American Reacts Fawlty Towers | Episode 7 (PART 3)

[@orchidwave2574]

Can we give Polly's actress (Connie Booth) props for how her voice breaks from sheer stress and mental exhaustion when she finally clicks in to what the horse's name is and tells Sybil '...and its name....(realizes but too emotionally drained to celebrate)....is Dragonfly'... she sounded ready to collapse in tears on the spot now that this ordeal was thankfully over.

[@jaccilowe3842]

Joan Sanderson was a British actress. During a long career on stage and screen, her tall and commanding disposition led to her playing mostly dowagers, spinsters and matrons, as well as intense Shakespearean roles. She did a great school mistress!

[@trytellingthetruth.2068]

She also played the Head Mistress in "Please Sir".

[@CupidStunt0001]

I remember her playing a school teacher/mistress in 'Please Sir' in the 1970's, it was one of my favourite tv shows as a kid, she was brilliant

[@johntomlinson6849]

John Cleese said that in real life she was the loveliest person you could ever meet.

[@MrBulky992]

She was my favourite battle-axe on TV.

[@snafu313]

In one of the Muppet movies (I can't remember which one) Joan Sanderson played John Cleese's wife.

[@raythomas4812]

Not matter how many times I see this , I still laugh - you can feel Basil's stress levels rising ! - this is my favourite episode. the actress is superb

[@tonybaker55]

"I know nothing" "I am from Barcelona" have to be the most famous quotes from the series.

[@darhug1968a]

Did you notice the mistake. When she threw the tea over Basil, it missed him and covered the Major instead. Love how they carry on as if nothing went amiss.

[@michaelprobert4014]

..and she ( Mrs Richards )never went back to pay the taxi she needed the change for when we first see her.

[@trytellingthetruth.2068]

​@@michaelprobert4014 The taxi driver was standing behind her. Watch again and you will see her turn round and pay him, (out of view) then he walks out.

[@michaelprobert4014]

@@trytellingthetruth.2068 Ah ! yes I see. That'll be it!! Thanks.

[@pomerau]

Also there was a scene in another episode where Manuel walks from inside the kitchen to the dining room and came back through the doors again straight away with his shoe in the duck or something. I mention this because, while you could clearly see the tea on the Major now, this was shot for CRT TV's and the tea would be less visible for the slightly oval small TV screens with very low resolution. ...... and so I include the Manuel / shoe / duck bit because as the double doors swung back on his return to the kitchen there was a man on his knees in a white jacket and a clipboard and headset or something on the other side who would clearly have put the shoe in the "duck" on Manuel without any editing. He would not have been seen on a non - widescreen TV, which was every TV.

[@paul1979uk2000]

It's funny, because I've seen this so many times and only just noticed that here. I must be blind lol.

[@zingystardust4082]

Definitely one of my favourite episodes. Enjoyed watching along with you.

[@alancjones64]

The samaritans are a voluntary organisation who provide support for people in times of stress. "I know nothing " said in a Manuel style accent has become part of everyday British vocabulary. This is the first episode of season 2 made in 1979, some 4 years after season 1 ended The regular cast members all returned and were joined by Brian Hall who played chef Terry. Although they were divorced a year earlier, Connie Booth and John Cleese still wrote and acted in season 2 £75 in 1979 is worth nearly £500 today. The average weekly wage in 1979 was around £100 so the amount of money in the episode is pretty good.

[@Bazroshan]

Who else said 'I know nothing!'? Was it Fritz or somesuch name in Hogan's Heroes?

[@alancjones64]

@Bazroshan You're thinking of Seargent Schultz who heard nothing, saw nothing and knew nothing of Colonel Hogan's shenanigans in Stalag 13 🤣

[@Edward1312]

I love that line " I'm going to send you to a vivisectionists" cracks me up every time.

[@Paul_Allaker8450]

The actress who played Mrs Richardson was a well renound Shakespearen actor, she was great friends with John Cleese. Golden TV series. 👍🏻

[@dalemurray6834]

love "communication problems" closely followed by the "The Germans" and "The Builders"

[@angelapuricelli-fenlon1190]

Polly was married to John Cleese, they both wrote Faulty Towers x

[@justcode2822]

During a search of old stuff in boxes, I found the script/book of Fawlty Towers, can't believe the first series is almost 50 years old and it's still as funny now as it was the first time I saw it on TV.

[@timothyallan111]

My absolute favourite episode of Fawlty Towers; I remember being in tears of laughter when I first watched it when I was young - which would have probably been mid-nineties - so it was quite old even then, but it still stands up and makes me laugh today (and I am quite a tough audience!).

[@woj_tek]

man i hope he completes the yes minister reactions!

[@kingspeechless1607]

Just for interest sake, a smart house in easy reach of the Brighton seafront worth £92,000 in 1979 could be worth anything from 1.5 - 2.5 million now!

[@fatty_owls]

I just looked it up to check wish i’d seen this sooner 😭 thought it was around there

[@MrPhil1503]

Just for context, £85 in 1975 is the same as around £500 in today's money

[@calibrax]

Actually it would be worth £630 today.

[@chumorgan443]

​@@calibrax they said earlier in the episode that it's £7.20 a night. Crazy

[@cheryla7480]

You looked puzzled when Basil said he would sell Manuel to a vivisectionist…….that’s someone who performs experimental surgery on live animals.

[@bucko321]

The Major acted in a lot of black and white films back in the day.

[@mikesaunders4775]

And in the soap opera 'United'

[@DarkAngel459]

I was wondering when you would get to Season 2, and I'm very happy you did. This is one of my Top 3 episodes. PS. I know this may sound a bit weird, but I think you are cute.

[@LoneRanger100]

And that is why generations of brits say ‘I know nothing’ in a bad Spanish accent!

[@williambailey344]

I have seen the American version of Faulty Towers but sorry it really isn't in the same comedy league.

[@Seagull6819]

I’ll try again. Search on these words re an event next month! Christmas at the Ministry. Please tell me you realise which Ministry I mean!

[@paulhadfield7909]

i know nothing

[@jkpole]

SOOOOO FUNNY ...

[@budbeamer9591]

Polly is American. Her natural voice is not British.

[@robertlisternicholls]

That Mrs Richards is an awful character.