Worst Fawlty tower episode
-
Mrminisci — 16 years ago(December 30, 2009 07:52 AM)
I am American and if I had owned a hotel or inn, I would have gladly given him a refund and "bust his a$$". Funny, but when I watched Waldorf Salad, I thought to myself, I bet that is how most Europeans see Americans. I love that episode, but my least fav is The Anniversary, followed by The Wedding Party. All the others are firt rate.
-
Jean_Pierre_Camembert — 19 years ago(January 13, 2007 04:39 AM)
I don't think there are any worst, they are all classic. But, A Touch Of Class gets a bit irritating sometimes. Since it was the firt episode (I hope I'm right on that) it introduced all the characters very well, but it's a little too hectic - even for a die-hard fan like me.
Nick
-
fieldofhats — 17 years ago(January 03, 2009 04:28 PM)
I recently went over all of the episodes again, and Waldorf Salad was the episode that I skipped. My least favorite, definitely. I actually like the Anniversary very much because I though Ken Campbell was terrific in that episodethe way his character was conitinuosly poking Basil closer and closer to going over the edge. I also really like the Wedding Party, even though the French lady could get a trifle annoying at times. The look on Basil's face when he's looking at Mrs. Lloyd after he saw polly hugging Mr. Lloyd is priceless.
-
biggles1111 — 19 years ago(January 24, 2007 10:52 AM)
Gourmet night. The scene with the car was excellent, and the entire episode is good, but the least funny one.
What I can see noone mentioned "The Germans" here yet.I guess I'm not the only one who love that episode.. -
mixedvixen77 — 19 years ago(January 26, 2007 02:37 PM)
I would have to say my least favorite was The Anniversary. It was funny, but it seemed like they had to make an episode and they didn't really know what to do so they made this one. I love this show because it has to do with all of the problems Basil gets himself into while running a hotel, but this episode had nothing to do with the hotel and it lacked the goofiness that the others have.
-
retrogal83 — 19 years ago(January 27, 2007 03:41 AM)
I actually really enjoyed the Anniversary! The Builders was one of the lower ones on my list (together with the Psychiatrist) but for sheer bottom-of-the-listness my vote would have to be for
The Wedding Party.
It's just tedious and reminds me of those farcical sex-comedies which sees everyone jumping to everyone else's bedroom and back again, with daft misunderstandings. It just became too silly to be credible.
(OK, I know the Kipper and the Corpse wasn't exactly reality, but it had a fuller plot and tighter writing, which gave it an edge).
)
..) .*)
(. (. It's a load of old Pony -
Evil_Bob — 19 years ago(January 29, 2007 05:09 AM)
Honestly can't think of a worse one. They're all great.
I personally love the builders because its got my favourite basil moment in it:
"You're a naughty boy Fawlty"
I wish my hair was Emo so that it would cut itself -
laslopaniflex — 19 years ago(January 29, 2007 06:59 AM)
The Anniversry does indeed seem to be the least favourite, i don't mind it myself (mainly because of Ken Campbell "Oh Roger!" constantly picking holes in Basil's ever mounting web of deceit!) but you're right, there is something missing. I find it's one of the few episodes where it would have been easier (therefore no point obviously!) just to tell the truth (although that could be said about every episode.)
Because it's Basil's close friends, and he was (for once) doing something nice for Sybil so his friends would have understood the mix up causing no need for the frantic farce. Whereas all the other episodes are Basil keeping something from strangers (i.e guests) or people he dislikes (i.e guests againor Sybil!) for purely mercenary reasons (or penny pinching!)
In the Anniversery you actually feel some compassion towards both Basil and Sybil, so i makes the deception of each other somewhat harder to swallow Whereas The Kipper and the Corpse, Hotel Inspectors, Basil the rat etc has some higher purpose to the deceit because of the risk of the hotel closing down!
My fave is Communication Problems simply because it's purely Basil's self preservation (and part of you almost wishes he'd win that one!) and The Wedding Party is just his selfish neurosis trying to sabotage anyone else's good time
Lesson learnt (or learned for American readers!) Basil is better when he's being nasty trying to be nice = not a funny!
"What are you, some kind of doomsday machine, boy?" -
emilyjackson27903 — 19 years ago(February 12, 2007 03:23 PM)
I find funny bits in all the episodes, but if I had to pick my least favourite episodes they would be gourmet night and the anniversary. I thought that the storylines in the anniversary and a touch of class were not really believable.
-
AnonUK — 18 years ago(October 09, 2007 03:13 PM)
They're two of the best! 'Communication Problems' is the best, though.
'A Touch of Class' has nice episodes within it, but is too character- based, which I suppose is inevitable for a pilot, while 'Basil the Rat' has too much establishing dialogue and Polly isn't very good in it.
"This is typical! Absolutely typical! The kind of arse I have to put up with from you people! You ponce in here" (repeat ad infinitum). -
mosquitor — 19 years ago(March 02, 2007 07:56 PM)
Walorf Salad is by far the worst episode. Did they really expect us to sympathize with that American beep
What bugs me most is the end, and the way the American idiot and his wife (Jesus doesn't she need a better choice of husband) just walk out when Basil is having his breakdown. The thing is, as badly as the hotel may have been run, at that point it should be obvious that this man needs help, he is having a serious mental breakdown and he needs urgent treatment. To walk out on him at that moment is purely insensitive. This is the moment when the show breaks the boundaries of comedy and verges on being insensitive by making a mockery out of someone with an anxiety problem. That is where, in my opinion, this episode went wrong- by going much too far. I find this episode sort of unpleasant to watch and am not sure quite what they were thinking. -
whyohwhy1896 — 19 years ago(March 14, 2007 12:15 PM)
Here's my take on the show, starting with the worst episode and ending with the best episode (a hierarchy of sorts, if you will):
The Builders- Though I get that the series was new at the time and the situations and characters weren't as rounded as they later became, this episode just feels flatter than all the others.
Hotel Inspectors - There were some clever moments but it just never really got off the ground. The no-holds-barred wackiness factor that made some of the later episodes work so well was also somewhat absent.
A Touch of Class - It felt to me more like an American sitcom
trying
to be British than the Fawlty Towers that we came to know and love. But it was still a promising start.
Waldorf Salad - Sybil actually got on my nerves more than the evil American tourist did. Also, why cut out Polly and Manuel? Basil's speech at the end was good though - "This is exactly how Nazi Germany started! Raus! Raus!"
The Wedding Party - It was damn funny, as always. The scene towards the end with the Frenchwoman and Basil saying "Oh, what a terrible dream" was great. I didn't really buy it, though, that Basil thought everybody was sleeping with everybody else.
The Anniversary - This one was good and crazy and full of lies and mistaken identities. But I don't think it's ever mentioned by anyone as a "favorite episode." Hmm, I wonder whyI guess it just lacked chutzpah.
Communication Problems - How can you not love Mrs. Richards?? LOL. Very solid episode.
The Kipper and the Corpse - Basil Fawlty+corpse=unbridled fun. My only criticism is the ending scene with the undertakerscould've been a little tighter in terms of writing. (I think John Cleese mentioned that, too.)
The Psychiatrist - This episode's crazy factor is just through the roof, and it's definitely up there among the greats, I think.
Gourmet Night - All of the angst that Basil goes through is extremely painful to watch, yet you can't take your eyes off of himyou're just waiting for him to have a total nervous breakdown and utterly humiliate himself and destroy his reputation in Torquay forever, which is what makes this episode work.
Basil the Rat - Second-best episode. It's actually just as good as the best episode but doesn't make use of the multiple storylines I singled out for praise, so it loses a point.
The Germans - The best episode. The multiple storylines are what made it work so well, I think. The fire drill+the moose head+the exploits in the hospital+the final insulting of the Germans ("Don't mention the war!") was classic.
- Though I get that the series was new at the time and the situations and characters weren't as rounded as they later became, this episode just feels flatter than all the others.
-
fang123horn — 19 years ago(March 14, 2007 09:37 PM)
The worsts were the pyschiatrist and the wedding party both showing how all the humiliation that Basil has to endure, that was kind of cruel even if he was bit of a tightwad. I mean in the pyschiatrist I think Basil was done wrong considerably, I mean for goodness sake he was only doing his job, the guy sneaking the girl up his room felt like a live version of Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner or more or less like Sylvester and Tweety. In the end that episode was a bit unfair because Sybill always catching in a very nasty spot with the hot looking guest.
I'll never forget the ingredients fro Waldorf Salad XD