{"id":580082,"date":"2026-05-12T16:11:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T16:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/580082\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T16:11:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T16:11:09","slug":"the-show-that-inspired-fawlty-towers-returns-to-freeview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/580082\/","title":{"rendered":"The Show That Inspired Fawlty Towers Returns To Freeview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Rewind TV\u2019s June lineup might just be its strongest yet this year \u2013 and it doesn\u2019t even wait until June to get started.<\/p>\n<p>From late May, the nostalgia-focused Freeview (and Sky) channel is bringing back one of the sharpest political sitcoms British television has ever produced, before rolling into a full month packed with classic comedy, cult detective drama, and some genuinely hard-to-find gems.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a BAFTA-winning Rik Mayall performance, a ghost-assisted private eye, a hospital ward full of hypochondriacs \u2013 and a medical sitcom with episode scripts written by John Cleese and Graham Chapman.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re planning to take a break from the World Cup this summer, Rewind TV has no shortage of alternatives.<\/p>\n<p> Where to Find Rewind TV <\/p>\n<p>Since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cordbusters.co.uk\/sky-rewind-tv-channel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">launching on Sky in May 2024<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cordbusters.co.uk\/freeview-nostalgia-rewind-tv-launch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">expanding to Freeview<\/a> that September, Rewind TV has established itself as a reliable home for classic British programming that might otherwise remain locked away in archives.<\/p>\n<p>You can currently find it on Freeview Channel 81, Sky Channel 182 (satellite only), and Freely Channel 141 (only on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cordbusters.co.uk\/best-indoor-aerial-freeview-tv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">aerial-connected<\/a> version of Freely).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Rewind TV channel logo\" width=\"500\" height=\"145\"  nitro-lazy- nitro-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn-adfpa.nitrocdn.com\/cPIfpCvgjIaKJCGbIgXFgxQHfNeyTMFC\/assets\/images\/optimized\/rev-d3c509c\/www.cordbusters.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Rewind-TV-channel-logo.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23877 nitro-lazy\" decoding=\"async\" nitro-lazy-empty=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgNTAwIDE0NSIgd2lkdGg9IjUwMCIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxNDUiIHhtbG5zPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnczLm9yZy8yMDAwL3N2ZyI+PC9zdmc+\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The channel remains absent from Sky Stream, Sky Glass, and Freesat, and has no streaming app \u2013 so it\u2019s resolutely old-school in both its content and its delivery.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile the World Cup dominates much of the schedule elsewhere, Rewind TV is offering viewers something completely different this June,\u201d says Rewind TV co-founder Jonathan Moore.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClassic comedy, cult favourites and timeless television packed with unforgettable characters and huge performances. It\u2019s the perfect alternative for anyone wanting a break from football fever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> The New Statesman <\/p>\n<p>The New Statesman arrives even before June begins, starting May 26 at 9:00pm \u2013 and it\u2019s arguably the biggest name in this lineup.<\/p>\n<p>Rik Mayall stars as Alan B\u2019Stard, a Conservative MP of such breathtaking corruption, self-interest, and moral bankruptcy that he makes most fictional villains look like amateurs.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"New Stateman\" width=\"1000\" height=\"998\"  nitro-lazy- nitro-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn-adfpa.nitrocdn.com\/cPIfpCvgjIaKJCGbIgXFgxQHfNeyTMFC\/assets\/images\/optimized\/rev-d3c509c\/www.cordbusters.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/New-Stateman.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28994 nitro-lazy\" decoding=\"async\" nitro-lazy-empty=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTAwMCA5OTgiIHdpZHRoPSIxMDAwIiBoZWlnaHQ9Ijk5OCIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj48L3N2Zz4=\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, the BAFTA-winning series ran on ITV from 1987 to 1992, with a final special in 1994, and became one of the defining political comedies of its era \u2013 savage, anarchic, and gleefully unpleasant in all the right ways.<\/p>\n<p>What made it work was Mayall\u2019s total commitment to the character. Alan B\u2019Stard isn\u2019t a politician who occasionally does bad things \u2013 he\u2019s a man for whom corruption, manipulation, and casual cruelty are simply the tools of the trade, deployed with enormous enthusiasm.<\/p>\n<p>Michael Troughton plays his fellow MP and hapless sidekick Piers Fletcher-Dervish, and Marsha Fitzalan his equally scheming wife Sarah \u2013 both excellent foils for Mayall\u2019s relentless energy.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve never seen it, the timing feels oddly appropriate. If you have, you\u2019ll know exactly why it still holds up.<\/p>\n<p> Two\u2019s Company <\/p>\n<p>Two\u2019s Company starts June 1 at 10:30am and 7:00pm, and it\u2019s a welcome return for one of the better culture-clash sitcoms of the late 1970s.<\/p>\n<p>Elaine Stritch plays Dorothy McNab, an outspoken American thriller writer living in Chelsea, who hires a very proper English butler \u2013 Donald Sinden as Robert Hiller \u2013 to run her home.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Two's Company\" width=\"800\" height=\"1167\"  nitro-lazy- nitro-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn-adfpa.nitrocdn.com\/cPIfpCvgjIaKJCGbIgXFgxQHfNeyTMFC\/assets\/images\/optimized\/rev-d3c509c\/www.cordbusters.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Twos-Company.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28995 nitro-lazy\" decoding=\"async\" nitro-lazy-empty=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgODAwIDExNjciIHdpZHRoPSI4MDAiIGhlaWdodD0iMTE2NyIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj48L3N2Zz4=\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The two are almost perfectly incompatible: she\u2019s loud, direct, and cheerfully indifferent to decorum; he\u2019s stiff, superior, and perpetually appalled by her.<\/p>\n<p>The comedy lives almost entirely in their banter, and it works because both leads were primarily stage performers who could fire off dialogue with real precision.<\/p>\n<p>The series ran from 1975 to 1979, produced by London Weekend Television, and while it never quite became a household name in the way some contemporaries did, it earned BAFTA nominations for both leads.<\/p>\n<p> Doctor at Large <\/p>\n<p>Doctor at Large starts June 3 at 10:00am and 7:30pm, continuing the much-loved \u201cDoctor\u201d franchise that began with the original Doctor in the House films and books by Richard Gordon.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Doctor at Large\" width=\"1000\" height=\"652\"  nitro-lazy- nitro-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn-adfpa.nitrocdn.com\/cPIfpCvgjIaKJCGbIgXFgxQHfNeyTMFC\/assets\/images\/optimized\/rev-d3c509c\/www.cordbusters.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Doctor-at-Large.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28996 nitro-lazy\" decoding=\"async\" nitro-lazy-empty=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTAwMCA2NTIiIHdpZHRoPSIxMDAwIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjY1MiIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj48L3N2Zz4=\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Barry Evans stars as newly qualified Dr Michael Upton, navigating a series of increasingly chaotic jobs in general practice before eventually returning to the hospital where he trained.<\/p>\n<p>George Layton, Geoffrey Davies, Richard O\u2019Sullivan, and Arthur Lowe round out a strong ensemble cast.<\/p>\n<p>The series ran as a single extended run of 29 episodes on ITV in 1971, and what gives it an extra layer of interest today is the writing credits.<\/p>\n<p>Several episodes were scripted by John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Graeme Garden, and Bill Oddie \u2013 names that speak for themselves.<\/p>\n<p>One episode written by Cleese, \u201cNo Ill Feeling!\u201d, is widely regarded as a prototype for Fawlty Towers, built around a stressed and inept hotel manager with a domineering wife. You can absolutely see it.<\/p>\n<p> Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) <\/p>\n<p>Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) starts June 4 at 12:00pm and 8:00pm, and it remains one of the most distinctive cult series British television has produced.<\/p>\n<p>Mike Pratt plays private detective Jeff Randall, whose partner Marty Hopkirk \u2013 played by Kenneth Cope \u2013 is murdered in the first episode and promptly returns as a ghost, visible only to Jeff.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Randall and Hopkirk\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1005\"  nitro-lazy- nitro-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn-adfpa.nitrocdn.com\/cPIfpCvgjIaKJCGbIgXFgxQHfNeyTMFC\/assets\/images\/optimized\/rev-d3c509c\/www.cordbusters.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Randall-and-Hopkirk.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28997 nitro-lazy\" decoding=\"async\" nitro-lazy-empty=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTAwMCAxMDA1IiB3aWR0aD0iMTAwMCIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxMDA1IiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Marty, in his white suit with its notably pocketless design (\u201cghosts don\u2019t need pockets\u201d), then proceeds to help his old partner solve cases from beyond the grave, while also keeping a somewhat jealous eye on his widow Jean, played by Annette Andre.<\/p>\n<p>The original series ran for 26 episodes in 1969 and 1970, and was remade in 2000 with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer \u2013 which many viewers will remember fondly.<\/p>\n<p>The original has a scruffier, more grounded quality to it, mixing private-eye drama with light supernatural comedy. It\u2019s been a genuine cult favourite ever since, and this is a good chance to go back to where it all started.<\/p>\n<p> Mother\u2019s Ruin <\/p>\n<p>Mother\u2019s Ruin starts June 6 at 12:35pm and 6:05pm, and even by Rewind TV\u2019s standards, this one is genuinely hard to track down.<\/p>\n<p>Roy Barraclough \u2013 best known to most viewers as Alec Gilroy, the theatrical agent-turned-pub landlord in Coronation Street \u2013 plays Leslie Flitcroft, the manager of a health food shop whose persistent attempts to escape his overbearing mother never quite come off.<\/p>\n<p>Dora Bryan, Julia Deakin, and Kay Adshead round out the cast in what the channel describes as a slice of gentle Northern humour from the 1990s.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the sort of sitcom that ITV made in reasonable quantities during that era and which rarely gets a second look \u2013 so if you\u2019re curious, this may genuinely be your best opportunity.<\/p>\n<p> Only When I Laugh <\/p>\n<p>Only When I Laugh starts June 9 at 6:30pm, and this one comes with a cast that makes it immediately worth your time.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Only when I laugh\" width=\"1000\" height=\"681\"  nitro-lazy- nitro-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn-adfpa.nitrocdn.com\/cPIfpCvgjIaKJCGbIgXFgxQHfNeyTMFC\/assets\/images\/optimized\/rev-d3c509c\/www.cordbusters.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Only-when-I-laugh.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28998 nitro-lazy\" decoding=\"async\" nitro-lazy-empty=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTAwMCA2ODEiIHdpZHRoPSIxMDAwIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjY4MSIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj48L3N2Zz4=\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Written by Eric Chappell \u2013 the man behind Rising Damp \u2013 the series is set in a men\u2019s NHS hospital ward and follows three long-term patients: the cynical working-class Roy Figgis (James Bolam), the pompous upper-class hypochondriac Archie Glover (Peter Bowles), and the na\u00efve, slightly hapless Norman Binns (Christopher Strauli).<\/p>\n<p>Watching over them with barely concealed exasperation is Dr Gordon Thorpe, played by Richard Wilson \u2013 and yes, you can absolutely see Victor Meldrew taking shape here.<\/p>\n<p>The series ran from 1979 to 1982 across four series on ITV, and holds up well. Chappell had a particular gift for class-based comedy and character dynamics that feel real rather than sketched, and the three lead performances are excellent \u2013 Bolam and Bowles especially have a sparring quality that drives most of the best episodes.<\/p>\n<p> Further Out of Town <\/p>\n<p>Further Out of Town starts June 24 at 8:00am and 4:30pm, and it\u2019s a slightly different proposition from the rest of the June lineup.<\/p>\n<p>The original Out of Town ran for over 20 years on ITV \u2013 from 1960 to 1981 \u2013 with presenter Jack Hargreaves exploring British countryside life in his characteristically unhurried, pipe-in-hand style. When the series ended, Hargreaves saved a large amount of film footage from destruction.<\/p>\n<p>Further Out of Town is what became of it: digitally restored episodes assembled from that saved material and introduced by his stepson Simon Baddeley, offering a look at rural Britain that in many cases hasn\u2019t been seen since its original broadcast.<\/p>\n<p>For viewers of a certain age, it\u2019ll feel like a genuine rediscovery.<\/p>\n<p> Frankie\u2019s On\u2026 <\/p>\n<p>Frankie\u2019s On\u2026 starts June 27 at 12:30pm and 6:00pm, rounding off the month with a showcase for one of British comedy\u2019s most singular performers.<\/p>\n<p>Frankie Howerd was a comedian who operated almost entirely on his own terms \u2013 a master of the aside, the loaded pause, and the raised eyebrow.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Frankie's On\" width=\"1000\" height=\"656\"  nitro-lazy- nitro-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn-adfpa.nitrocdn.com\/cPIfpCvgjIaKJCGbIgXFgxQHfNeyTMFC\/assets\/images\/optimized\/rev-d3c509c\/www.cordbusters.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frankies-On.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28999 nitro-lazy\" decoding=\"async\" nitro-lazy-empty=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTAwMCA2NTYiIHdpZHRoPSIxMDAwIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjY1NiIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj48L3N2Zz4=\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The series collects stand-up and sketch performances showcasing his trademark blend of innuendo, mock outrage, and direct audience address \u2013 a style so personal that it\u2019s almost impossible to describe on paper and completely unmistakable the moment you see it.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve only encountered Howerd through Up Pompeii! or brief clip compilations, this is a good opportunity to spend more time with him. And if you\u2019ve never seen him at all, June 27 is as good a starting point as any.<\/p>\n<p>For more news about TV and streaming, <a class=\"manual_trigger_10803\" href=\"#\">Subscribe to our free newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rewind TV\u2019s June lineup might just be its strongest yet this year \u2013 and it doesn\u2019t even wait&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":580083,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[96,391,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-580082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-tv","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/580082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=580082"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/580082\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/580083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=580082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=580082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=580082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}