Payne
originally aired on CBS
Payne is a 1999 American sitcom adapted from the 1970s British television comedy Fawlty Towers. The series was a mid-season replacement on CBS, originally aired from March 15 to May 4, 1999. John Larroquette, who was also an executive producer for the series, and JoBeth Williams, costars Julie Benz and Rick Batalla. A total of nine episodes were filmed, but one was not aired as part of the series' original presentation on CBS. Despite receiving the blessing of John Cleese, who reportedly agreed to be an "irregular cast member"
The Whispering Pines Inn is a remake of Fawlty Towers set in this version at an ambiguous location on the coast of California, as opposed to Torquay, England. The pilot episode, "Pacific Ocean Duck" merged the plots of the episodes "Gourmet Night" and "The Hotel Inspectors" Mirroring the opening sequence of Fawtty Towers, each episode begins with a closeup of the "Whispering Pine" sign.