[1] Amanda Cartwright (Bea Arthur) is the formidable owner of "Amanda's by the Sea", a struggling California seaside hotel overlooking the Pacific Ocean whose fractious staff includes her hotel-management-graduate son Marty (Fred McCarren); her spoiled daughter-in-law Arlene (Simone Griffeth); Earl, the bumbling chef (Rick Hurst) and Aldo, the bellhop of foreign extraction (Tony Rosato).

The comedy revolved around burnt steaks, fussy guests, travel-guide writers who had to be impressed, the banker Mr Mundy (Keene Curtis) – who constantly threatened to foreclose – and brother-in-law Zack (Kevin McCarthy), who was out to woo Amanda.

[2] John Cleese, co-creator of the original British sitcom, was critical of this first adaptation, in particular Korman and White, saying they "played it too slow and were embarrassed by the edgy dialogue".

Since Maude concluded in 1978, Arthur had been approached with numerous ideas until Shoenman showed her some tapes of Fawlty Towers.

Arthur noted the only fundamental similarity between Amanda's and Fawlty Towers was the adaptation of the character Manuel, known in the remake as Aldo.

In a 2009 interview, Cleese described the occasion when American television producers spoke to him about their development of Amanda's:The most extraordinary remake was with Bea Arthur.