With a new warning about context

The episode of Fawlty Towers pulled from on-demand service is to be reinstated with a warning about its content within days.

UKTV removed the episode The Germans yesterday because it contained strong racial slurs from the character Major Gowen.

After a day of scrutiny, the broadcaster has now explained its position.

In a statement released on Twitter, it said: ‘We already offer guidance to viewers across some of our classic comedy titles, but we recognise that more contextual information can be required on our archive comedy, so we will be adding extra guidance and warnings to the front of programmes to highlight potentially offensive content and language.

‘We will reinstate Fawlty Towers once the extra guidance has been added, which we expect will be in the coming days. We will continue to look at what content is on offer as we have always done.’

In a straw poll, 81 per cent of Chortle readers said that was the correct course of action.

The controversial scene, which features the long-time hotel resident using the n-word, is usually edited from repeats but was included in the version UKTV had made available from partners such as Sky, Virgin Media, BT and Now TV.

The exchange, about the West Indies cricket team, is still included in the version of Fawlty Towers available on Netflix, which has, in the last week, pulled Little Britain, The League Of Gentlemen, The Mighty Boosh, Come Fly With Me  and the work of Australian comedian Chris Lilley from its catalogue because of concern over blackface.

Earlier, John Cleese criticised the decision to pull the episode, telling Australia’s The Age newspaper: ‘If you put nonsense words into the mouth of someone you want to make fun of, you’re not broadcasting their views, you’re making fun of them. 

‘The Major was an old fossil left over from decades before. We were not supporting his views, we were making fun of them. If they can’t see that – if people are too stupid to see that – what can one say?’

The episode first aired in 1975 and also features  Basil Fawlty’s ‘don’t mention the war’ outburst and exaggerated goose-stepping  in front of a group of visiting Germans, and apparently being shocked at treatment in hospital by a black doctor.

Published: 12 Jun 2020