Prunella Scales (left), John Cleese, Connie Booth and Andrew Sachs (right) in London promoting two Fawlty Towers specials created to commemorate the 30 years Fawlty Towers Anniversary. PA

The golden age of British TV comedy has passed, John Cleese said yesterday.

The 69-year-old was reunited with the cast of 'Fawlty Towers' -- Connie Booth, Prunella Scales and Andrew Sachs -- to unveil two documentaries about the making of the classic 1970s sitcom.

Asked what he thought of modern British comedy the former 'Monty Python' star said: "I don't think the writers work as hard as they used to, and I think they may lack experience.

"But I do proudly say that in the 60s, 70s and 80s we did have the least bad television in the world."

Cleese reveals in the 30th anniversary documentary 'Fawlty Towers: Re-opened' that the BBC originally dismissed the idea of the sitcom as "dire".

Speaking at a press launch in London the actor, who starred as erratic hotel owner Basil Fawlty in the sitcom he co-wrote with his then-wife Connie Booth, confirmed that producers could not see the programme appealing to viewers.

The comedy star added: "In 1975 when I did 'Fawlty Towers' for the first time we made six shows. It took six weeks to make each show, so that's 36 weeks, one week to film them -- 37 weeks -- and six weeks to actually tape them in the studio so that's 43 weeks' work, for which I was paid for writing and performing and filming, £6,000."