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UKTV reverses decision to drop Fawlty Towers episode

UKTV backtracks on its decision to axe the iconic 'The Germans' episode of Fawlty Towers.

UKTV has backtracked on its decision to remove an episode of Fawlty Towers from its on-demand service.

The broadcaster dropped 'The Germans' episode of the classic comedy due to concerns over its content amid a resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in recent weeks.

The episode in question includes use of the N-word in relation to the West Indies cricket team, a Nazi impression, as well as a scene in which John Cleese's character Basil appears hesitant to be treated by a black doctor.

In a statement, UKTV 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 that 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 always have done."

Cleese had reacted to the original decision by branding UKTV's actions "stupid".

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Written by
Neil Wilkes

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