure it meets audience expectations and are particularly aware of the impact of outdated language. > > “Some shows carry warnings and others are edited. We want to take time to consider our options for this episode.”… j ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/8 "2020-06-12T19:11:46Z")
I don’t know why it was pulled, and I don’t think it should be, but, from memory, here are the pretty objectionable parts: He goosesteps like a Nazi and pretends to be Hitler He’s afraid of the black doctor He calls that nurse ugly to her face It’s overall pretty hard on the Germans Polly does a terrible impression of James Cagney OK, that last one isn’t a real reason. Apropos my thread in ATMB, the first or second episode (the one with O’Reilly) is pretty hard on Irishmen. In other episodes, he calls Manuel a wop (which is odd to this American), and the Major is pretty racist in one of the episodes. He’s such an anti-hero that him acting badly seems OK to me, but I’m not the BBC censors. For example, the authorities in Blazing Saddles are uniformly awful and racist, so when they say racist things, it just shows how awful they are. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/9 "2020-06-12T19:13:20Z")
Hmmm, I taped that on VHS way back when. I got rid of them sometime in the last decade. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/10 "2020-06-12T19:45:42Z")
The Major, in his own addled way, refers to South Asians and Africans (or maybe West Indians; I don’t remember off the top of my head) as “W **s" and "N** \*\*\*s,” while Basil calls the Germans “K\*\*\*\*s.” The BBC has a lot of work to do if it intends to eliminate all such references from every older show. Fortunately, I bought the complete boxed set of _ **FT** _ years ago. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/11 "2020-06-12T20:06:55Z")
John Cleese responds - stating that the aim was to ridicule racism by putting the words into the mouths of idiotic characters so show how stupid they were - make fun of the racists, show them how ridiculous they look… > **[Fawlty Towers: John Cleese attacks 'cowardly' BBC over episode's removal](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53020335)** > > The comedian's criticism comes after an episode was temporarily pulled by UKTV due to "racial slurs". ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/12 "2020-06-12T20:18:00Z")
This is the scene which caused it to be pulled: [Fawlty Towers: Women are strange creatures - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN7L_cte7PA&feature=youtu.be&t=56) Warning: contains the N word multiple times. I work in the TV industry for a different company. We have also pulled one or two programmes which might not be suitable in the current context. Difference is that we didn’t write a press release. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/13 "2020-06-12T20:18:16Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > John Cleese responds - stating that the aim was to ridicule racism by putting the words into the mouths of idiotic characters so show how stupid they were - make fun of the racists, show them how ridiculous they look… > > [Fawlty Towers: John Cleese attacks 'cowardly' BBC over episode's removal - BBC News](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53020335) At last, a voice of sanity crying out in the wilderness. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/14 "2020-06-12T20:24:46Z")
Yet had UKTV shown it they would have had many complaints. And the potential of some really bad press. So from a business perspective it makes perfect sense not to show it and I would have made the same call. However the press release smacks of virtue signalling. You do this sort of thing quietly to avoid the bad press. You do not invite bad press by shouting about it. Though it raises the channel’s profile I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/15 "2020-06-12T20:38:50Z")
Guess I don’t recall that part of the episode. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/16 "2020-06-12T21:13:18Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > This is the scene which caused it to be pulled: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN7L\_cte7PA&feature=youtu.be&t=56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN7L_cte7PA&feature=youtu.be&t=56) > > Warning: contains the N word multiple times. > > I work in the TV industry for a different company. We have also pulled one or two programmes which might not be suitable in the current context. Difference is that we didn’t write a press release. The very first comment under the video: “So who’s here after the show was pulled?” 6 replys so far. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/17 "2020-06-12T23:46:38Z")
I’ve seen it many times, including in streaming services. As a kid(I saw the show in the 80’s), our jaws dropped at the scene, but it is clearly the Major that is clueless and senile. ---
**Author:** ![Tinker\_Grey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tinker_grey/32/8136_2.png) [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/18 "2020-06-13T00:47:36Z")
The Jeffersons used the N-word as did a memorable SNL sketch with Chevy Chase and Richard Pryor. I don’t recall whether All In The Family did or did not. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/19 "2020-06-13T00:55:43Z")
> [@Tinker\_Grey](#): > > The Jeffersons used the N-word as did a memorable SNL sketch with Chevy Chase and Richard Pryor. I don’t recall whether All In The Family did or did not. _All in the Family_ did have one episode, at a party at the Jefferson’s house where George first finds out that Jenny, Lionel’s fiancee, has a white father. When Jenny’s parents start bickering, George says loudly to Louise, “You see that Louise? The next thing you know he’ll be calling her a N\*\*\*\*\*!” Archie, who’s standing a little off to the side, says, “Geez, I haven’t used that word in ten years.” ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554/20 "2020-06-13T11:17:48Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > At last, a voice of sanity crying out in the wilderness. Actually, he is now a bit insane with extremely dodgy views of things like Brexit, while living in the Carribean… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawlty-towers-episode-pulled/855554.md?page=2)