The Great British Sitcom: Fawlty Towers

[Crimson]

I had a feeling of deja vu as I watched the fourth episode, "The Hotel Inspectors". I nearly skipped to the fifth episode, thinking I had already watched this one. Then I realized this is one of the episodes butchered by the American pilot CHATEAU SNAVELY. While many of the situations and gags were identical, they obviously work much better in the original. In fact this episode has the distinction of earning a rare laugh-out-loud from me; twice in fact. (I'm more of a chuckle quietly to myself kind of guy.) I think this is the most intricately plotted episode to date, and I can see why the story didn't translate when Americans tried to dis- and re- assemble it. Each plot point builds to the next, each gag leads to later gags.

This episode addressed something I had started to wonder about: why the guests never seem to react much to Basil's overt rudeness. I was halfway through the episode and seriously wonder why no one has punched this guy yet; surely the English weren't that polite and forgiving. And there it was, Basil finally getting a well deserved thrashing from an object of his bullying.

The moment of Polly and Basil gaslighting the guest into thinking Basil had told her, not the guest, to shut up by way of shifting eye gazes was inspired. (And the moment of my LOL.) Four episodes in and still unclear how Polly feels about Basil. He's been quite awful to her and she's not obtuse to his behavior -- as she warned her visiting friends about him in episode three -- yet she's awfully fast to jump in to help him, unsolicited. In the first episode, she made the call to Mrs. Fawlty pretending to be the contractor and in this most recent episode she saved Basil with her quick thinking about the eye contact. The mystery is whether she actually likes him, despite his nature, or she's just aiding her employer.

Random thought left over from the previous episode. I think that was the only time so far that we've seen the second floor landing, which had a curious steps-up / steps-down feature. I have never seen this in a real or fictional building before. Did it serve a purpose?

Seeing he's so overly-concerned with these matters really brings home the impact of those misunderstandings.

Some nuance of characterization as well, when Basil expressed embarrassment a few times about his misunderstandings. A character like this could easily be just misanthropy and bluster; added shading to his personality make him feel real and even relatable, despite his often over-the-top, awful behavior.

he leans into the "Colonel Blimp" archetype, albeit mostly less forceful

I must admit I've never heard of the character, the comic strip or the movie. With a quick glance at Wikipedia and skimming through a few YT clips, I'm not clear what connection there is between the strip and the movie. The movie looks interesting though -- I mean any movie that earned the ire of Churchill must be worth a watch. Also, gorgeous Technicolor. On the downside, Deborah Kerr -- one of my least favorite actors.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I had a feeling of deja vu as I watched the fourth episode, "The Hotel Inspectors". I nearly skipped to the fifth episode, thinking I had already watched this one. Then I realized this is one of the episodes butchered by the American pilot CHATEAU SNAVELY.

Oh, that's funny. I'd forgotten this one was next.

I think this is the most intricately plotted episode to date, and I can see why the story didn't translate when Americans tried to dis- and re- assemble it. Each plot point builds to the next, each gag leads to later gags.

From the beginning I was very curious to know your reaction to this one because you'd already seen Snavely. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, my view on it is biased by familiarity with the original version, so I wasn't sure how much better you'd feel it was. I'm pretty chuffed to read your conclusion.

I was halfway through the episode and seriously wonder why no one has punched this guy yet; surely the English weren't that polite and forgiving. And there it was, Basil finally getting a well deserved thrashing from an object of his bullying.

And it came from someone who - eccentric as he was - did not seem initially like the type who would thump someone.

(As a Gen-X Brit, the actor playing Mr Hutchison - Bernard Cribbins - was well-known to many of my age for reading storybooks on pre-school series Jackanory, and for narrating the gentle animated series The Wombles).

The moment of Polly and Basil gaslighting the guest into thinking Basil had told her, not the guest, to shut up by way of shifting eye gazes was inspired. (And the moment of my LOL.)

Yes, the execution is quite wonderful. One look in the wrong (or right) direction would have ruined it.

On the subject of getting it wrong, a favourite scene of mine (of the entire series) is this episode's "corked wine" sequence, where Fawlty struggles to uncork the wine only to find out that it's bad. It went up even further in my estimation when I found out that there was a technical error which was left in because the actors went with it.

Once uncorked, the wine was supposed to pour, but John Cleese had difficulty removing the cork for real during the take, so the wine came out as a tiny trickle, then a ferocious glug, ending up all over the table. John Cleese spoke about it in the commentary, and was very grateful for the professionalism of James Cossins who remained perfectly in character as he was battling with the prop.

The mystery is whether she actually likes him, despite his nature, or she's just aiding her employer.

One scene from a much later episode springs to mind which may shed a little light in this area (even if not definitively), but I'm enjoying your detective work in the meantime.

Random thought left over from the previous episode. I think that was the only time so far that we've seen the second floor landing, which had a curious steps-up / steps-down feature. I have never seen this in a real or fictional building before. Did it serve a purpose?

It's quirky, isn't it? I have encountered this higgledy-piggledy layout from time to time, mostly in older buildings such as hotels (and, yes, homes that were build in the Victorian/Georgian eras). For a time I worked in an office in a very old building that had been a grand old house, converted to offices and accommodation. The loo was a floor up, then there were several more steps from the landing up to the door and I think there were then steps down upon entry to the room.

You're not the first to have wondered, and there are topics to be found online such as this Reddit which delve into it a little.

I'm trying - and failing - to remember if John Cleese said anything about this in the audio commentaries and feel sure he must have done, but I think the short answer is that as well as a degree of accuracy of such buildings it also adds to the chaos.

I must admit I've never heard of the character, the comic strip or the movie.

Many Brits would join you there. The reference is almost certainly considered archaic now.

I haven't read the strips or seen the films myself and only know of the character from hearing it referenced in relation to a certain character archetype. A close 21st Century equivalent would be the controversial term "gammon".

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Off the Fawlty topic here, but I've just seen a trailer for a musical version of cult Nineties sitcom The High Life:

This was surprising enough, but even more shocking was when it dawned on me that yes... that is Alan Cumming, and not an Alan Cumming lookalike. All four of the main cast are actually back for this one, which is impressive.

I don't think the series has been discussed in this thread, and possibly not even the pre-crash thread. It's that long since I last watched it. It was good daft fun, though (even if it wasn't the funniest thing ever).

 

[Crimson]

I didn't realize it had been so long since I watched the last episode. I wish I had started FAWLTY TOWERS back in February when the weather was lousy; I'd be done by now. Moving onto episode 5, "Gourmet Night". While this episode didn't have the giant laugh of the previous one, I think I found it the most consistently funny episode to date.

Having watched sitcoms my entire life, there are certain setups that lead to obvious payoffs. A swanky soiree is going to lead to chaos. If I had made a hundred guesses on what the plot twist in this episode would be, I wouldn't have gotten even close. The chef, Kurt, getting drunk after his romantic interest in Manuel was rejected is not something I would have predicted, especially in a mid-70s TV show. The complete casualness of this revelation -- without a hint of the dated elements seen in other aspects of the show -- was surprising. UK TV (and, I suppose, culture as a whole) must have been far more advanced that USA of the time. Not even how Phyllis' brother in MTM was handled this nonchalant.

The episode was filled with many inspired bits of comedy, verbal and physical. My favorite was Basil's mad dashes to the restaurant, which reminded me of a favorite bit of comedy from I LOVE LUCY.

This episode is the first with a British reference I didn't get, specifically the condiment the snotty boy was requesting. I thought everyone was saying, "solid cream", which I assumed was a kind of cream cheese. Apparently he was asking for salad cream, which I've never heard of.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I didn't realize it had been so long since I watched the last episode. I wish I had started FAWLTY TOWERS back in February when the weather was lousy; I'd be done by now.

I know you mentioned you were going to watch at an unhurried pace, so I've been braced for a few little gaps between posts. While I could read your reviews all day long, I am finding the delayed gratification is adding a depth to things. I'm enjoying the anticipation of wondering what you'll make of each new episode.

The chef, Kurt, getting drunk after his romantic interest in Manuel was rejected is not something I would have predicted, especially in a mid-70s TV show. The complete casualness of this revelation -- without a hint of the dated elements seen in other aspects of the show -- was surprising. UK TV (and, I suppose, culture as a whole) must have been far more advanced that USA of the time. Not even how Phyllis' brother in MTM was handled this nonchalant.

You're right. And truthfully it's something I had probably taken for granted - or at least not given a great deal of thought to.

Also, Kurt wasn't particularly stereotypical: being neither mincing and flamboyant à la Mr Humphries nor a leather bear.

Now I think about it, perhaps an analogous scenario would have been found in drama of the late-Seventies, when JR Ewing seemed similarly disinterested in the sexuality of niece Lucy's gay fiance. Basil's throwaway "all you had to do was give him a little kiss" comment wasn't dissimilar to JR's "women marry homosexuals all the time". In each case, there was something in it for the character in question - the de facto lead and anti-hero of their show - and they were more irritated that someone refused to overlook the gay person's sexuality which in turn was inconvenient for their own plans.

The episode was filled with many inspired bits of comedy, verbal and physical. My favorite was Basil's mad dashes to the restaurant, which reminded me of a favorite bit of comedy from I LOVE LUCY.

So glad you enjoyed those. Generally, it's the "damned good thrashing" scene that shows up in clips whenever the series is mentioned anywhere. It's funny enough, but for me it only truly works in context.

My favourite scenes of the episode take place in the bar area when the guests begin arriving and Basil is introducing his guests to one another, trying to avoid putting his foot in it further over Mrs Hall's diminutive height ("Didn't see you down there. Don't get up") or Colonel Hall's tic.

The exchange that makes me laugh even thinking about it is when the Halls are giving their drinks orders:

Large or... or... or not quite so large?

Two small and dry.

Basil looks at Mrs Hall

Oh, I wouldn't say that.

Incidentally, I've watched quite a number of reactions to this scene, and surprisingly few seem to realise that much of the angst is created from Basil trying to avoid saying Mr Twitchen's name (which he believes is pronounced "twitching") to Colonel Hall, which culminates in Basil's fake fainting spell. So many seem to think he has simply forgotten the name.

This episode is the first with a British reference I didn't get, specifically the condiment the snotty boy was requesting. I thought everyone was saying, "solid cream", which I assumed was a kind of cream cheese. Apparently he was asking for salad cream, which I've never heard of.

Oh, that's interesting. I do like a bit of salad cream sometimes.

I just looked this up, and apparently Miracle Whip is the closest kind of thing on your side of the pond.