SHUT IT DOWN!!! Americans React To "Fawlty Towers - S2E6 - Basil The Rat"

[@walshaw2]

Major " Vermin(German)" Basil "Well, forgive and forget or pretend we do." Hilarious.

[@antlermagick]

Can confirm the Environmental Health department in Torquay are this thorough, I work for them 😂

[@robmartin525]

Do you like rats with your crackers?

[@jumpjet777]

Do you like Norwegian Veal?

[@coldwhite4240]

...and do you own a Siberian Hamster?

[@JimmyGuitarist]

When the health inspector reads out possibly the longest list of faults and Basil just says, “Otherwise ok?”

[@MrJOHNYATES]

They completely missed it. Oh well, it's only in English

[@swanvictor887]

The BBC BEGGED Cleese for more but he had moved on. He and Connie had got divorced and he was busy with Life of Brian. The Anniversary was actually the last episode ever made, months after this one, due to a BBC Workers Strike! 12 episodes of perfection...who needs more?!

[@gaskellr44]

No, this one was, but it was put out 6 months after The Aniversary due to BBC strike, and he actually thought it would never get to tv.

[@swanvictor887]

@@gaskellr44 Thanks. I must have mis-remembered a documentary where Cleese said he and Connie had more time to write The Anniversary because they knew the strike was on the cards.

[@gaskellr44]

NP, yes, I rem the documentary you mentioned. They were quite fortunate to usually have two weeks to write each ep, hence why most, if not all went over their running time of ar 30 mins, but I can't rem exactly about why the 6 month break between The A and B T R, but might have been due to some industrial action, maybe it might have been the situation where someone had hit someone, and as I said, J C and co wern't sure if they would get B T R to film, but it did end up going out in Oct, hence they had more time on it. Funnily as I watched it as a kid FT that is, I thought T A was my least fave one, but now it's one of the most accomplished for me due to K Cs performance. Also, it is worth looking for on YT where in 79, J C possibly in the guise of Basil introduces the new style comedy NOT the nine O'clock News, as from one sketch show great to another. @@swanvictor887

[@Trev359]

@@gaskellr44 Yes, it was due to a strike at the BBC. A number of BBC programmes were affected at that time. Gourmet Night was repeated in it's place.

[@ayethein7681]

It has to be the end of the hotel.

[@stuberry1875]

"You have rats in Spain, don't you? Or did Franco have them all shot?" For some reason, this is my favourite line from the whole series.

[@spicy321]

On the DVD commentary John Cleese liked it too and was disappointed it didn't get a bigger laugh.

[@JaEDLanc]

I agree, when I first watched it Franco was a topical subject at the time, I think he’d recently died.

[@gcullen104]

Probably my favourite episode. I don't know how they kept their faces straight. Also well done guys on reaching 102k subscribers. You've come a long way from a couple of blokes who clicked on a Blackadder video expecting to see a band! 😅

[@miladeskandari7]

It's not recorded in one take

[@Mantis_Toboggan_MD.]

The show definitely wasn't cancelled. I think John Cleese & Connie Booth simply decided not to write anymore.

[@christophercarey1]

As they were married and went through a messy divorce

[@scottandrewbrass1931]

​@@christophercarey1They divorced after series one.

[@patriciaburke6639]

John Cleese indicated many years ago that it was their intention just to write the 2 Series.

[@BenBanjo87]

This is John Cleese's favourite episode, and I think it makes a perfect finish to the series. All the regular characters get a lot to do, and there's also good input from the actors who play the health inspector and the upper-class couple. How David Neville said "You're getting my DANDER up, you grotty little man!" in that uber-posh accent without cracking up is a mystery to me!! 😂😂

[@sargonsblackgrandfather2072]

Is it dander I always thought it was gander.

[@jasonfazackarley6896]

@@sargonsblackgrandfather2072 Yes, it is gander

[@john1951w]

@@jasonfazackarley6896 "get your dander up" is well known phrase. It means getting angry or annoyed. That's what he says. A gander is a goose!!

[@galesito1733]

I've heard Cleese say that The Anniversary was his favourite. Apparently there was some kind of strike on so they had much more time than usual to rehearse it.

[@jasonfazackarley6896]

@@john1951w Ooops, well you learn something new everyday, as they say! I stand corrected and can't believe I've lived all these years...these long years (arrgh!)...and always thought it was gander! However, you're quite right as I checked it out and now feel somewhat abashed for my ignorance! Cheers for educating me.

[@kevanwillis4571]

Thanks guys. I've really enjoyed your reactions to Fawlty Towers. I spent many long weekends in Torquay in the Seventies.

[@eliasblum753]

My parents owned a small, independent, old-fashioned hotel just like this, on the South Devon coast, between 1978 and 1987. I never realised, growing up, that Fawlty Towers was a comedy. I thought it was a gritty, accurate, fly-on-the-wall documentary. This was my real life. All the characters remind me of real people.

[@paulklenknyc]

“I’m afraid it’s started to rain again…”

[@azillliasmith2734]

Yes I love that line 😂

[@andyblogger1]

The rat in the biscuit tin was a clever prop. The rat puppet had a long thin metal rod attached to it that protruded through the bottom of the tin. It was operated by Connie Booth herself turning the rod so it looked as if the rat was alert and looking around him. Very simple but very clever stuff.

[@frozengamer3030]

I really want you guys to react to bottom next. That show is wild

[@choomah]

Daniel actually "Arnold Rimmer-ing" his hamster by flinging into a wall when it bit him... was not expecting that 😂

[@phillipcarlroberts4640]

It completely ruined his helicopter wallpaper.

[@EveryoneWhoUsesThisTV]

I was thinking that too! :) These boys need to react to the boys from the dwarf.....

[@joeasher2876]

I just want to confirm that a Siberian hamster is a real animal, not just a euphemism for a rat.

[@Jon.Cullen]

Unlike the Norwegian Blue parrot...

[@crawfb]

But is a Filigree Siberian Hamster real? That's what Manuel bought.

[@stewartmackay]

Did you go to the same pet shop?

[@AlBarzUK]

He wanted to be a lumberjack.

[@azillliasmith2734]

And cut down trees wear high heels suspenders and a bra 🎶

[@nickquantrill985]

Perfection. Comedy doesn’t get any better than that.👏👌

[@davidz3879]

John Cleese wanted to make s3. He said Connie Booth refused to & he wouldn't make it without her. However, he's now making s3 with his daughter.

[@FTFLCY]

And it will be horrific. Cleese is so desperate for cash, he'd do anything. Turned into a nasty old right wing man.

[@scottandrewbrass1931]

Neither of them wanted to do a second series. But Cleese did have an idea for a Fawlty Towers special about Basil hijacking a plane.

[@yvonnewatkinson840]

I Love how you guys are enjoying Fawlty Towers. We in the uk even 50 years later still love every episode.😅

[@davidmontgomery9846]

The office where I used to work had a regular visit from a pest control firm .The guy was quite chatty and used to regale us about the sort of things he would find - in the poshest restaurants and hotels .

[@MrPhil1503]

They tried the ol' Bishop Brennan with the health inspector in that last scene....

[@davidz3879]

John Cleese said that this is his favourite ep of FT.

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

That was brilliant. I can go back to Fawlty Towers every few years and laugh at something I missed the last time.

[@jamesthompson316]

I haven’t watched the series for years and forgot how brilliant it was 😂 every episode I kept saying no THIS is my favourite one! 😂 feel sad it’s come to a finish, thanks guys that was an epic reaction! 2 thumbs up 👍 👍💙

[@theblackwidowchronicles]

It didn't continue because Cleese had divorced from Connie Booth who plays Polly after season one, they wrote the show together while married.....so season 2 was the end and they went their separate ways amicably

[@NeilusNihilus]

It's not the most US friendly British comedy, in terms of understanding British English, so you wouldn't have appreciated or understood everything. But then again us Brits 'get' US humour and understand their quirks if not liking it. A comedy you haven't watched yet (I don't think) is Bottom. It is a classic, as good as Fawlty Towers, and much more American friendly.

[@grahamstubbs4962]

It took Connie and John weeks to write each episode. They would have starved to death if they had written more.

[@am74343]

It's funny because in an early episode, Basil says to Manuel: "How can I knock a nail in with your hamster?... Well I could try..." So there was a slight continuity error in the plot line. Lol!

[@phil8821]

"Well he's not gonna get mugged by a gang of field mice!" lol

[@onlyme972]

You might try Peter Kays "Phoenix nights" totally your kind of humor.

[@seanmcgoldrick4870]

Ive just said the same. Absolutely a must watch series

[@gibsonms]

I love how you guys have rattled through these though!

[@antlermagick]

Very glad they've managed to get past the copywrite raisins.

[@seanoleary6245]

Really enjoy the reactions of these two, they don't always get some of the English references, but they wouldn't. Going to watch some more of them. Two top dudes.

[@DarknessIsThePath]

Bloody television exploded again! Vermin! No Germans staying this week major! Andof course, Sybil with the ultimate punchline: He's from Barcelona

[@philipbillington2314]

I suspect you have been told but his character is based on a hotelier they met on a trip to Torquay who had to move to Canada as his life became unbearable

[@conradcoleby]

Other old classic Brit sit comedies to try include Porridge, Yes Minister, Rising Damp, original Rise and Fall of Reginald Perrin with Leonard Rossiter, dad's army, One foot in the Grave, Vicar of Dibley, Alan Partridge, Keeping up Appearances, Steptoe and Son, and The Good Life..LOL and enjoy!

[@Wiiggz]

You guys need to get a region 2 dvd player and get viewers to send you some box sets

[@richardhall6034]

Don't thay sell multi reagion dvd players in the USA?

[@steve26553]

An X box or PlayStation should play your DVD's. I'm sure they incorporate multi region players by default. I might be wrong but my UK PS5 can play region 1 discs no problem.

[@Wiiggz]

@@richardhall6034 not sure tbh?

[@seanmcgoldrick4870]

Theres usually hacks to make a dvd player region free .usually involves pressing a few buttons on the remote control in a certain order. Ive done it with all my dvd players and they are all region free.just google your make and model of dvd player

[@richardfurness7556]

One of the reasons they only made two series was that the episodes took so long to write.

[@ftumschk]

20:32 That's Andrew "Manuel" Sach's wife, Melody Lang, playing the customer.

[@slowerthinker]

Flinging your hamster against the wall after it bit your finger? That sounds precisely like Vyvyan and SPG.

[@garyz2043]

Not all rats are diesese ridden,just like people. lol

[@daveloseby-s6j]

Love this. I have watched Fawlty Towers many times and it’s always hilarious. The Germans and this episode are my favourites. It’s funny watching you guys watching it for the first time.

[@KevPage-Witkicker]

If you guys need some Basil Fawlty "closure" then watch the John Cleese movie "CLOCKWISE" where he plays a manic character closer to Basil than most other things he's done (in A Fish Called Wanda he even manages to be thoroughly likeable).

[@brianpoole4369]

baldrick..in black adder 4..(first world war)....said he had prepared for supper, a local french meal called "RATOVAN"....when capt blackadder, asked baldrick, what were the ingredients of ratovan.....baldrick replied...."WELL SIR.....BASICALLY..ITS A RAT...THATS BEEN RUN OVER BY A VAN"

[@galesito1733]

The way the rat looked at the health inspector was hilarious.

[@mariaberg3780]

Great episode,great reaction!Sad this was the last one..

[@Great_King_Rat]

John Cleese is on record saying that each episode contained two, sometimes three, of the "typical" situation hoteliers encounter, and that after twelve episodes they had quite simply covered the lot. So, he decided not to make any more because he would simply be repeating himself...

[@ianbower827]

A third series !? You can't re-heat a souffle

[@ritahamblin1043]

Guys I forgot to recommend the I.T. Crowd if you have not already watched. Two reasons why it ended was due a strike at the BBC and John Clees and conney both got divorced. I think joh cleees got a major role with A Fish Called Wander very funny film. And another called clock wise.

[@conkersbadfurday356]

I think you'd love bottom with rik mayall and ade edmondson. Violent slapstick at its best.

[@IsraelShekelberg]

Remember that it's 'FILIGREED Siberian hamster'. It's a special breed.

[@dlk1dlk1]

Try reacting to 'The Brittas Empire'; it's a similar premise to Fawlty Towers but it's set in a leisure centre.

[@jackhagens8964]

I still occasionally use “it’s not difficult, this is not a proposition from Wittgenstein” when someone is being an idiot when receiving simple instructions

[@jimmybisk]

Thank you for a wonderful set of reactions to an all time great comedy. I particularly relate to this series because of the amount of time I worked in catering. When things go wrong, they go REALLY wrong! Am looking forward to whatever John Cleese comes up with in terms of bringing it back. What I know about it so far: John is writing it with his daughter; It will be set in another Hotel somewhere not in the UK (possibly the Carribean); Sadly it won't feature Manuel (Andrew Sachs passed away a few years ago); It will not likely feature Sybill (the actress is suffering from Altzeimers); Similarly the permanent residents of the Major and the 2 old ladies won't feature (as they passed away many years ago); Whether Connie Booth (Polly) will be in it is unknown at this stage; The BBC won't be showing it due to shall we say 'creative differences'. it will be hosted by an as yet unknown streaming service, but I believe one has agreed to take it on. Who knows if it will be a flop or a success, but I'm cautiously optimistic that with John Cleese writing it, we will be in for a treat!

[@debrarufini6906]

Apparently, Connie Booth, (Polly,) was operating the rat's movement from underneath the biscuit tin, as she was holding it.

[@jpw6893]

The BBC wanted him to do more. Whatever the reasons he didn't.

[@LikeMothsToAFlame]

Maybe give The IT Crowd a go? Same guy who wrote Father Ted.

[@FSMDog]

They decided that it would end - they didn't want to rehash the same stories

[@nicholasroberts1374]

There is a few reasons why a in the past series will have less shows compared to the US 1. Several of the shows in the UK are written by a person (or maybe a couple of people) so it becomes difficult to write series after series of quality scripts (quality rather than quantity). In the US sitcoms tend to have a team of writers who can collectively come up with several good stories 2. In the US there was always an eye to syndication. To get into syndication, the buyer tends to like a lot of shows as it will be show every night (so need to run for a couple months without repeating). Until satellite in the late 1980's there was no such thing as syndication in the UK, so there was not the need to produce several shows with an eye to syndication 3. The BBC did not really see the need to have shows run for several years because of the way it is funded. Commercial television is obsessed with ratings (which drives advertising revenue), so will want to retain a hit show for as long as possible

[@andylyns6594]

Now you've done fawlty towers you ought to try some of John Cleese films like Clockwise, A Fish Called Wanda and fierce creatures

[@QuachilUttaus_D]

Maybe you guys might like some other comedies such as Vicar of Dibley, You Rang M'Lord, and 'Allo 'Allo

[@kayz0012]

Pleeeeease do Only Fools and Horses! I ❤ Fawlty Towers but I do feel (in my opinon) , OFAH is the greatest british comedy sitcom of all time! 😊

[@georgemacieira8205]

The outside shots were actually shot at a place called The Wooburn Grange and it actually burnt down. The Grange was not in Torquay but not far from Bourne End, (totally inland and nowhere near the sea) it was also a nightclub in which l spent a few nights at. I also knew a guy that went to a different school from me and although we were not very close l was shocked to learn that he had shot and killed somebody when they left the Grange one night, fortunately l wasn't there thank goodness but the newspapers called it the Fawlty Towers murder because of it's connection with the TV series.

[@thedyck69]

Not just a common Siberian Hamster. A Siberian HOMING hamster. 🤣

[@DeidreL9]

Lol Fore Copyright Rasins…you two!🤣🤣🤣

[@nathan_hassen]

You have to watch red dwarf next as your hamster story is an actual anecdote told by one of the characters

[@DeidreL9]

Oh yes!!! Red Dwarf, a must watch, especially Backwards World!🤣🤣🤣 Nodnol…if you know, you know! Nodnol🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@sandrahughes8645]

My favourite episode!!!!

[@paulmurphy5648]

If you can, get hold of the sit com "Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps" Totally different to Fawlty Towers but brilliant in its' own way...

[@HaleysTusk]

US TV has a history of copying british TV some successful, like Three's Company was based on Robin's Nest. The US reboot of Fawlty Towers starred the Golden Girls' Bea Arthur as the Basil character. I think I saw the premiere and remembering it was awful. Unsurprisingly, it was a flop. The set was exactly the same as the British original. (addendum: Wiki says they tried a US reboot of FT 3 times, the first starred Harvey Corman as the Basil character, the most recent one, Night Court's John Larroquette had the lead role)

[@dee-smart]

Fawlty Towers Ended at the Right Time After two seasons, four years apart from each other, both Cleese and Booth rejected the idea to make another one. They felt that the quality might go down if they continued to make the show just out of monetary motivations.28 Feb 2023

[@chrisperyagh]

My favourite episode and a good one to end on. Also the first time I heard Rodrigo's 'Concierto de Aranjuez' when Polly and Manuel were walking down the drive with the filigree Siberian hamster in its cage. I had two albino filigree Siberian hamsters (or white lab rats/albino Norwegian rats if you prefer) as a teenager - highly intelligent animals and excellent swimmers, although they both developed large lipomas in later life and it was a shame to keep having to get them removed by the vet, so I had them both euthanised.

[@grazynafrey7545]

Yes, the lovely Dailymotion. How they're still in business I'll never know.

[@jimduffy7199]

It was always meant to be the last episode. They only wanted to do I think 12 episodes that were of exceptional quality, spread over two series. British TV doesn't do these "renew" events that dominate US TV. It was a BBC production. It would have loved many more but realised it was perhaps best to have 12 genius episodes than 20 where standards were dropping or it was becoming formulaic. The very fact that it so few episodes, deliberately, is why it has lived long. You just cannot improve on perfection. Many of us have seen each episode multiple times.

[@highpath4776]

Daniel's Anagrams. duly noted, well done guys

[@BrianMac2601]

You really need to do still game,your friend eclectic beard is a few series in and absolutely loves it, I guarantee you'll both too. It's the most popular Scottish sitcom.

[@Alcagaur1]

I'm sure someone has mentioned this to you before, but Connie and John re-wrote the series more than wrote it, generally keeping only 10% of the first draft, which is and was unheard of in TV. They basically forced themselves to justify anything they wanted to stay.

[@petecaulton9271]

I watch this as a kid and I still say “Siberian hamster “ for rats 😂

[@peterwilkins7013]

John Cleese and Connie Booth were divorced so probably didn't want to carry on writing/ filming it together. The whole idea was more or less by accident anyway - had they stayed at a different hotel when filming monty python they'd have never met the owner and been inspired to write it, so it was more of a side project than anything.

[@hawkmaster381]

The exact same thing happened to me with our family hamster. I have always felt so terrible about it. Sure didn't mean to hurt the little guy.

[@azillliasmith2734]

Poor thing..... shouldn't be kept as (pets) prisoners really.....

[@mlee6050]

I wish that last one instead of rasins, you put raisins lol

[@Andrew-uq4zo]

Omg Andy from England Morecambe shot I did same thing put it back in n bleed to death opps thought I was only one guys !! 😂

[@seanmcgoldrick4870]

Guys you must watch the bbc documentary fawlty towers reopened. Essential to get into the head if basil fawlty. You will hear how the monty python team met the inspiration fir basil fawlty in a hotel and much more.2 hours of pure fawlty towers

[@DavidMichaelson-j7n]

So I once stayed in a random motel travelling through Washington State where the stains on the carpet looked a lot like someone had been murdered there...We didn't ask.

[@azillliasmith2734]

Probably the wisest thing to do 😳

[@ritahamblin1043]

We all have an awful pet story. Don't do like nephew did microwave oven not a good way to dry your hamster.

[@esteban280889]

So sad there was only ever 12 episodes

[@superfurryfox1]

I've had hamsters in the past and most of them were little bastards but rats make amazing pets... Shame they nearly always die slowly with tumors bless them

[@smithpm81]

excelent episode (he is doing a new one as we speak

[@LeeWillamson]

I thought the reason it only made it to 2 seasons was because the writers John Cleese and Connie Booth (who plays Polly) were in a relationship and split up

[@24magiccarrot]

They divorced before writing season 2.

[@24magiccarrot]

They did make a US version of Fawlty Towers called Payne. You should watch it just to see how bad it is in comparison.

[@grahamsangster1042]

I was thinking the same,oh no,he's away to jump on the bed,throw the hamster in the air and into the fan,hamster said oh fxck then flew across the room wi blood passing ah ower the place

[@coldwhite4240]

This is not one of my favourite episodes, but it's a fitting final one as it's easy to imagine that the hotel was shut down after this! 😆 On a separate note, I do dislike the habit of today's UK TV viewers calling a show series a "season", in imitation of the USA. Until a few years ago, British TV shows always had 'series' not 'seasons', and I shall continue to use that term for the two SERIES of Fawlty Towers. I found this explanation on Google which sums it up well: "In the UK, "series" usually refers to both the entire collection of episodes from all years and a batch of episodes broadcast in a run, usually in the same year. Although, due to the influx of US programmes, the US "season" is becoming more widespread in the UK, especially when talking about American programmes." In the UK, on TV and radio a 'season' traditionally meant something different - usually a period of time (generally a week or fortnight, but sometimes as long as a month) when several programmes on a related theme were broadcast usually to mark an anniversary or another important event like the death of a famous actor. For example you could have a "Fawlty Towers season", consisting of a re-run of episodes, related documentaries and a series of interviews of cast members and other celebrities who grew up watching the show, broadcast at different times over several days.

[@andrewbush3744]

Have you ever heard a rat scream I past a bin once a rat jumped out it was a experience good video faulty towers very funny

[@jensablefur155]

Real talk. Rats are much, much nicer pets than hamsters are.

[@ritahamblin1043]

Don't worry guys. All good things come toan end but if you haven't already done so two british sitcom that a equally as funny open all hours. And some mothers do have them. If you haven't already viewed them then ita must. Oh only fools and horses is another. Ttfn guys 😊😊😊😊

[@patrickhuck1160]

I recommend reacting to the sitcom Porridge

[@jerryhayes9497]

American TV could learn a lot from Fawlty Towers. And the Office. Do the show you want to do and that's it. Finished. Goes down in history as a classic. Look at The Simpsons. It went past it's "sell by date" 20 years ago. But they still keep churning it out. A once classic TV show is ruining it's legacy by continuing 2 decades after they should have pulled the plug

[@newell.fisher]

FILIGREE Siberian Hamster 😁

[@worthalook4870]

Ohhhhhh what comedy is coming next? 😎😎😎 another classic I hope 🤞

[@thehelmetsrideagainmtbchan7942]

Gimme gimme gimme next to watch please 😊

[@rowanlidbury]

It won't work. Do 'In Sickness and in Health', you guys need to meet Alf Garnet.!

[@Georgeolddrones]

My daughter had a hamster and it bit here when she was little so kills it ,😂the hamster that is .

[@liamwarner5749]

No, no Basil its not a homing rat its a homing siberian hamster. They're known for it travel thousands of miles to come home armies used to have them carry messages.