How I Love Fawlty Towers!
By Janey1966
@Janey1966 (24170)
Carlisle, England
March 4, 2011 9:15am CST
For some reason I needed cheering up today as the cat is behaving very strangely and I don't know why.
Anyway, here is the episode featuring the Rat split into three parts. When I first saw this in the 70s I laughed all the way through..uncontrollably in fact. I'm not like that watching it today but it is still extremely funny compared to the drivel we have to put up with now. Programmes like this aren't on telly anymore (unless you rifle through to see any repeats on satellite tv) and, due to the "abuse" Manuel gets, etc, it wouldn't even get MADE today.
At least we have the memories, I hope you like the vids. Note the excellent anagram of Fawlty Towers at the start..FARTY TOWELS! Haha!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPP4P3gKGss&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0RimTO0Mh8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRJ1y6GBQqE&feature=related
I've only watched the first vid but, believe me it gets funnier as you go along so you really need to watch the whole episode to appreciate it. Once I've done my cleaning I shall watch the other two.
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPP4P3gKGss&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0RimTO0Mh8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRJ1y6GBQqE&feature=related
I've only watched the first vid but, believe me it gets funnier as you go along so you really need to watch the whole episode to appreciate it. Once I've done my cleaning I shall watch the other two.
Enjoy!1 person likes this
12 responses
@hofferp (4734)
• United States
4 Mar 11
I watched all three. I'd never seen it before. I thought it was great. At first, I had trouble understanding because they spoke so fast and the accent, but by the second video, I was understanding it pretty clearly. The only British comedy we use to get, or I watched anyway, was Benny Hill. Thanks for sharing.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (47334)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
4 Mar 11
I was never fond of Benny Hill, either -- too smarmy.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
4 Mar 11
We've not seen Marcus for ages. I don't think he even lives in Carlisle anymore (lucky him) lol.
I remember one time he took a bite out of his pie, bought at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, pulled his face, then THREW it into the crowd down below. They were Swansea - not Carlisle fans and I remember seeing the pie smash into smithereens as it landed on some unfortunate's head.
Yes, Marcus is a laugh but sometimes he does go a bit far.
Yes, Marcus is a laugh but sometimes he does go a bit far.
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
4 Mar 11
Hi Janey,
I love Fawlty Towers myself and used to always watch it, I felt so sorry for Manuel but it was funny, I still watch it when it is on on Sky and have seen the one about the rat, if anyone who has never seen it should watch it, "Bassil!!! LOL!.
Tamara.
1 person likes this
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
4 Mar 11
We have to remember as well that it was the 70s. No-one knew any different than..plus the fact it was a more innocent time..well, I think so anyway. People have a go at that "In Sickness and in Health" regarding Alf Garnett and his bigotted views BUT he always got his comeuppance..every episode without fail. No-one concentrates on that aspect of it though.
Unfortunately, nowadays we're not allowed to laugh at someone else's expense; it's not PC!
Thank God for YouTube is all I can say!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
4 Mar 11
I believe "Benidorm" was really funny when it first started but it's lost it's gloss. I saw the Christmas episode and wasn't impressed at all to be honest. Has Roger Moore made an appearance in it yet 'cos he's supposed to at some point?
@jwfarrimond (4473)
•
4 Mar 11
Yes, they don't make them like that anymore for sure. When I need a good laugh I go over to G.O.L.D channel and watch a repeat of one of the many brilliant comedy series from the 70's and 80's. "Yes Minister" "Dad's Army" "Allo Allo" "The Good Life" to name just a few. And of course, the brilliant John Cleese in Fawlty Towers!
One of my favorite episodes was the one in which he had a party of Germans staying in the hotel and he was going round telling everyone to "Don't mention the war!" then he went in the dining room making Hitler salutes and holding his finger under his nose to simulate a Hitler moustache!
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
27 Mar 11
my favorite is still the hearing aid one.
john cleese pretends he's talking to get them to turn it up,then he screams what he was saying
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
4 Mar 11
Oh yeah. I love this series too. Actually I love just about everything that John Cleese did. His crazy characters always have me laughing, but Fawlty Towers was probably his best work along with Monty Python. I have not watched the show in a long time though. I would love to get the series on DVD, maybe I could download it too. 
I will not watch the youtube links just yet though as this morning is pretty busy, but I will maybe have a look later today or tomorrow for a bit of a giggle. I did love the Basil the rat episode! Hilarious! English comedy is awesome, the best in the world I reckon!
I will not watch the youtube links just yet though as this morning is pretty busy, but I will maybe have a look later today or tomorrow for a bit of a giggle. I did love the Basil the rat episode! Hilarious! English comedy is awesome, the best in the world I reckon! @RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
6 Mar 11
The 70's and 80's English comedy is what I grew up watching and even today I still find it a lot funnier that American or Australian comedy of the same era. I think generally comedy is not as funny everywhere these days. Must be political correctness, or maybe that I am getting older and still attached to those early favourites. A bit like my musical tastes.
My wife downloaded both series of the show yesterday! 
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
4 Mar 11
Thank you, very kind of you to say so.
You wouldn't be impressed with the so-called "comedy" we have now, I'm afraid. It's so sanitised due to political correctness it's taken all the humour out of it.
I reckon whoever posted the Fawlty Towers videos had it on DVD because the quality is really good..obviously not off the telly lol.
You wouldn't be impressed with the so-called "comedy" we have now, I'm afraid. It's so sanitised due to political correctness it's taken all the humour out of it.
I reckon whoever posted the Fawlty Towers videos had it on DVD because the quality is really good..obviously not off the telly lol.
@BarBaraPrz (47334)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
4 Mar 11
You have a point there. Too much of a good thing, and all that...
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
4 Mar 11
Yes, I think John Cleese himself said that. He was worried that - eventually, it just wouldn't be funny anymore so he stopped writing along with the blonde, who he was married to at the time. He said he knew he was onto a winner because they used to fall about laughing reading the scripts lol.
@gittabest (1946)
• Iceland
4 Mar 11
I love Fawlty Towers too. "No is Siberian hamster" hahaha it is so funny . I actually really enjoy old English t.v. series. George and Mildred, Mr. Bean and such :D I however can't deny that I find some of the recent t.d. shows really funny, IT Crowd and Black Books for example. Oh how I love British t.v. :D
@BarBaraPrz (47334)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
4 Mar 11
¿Que?
Love that Manuel...
Thanks for the links, I'll watch them later.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
4 Mar 11
He's great isn't he? When I first started watching Fawlty Towers when I was a lot younger than I am now I thought Manuel really WAS from Barcelona lol.
1 person likes this
@dreamy1 (3811)
• United States
4 Mar 11
I love that show it is hilarious. I just started watching it a few months ago on PBS. My favorite episode was the one with the rat and the inspector. I went on youtube last week and was looking at the different clips and John Cleese said that was his favorite episode too.
I laughed so hard. My favorite part was at the end where the rat was in the biscuit tin and he looked at the inspector like "What you talkin' bout Willis" that was so funny. I like Saturday nights where they show a couple of the old British sitcoms on PBS they are so funny.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
5 Mar 11
Well, the clips above show the Rat episode, one of John Cleese's favourites (and mine too) and I agree, the rat showing his face in the biscuit tin is hilarious. They'd spent the whole episode trying to get rid of it and it ends up right in front of the Inspector's face.
Haha! Class!
@maclanis (2406)
• Belgium
5 Mar 11
Oh I loved watching Fawlty Towers. It's been a while since I've seen it, a couple of years ago I saw it for the first time I think. When I have the time, I will definitely watch the episode you provided here, thanks for sharing it with us. :)
Don't mention the war!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
5 Mar 11
Hahaha! You will like it as it's the one featuring the rat..very funny indeed. Loved it!
@veganbliss (3895)
• Adelaide, Australia
5 Mar 11
That's shown on free to air TV down here right now. I like how the sign out the front keeps changing every show. It helps to keep track of what's going to be on & whether or not you've seen it before. John Cleese is such a jumpy bugger - you never quite know what he's going to do next. He's one of the best actors I've seen - & I must admit, I haven't seen that many. They certainly don't make 'em like they used to! If you want to see something really politically incorrect & funny, watch those old episodes of our Kingswood Country. There's probably a ban on showing the TV series. British comedy, especially the old stuff is really popular down here. On Tuesday evenings & into the night, that's all that on on one channel.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
5 Mar 11
Yes, they do show repeats on satellite channels over here. Sometimes we watch them just to cheer ourselves up..it always works! How is political correctness in Oz then? I wouldn't have thought it was as "bad" (if that's the right word) over there, but I guess it's like a disease and is spreading around the world.
I have made a note of Kingswood Country so thanks for that.
@jojo732 (294)
•
5 Mar 11
Hi there
At last some one else who loves fawlty towers,my fave one was the one where Manuel thought Basil had put his pet rat named 'Basil' in the ratatouille, he looks into the saucepan then up at Basil and he says 'You put basil in the ratatouille...why you put basil in the rataouille?'
just so funny...
Thanks for making me think of that it's made me laugh remembering it...It was a fantastic series
Have a great weekend
jojo732
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
5 Mar 11
If you care to read my full discussion (not just the topic) you will find that the Fawlty Towers episode you mention is there in my links from YouTube, so you can watch it if you like. It is split into 3 of course so you have to watch them in order lol.
