Fawlty Towers

DaleCooper · 24 Aug 2016

I've just been watching Fawlty Towers on dvd. It's a long time since I've seen it and I'd begun to assume that the episode with the hotel sign reading "Flowery ****s" was an urban myth but no there it is at the start of "The Anniversary".

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Harbornite · 24 Aug 2016

DaleCooper said:
I've just been watching Fawlty Towers on dvd. It's a long time since I've seen it and I'd begun to assume that the episode with the hotel sign reading "Flowery ****s" was an urban myth but no there it is at the start of "The Anniversary".

Can't recall if I've seen that episode, but I deffo don't recall seeing the sign.

https://hegemonyheights.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/flowery-****s.jpg

Cowley · 24 Aug 2016

It is on the DVDs but I'm wondering if the BBC just didn't show it for obvious reasons.
Still in my opinion one of the three best sitcoms ever made.

fishquinn · 25 Aug 2016

An absolutely excellent program and I've watched every episode loads and loads of times.

Greenback · 25 Aug 2016

That particular episode caused a lot of comment in my school, largely because of the sign. I remember it well!

Xenophon PCDGS · 25 Aug 2016

In the episode "Basil the Rat," I like the way Basil explained to Manuel about his "filigree Siberian hamster" and how they came to Britain on ships in the Middle Ages and the after-effects of their arrival.

In "The Kipper and the Corpse", Basil's diatribe about yet another car strike would go down well on this website (slightly amended) to refer to another rail strike.

Tim R-T-C · 25 Aug 2016

Aww... I thought this thread was about the ice climb on the side of Ben Nevis

(Not me BTW: but hopefully next year...)

Groningen · 26 Aug 2016

My God from 1975 and 1979; that is old.

Favorite ones:
1. When Basil hears of hotel inspectors roaming Torquay incognito, he realises with horror that guests he has been abusing could easily be among them. Basil becomes increasingly obsessed with trying to determine which guests are hotel inspectors, but his suspects turn out not to be, to his frustration.
2. With Sybil in the hospital with an ingrowing toenail, a moose's head to hang up and some German guests arriving the next day, Basil has his work cut out for him. After an attempted fire drill goes wrong and Basil lands up in the hospital with concussion, he succeeds causing much offense to the German guests after finally escaping back to the hotel. This episode is the origin of the quote "Don't mention the war."
3. The local health inspector issues a long list of hygienic aberrations which the staff must immediately sort out, or else face closure. After Manuel's pet rat escapes from his cage and runs loose in the hotel, the staff must catch it before the inspector finds it first. At the same time, they must try and discern which veal cutlets are safe to eat after one covered in rat poison gets mixed up with the others and almost every subsequent guest orders veal.

ainsworth74 · 26 Aug 2016

Recently re-watched it on Netflix and I must admit I had forgotten just how funny some of it was. It's also the first time I've watched it since I was maybe around 10/11 and it was worth it as I now got some of the humour which, at that age, went straight over my head.

scarby · 26 Aug 2016

I think Fawlty Towers looks way ahead of its time when watching it today - notably in that those with small parts in the episodes were presented as proper characters with a personality rather than just being anonymous 'props' for the main characters' antics.

Tom B · 26 Aug 2016

I seem to remember that the choice to end after 2 series was quite deliberate, to avoid this sort of thing.

A bit like Little Britain, where the third series was a bit of a flop and was quite obviously an attempt to make more money out of a successful programme, but without enough new content to be decent.

Busaholic · 26 Aug 2016

Groningen said:
My God from 1975 and 1979; that is old.

.

When I was merely middle-aged :lol:

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Tom B said:
I seem to remember that the choice to end after 2 series was quite deliberate, to avoid this sort of thing.
.

TBH I think the break-up of the marriage of John Cleese and Connie Booth, given they both wrote the programmes as well as appearing in them, was probably a big factor too.

tellytype · 13 Sep 2016

BBC & Gold have both shown Flowery ****s

DaleCooper · 13 Sep 2016

tellytype said:
BBC & Gold have both shown Flowery ****s

I didn't know they broadcast nude gardening programmes. Did it feature Charlie Dimmock's prize watermelons?

Nella52 · 15 Sep 2016

scarby said:
I think Fawlty Towers looks way ahead of its time when watching it today - notably in that those with small parts in the episodes were presented as proper characters with a personality rather than just being anonymous 'props' for the main characters' antics.

Agreed. Even after watching countless repeats of the show, I still find it a lot funnier than much of the more recent 'comedy'. I do hope nobody tries to do a remake like they did with Porridge etc.

EbbwJunction1 · 15 Sep 2016

In fact, the sign changed in some way for every episode.

Here's a link explaining the background to this and what the sign said: http://www.thefawltytowersguide.co.uk/fawltytowersanagrams.htm

Fawlty Towers Anagrams

The paperboy, who makes an appearance in the first few minutes of the first episode (A Touch of Class), is revealed to be the practical joker who rearranges the letters on the hotel sign. He is physically seen doing this in The Psychiatrist, an episode in the second series. His motive for doing this is probably because of some grudge with the misanthropic Basil. All the Fawlty Towers signs are shown in order below. Episode 6, The Germans, is missing as it begins at a hospital. Note that only episode 11, The Anniversary, with the sign reading "Flowery ****s" is a true anagram.

(There are pictures in the original, but they haven't come out here)

Episode 1 - A Touch of Class: Fawlty Towers (the letter S is cockeyed)
Episode 2 - The Builders: Fawlty Tower (the letter L is cockeyed)
Episode 3 - The Wedding Party: Fawty Tower (the letter W is cockeyed)
Episode 4 - The Hotel Inspectors: Fawty Toer
Episode 5 - Gourmet Night: Warty Towels
Episode 6 - The Germans: No sign (The action starts at a hospital)
Episode 7 - Communication Problems: Fawlty Tower (the letter L is cockeyed)
Episode 8 - The Psychiatrist: Watery Fowls
Episode 9 - Waldorf Salad: Flay Otters
Episode 10 - The Kipper and the Corpse: Fatty Owls
Episode 11 - The Anniversary: Flowery ****s
Episode 12 - Basil the Rat: Farty Towels

Blamethrower · 16 Sep 2016

Been watching the reruns on Gold atm.

Fave bits:

Hotel inspectors: "I'm not a violent man Mr Fawlty", then after everything that happens "so what can I do for you three gentlemen......AAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH"

Germans: "I'm trying to cheer her up you stupid kraut!"

Always makes me laugh, no matter how many times I've seen them

Strat-tastic · 16 Sep 2016

The fire drill scene in The Germans is perhaps the funniest single scene in any sitcom, yet when you think of the episode it's always the bit right at the end with the silly walk etc that most people think of.

The talking moose head scene from the same episode is also right up there.

Busaholic · 16 Sep 2016

scarby said:
I think Fawlty Towers looks way ahead of its time when watching it today - notably in that those with small parts in the episodes were presented as proper characters with a personality rather than just being anonymous 'props' for the main characters' antics.

Almost all those small parts were taken by character actors/actresses with a fine body of TV and other work behind them. The inclusion of Ken Campbell as Roger (in the episode where Sybil was 'ill') was the one that stood out for me, Campbell being a brilliant but notoriously difficult character.

Spamcan81 · 16 Sep 2016

In The Germans, Basil translating "wir wollen ein Auto mieten" (we want to rent a car) as "we're volunteering to go and collect meat." and the subsequent "ve haf meat here in ze building. Mooo!" Cracked me up at the time and still does. Both series were quite brilliant.

MonsooN · 22 Sep 2016

"A gin and orange.... A lemon squash.... And a scotch and water PLEASE!"

DaleCooper · 22 Sep 2016

MonsooN said:
"A gin and orange.... A lemon squash.... And a scotch and water PLEASE!"

Sorry, this forum isn't licensed to serve alcohol.

Groningen · 24 Sep 2016

Those hotelinspectors episode. Maybe they should not have informed Basil that they were coming!

SS4 · 25 Sep 2016

MonsooN said:
"A gin and orange.... A lemon squash.... And a scotch and water PLEASE!"

I'm a doctor and I want my sausages!

Clint · 25 Sep 2016

The end of the episode "Basil the Rat" had us in stitches when we first saw it!

https://youtu.be/K_q4S7lZeik

"Would you care for a rat...?"

507 001 · 26 Sep 2016

'IS THIS A PIECE OF YOUR BRAIN?!'

Or

'Do you not have Rats in Spain or did Franco have them all shot?!'

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