1975 ‘Fawlty Towers’ episode pulled over racist slurs

LONDON — One of the most memorable episodes of one of the most popular British sitcoms of all time has been withdrawn from a U.K. streaming service because of numerous racial slurs.

UKTV, a streaming service owned by the BBC, confirmed late last week that it was temporarily removing the 1975 Fawlty Towers episode “The Germans.”

The decision is part of a backlash against racism in the wake of the May 25 death of George Floyd.

In the episode, hotel owner Basil Fawlty is seen rocking back when a black man approaches him in the hospital where his wife Sybil is readying for an operation, only to find out he’s the doctor.

Fawlty, who is played by John Cleese of “Monty Python” fame, is also seen goosestepping around while shouting “don’t mention the war” in front of a group of visiting Germans after a bout of concussion.

But what’s causing particular offense is a scene involving an elderly guest, a major, using deeply offensive language about the West Indies and India cricket teams.

“The episode contains racial slurs so we are taking the episode down while we review it,” a spokesman for UKTV said. The spokesman said the company wants to “take time” to consider options.

The full episode is still being aired on Netflix and on Britbox, which is half-owned by BBC.

Cleese has criticized the decision, describing those who fail to see the episode as a critique of racism rather than an endorsement of it as “stupid.”

He told The Age, an Australian newspaper, from his home in Los Angeles, that the major “was an old fossil” from decades past and that the program was making fun of his views.

Cleese also praised the Black Lives Matter movement’s efforts to “make our society less discriminatory.”