REACTING TO FAWLTY TOWERS (First time!) | Series 1 Ep. 1 - A Touch of Class

[@paulmaxey6377]

The woman who plays Sybil Fawlty (Basil's wife) is played by Prunella Scales who was in a lot of other comedies and even some serious stuff. She is married to Timothy West, another well known actor who was in (among other things) Brass. Sadly Prunella has got Alzheimer's now so doesn't act anymore. Prunella and Timothy did a series exploring the canals of Britain which was interesting. A touching thing that Timothy said in an interview recently was that “Now we live life to the full but stay very much in the moment. Pru doesn’t have much awareness of time so when she joins me in the living room, her face lights up as if we’ve been apart for days. The look on her face makes me realise how much I love her.”

[@stuartanderws5705]

Prunella Scales one of legendary British actors. What always amazes me and gives me hope as John Cleese was married to Penny the made in real life, she was also one of the writers of season one and two show and one of many Ex wife's. through season two. They never told anyone the wear getting a divorce till the show was finished.

[@williamburnham3659]

Including the classic Hobson's Choice with Charles Laughton 😊😊😊

[@albin2232]

Very good actress. Very versatile.

[@MKitchen75]

Oh I have seen that series and really enjoyed that.. I live in Finland but love to travel canals with a houseboat in UK

[@jameswiglesworth5004]

@@stuartanderws5705 It's Polly not Penny

[@rickb3645]

£200 back in 1975 when the first episode was filmed... Was the equivalent of £1,689 today.

[@veryvarley6706]

A show that is 50 years old and I can't think of 12 better episodes of anything.

[@theobjectivethinker64]

Agree Red Dwarf, Father Ted comes close.

[@splodge561]

Alan partridge

[@TerribleEnglish]

Blackadder S2-4 and Father Ted come 2nd and 3rd for me.

[@JohnDuffy-bq8wg]

Some of step toes original black and withe comedies were classics, especially the coifin one, and the old people's one, in parts it was actually quite sad, two great actors, shame they were remade in colour

[@markcutting6504]

Rising damp,porridge

[@ThunderForce2000]

‘A gin and orange, a lemon squash and a scotch and water please!’

[@edgein7892]

RIGHT!!!! 🤣

[@AlBarzUK]

The man who played that part was Terry Connelly. He was a lodger in my home (my mum’s house) at the time. He was an opera singer and just back from a tour of Japan as Bumble the Beadle in Oliver Twist.

[@raifthemad]

The guy sounds a lot like Alan Rickman.

[@marcelwijnen9037]

Yes, brilliant..! 🤣🤣🤣

[@ftumschk]

It's not just in the UK we say "BAHzil"... it's pronounced like that in just about every country/language in the world. Where North America got "BAYzil" from is anyone's guess! Perhaps it was imported from BRAYzil ;)

[@GeeCeeWU]

Yes, we refer to Basil as a herb, North America refer to it as a erb.

[@sostenos]

It's the french influence from the collonial era, it's why they say erb and not herb

[@ftumschk]

@@sostenos Why, then, do they pronounce the "H" in words like hospital, hotel, habit, hour, hermit, haste (etc), which are present in francophone languages, but where the "H" _isnt't_ pronounced by the French?

[@jerryhayes9497]

The Basil Fawlty character is based on a real hotel manager named Donald Sinclair. John Cleese described him as"the rudest man i ever met", but he also realised that there is something funny about that. Sort of the ultimate "wrong person for the job" situation 😂😂😂😂

[@theobjectivethinker64]

Met a few of them in my time., A Mechanic who got so stressed with the slightest difficulty. A printer who could not cope with reprints, a graphic designer could not cope with amendments etc, this lis of people in the wrong job is endless.

[@haydenstock21]

I couldn’t have clicked faster, Fawlty Towers is my favourite sitcom ever, you’re in for a real treat

[@MeganRuth]

I'm looking forward to watching more!

[@GeeCeeWU]

​@@MeganRuth I recommend Basil the Rat.

[@gavanhill5132]

"You could have had them both done by now if you hadn't been in there all morning listening to that racket." ". . . Racket!? That's BRAHMS!" "BRAHMS' THIRD RACKET!!"

[@Robbie3004]

This episode was recorded months before the rest of series one. Originally, Polly was going to be studying psychology but they decided that the audience would relate to her more as an art student. Consequently, parts of the scene where she is waiting on Mr Brown were re-shot at a later date. Robin Ellis and a female extra were brought back to record the new parts.

[@ursanator]

One of the episodes opened with the letters on the sign saying "Flowery Twats" instead Fawlty Towers" which is an anagram . There other changes such as warty towels and watery fowls and others but flowery twats was the only anagram

[@Jinty92]

*Farty Farty Towels*

[@sjlittler70]

The fact Basil wants ‘a better class’ of clientele is nothing to do with them having money. Basil is a snob, he believes that the upper class are just better people, he wants to associate with them hoping he will become upper class by association. I don’t think that concept translates very well to an American audience. The class system runs to the heart of almost everything in Britain.

[@MeganRuth]

Yes I'm aware! The class system is very different here compared to North America...

[@edgein7892]

And to think it is even going to get better. Truly brilliant show.

[@Sidistic_Atheist]

6:33 I was an Apprentice Electrician, when this was first aired and my wage was £28 per week. So yes £ 200 was a lot back then. ( 26p for a packet of 20 cigs and 50p for a pint of beer.)

[@Mermanshi]

The fact that "burro" means butter in Italian makes Basil saying "mucho burro alí" even funnier. 😂

[@simongeoghegan9842]

So glad your reacting to this comedy classic Megan it just gets better.🤗💓👍🇬🇧

[@johnbenson2919]

The £200 doesn't sound much, but a year after this was broadcast I started work for the princely sum of £29 per week, and with that I was running a car, meeting mates a few times a week and going to a couple of gigs a month. Ahh the good old days

[@Poliss95]

£40.00 a week was extremely good pay in those days. The chap I worked with was on £18.00 a week. A pint of lager was 17p. 🍺🥂

[@robertmarriott6767]

When this was on TV in the mid 70's, my mother was working in a factory for £10 per week. So £200 was a lot at the time.

[@markdermody9698]

As for the people that starred in Hi De Hi, many of the group returned and starred in 2 other British Sitcoms, they were 'You Rang M'Lord?' Which was set in a Lord and Lady's Household where they had a Cook, Butler and Maids who carried out general maintenance and cleaning along with the serving of meals to the members of the household too! There was also the Sitcom, 'Oh, Doctor Beeching!' which was set in a British Rail Train Station in early 1963 when the Doctor Beeching Report came out, his report was all about the Restructuring of British Rail which outlined plans to cut more than 5000 Miles of tracks and Shut Down more than 2000 Railway Stations which included many branch line stations from Villages to Small Towns too! Sadly, the Doctor Beeching Report also put paid to the use of Steam Trains which, due to the severe cuts, meant many routes that traditionally had Steam Trains rolling down their tracks were the ones that went as they were classed as the ones that made the most losses. This was such a shame as in place of those beautiful Classic Steam Trains they ran Diesel Locomotives in their place on the lines that were still to be retained, this meant the age of steam had basically come to an abrupt end with one sweep of his pen! It was such a tragedy as until the old Railway and Steam Locomotive Enthusiasts got together and created short tracks where old Steam Locomotives could be repaired, maintained and ran, I never got to see a fully working Steam Locomotive speeding down any of my local railways as they had been phased out in general before I was even born which was way back in 1967! This was an incredible loss to Nostalgic Railway Enthusiasts who missed such travels and travails too! I seriously hope that if you haven't already given these 3 Classic Sitcoms a review then you are missing a treat which are well worth a review as they are all true classics in their own ways especially due to their subject matter!

[@johnmason9655]

Great that you are reacting to this classic. Was based on a hotel that John Cheese stayed in while filming Monty Python, called Gleneagles, where the owner was rude and obnoxious.

[@lifelover515]

Yay. Megan's doing FT, the absolute GOAT of all sitcoms. A dream come true. You've struck gold here ma'am. Every one of the 12 episodes is a masterpiece of scripting and timing, with a memorable supporting cast. I'm here for it. Go Megs, you legend. RIP Michael Gwynn (Melbury), who passed away not long after this was made.

[@MeganRuth]

I'm looking forward to watching more! :) Yes, RIP Michael!

[@stephenderbyshire7849]

@@MeganRuth As you are not yet even at the stronger episodes of Only fools and horses, Fawlty towers gets stronger after this first episode, only being 12 made, and Only fools and horses having 60 plus. Your observation on Basil not showing Manuel 'cards' with the room numbers written on them, or pictures and symbols, is valid, and will happen in the show, soon.

[@neilfleming2787]

don't forget to check the 'Fawlty Towers' sign at the start of each episode

[@Alftupper334]

£200 in 1976 is about £1400 now

[@matshjalmarsson3008]

You may want to watch "A fish called Wanda" for another side of him

[@user-EricWatson55]

I've always considered "A Fish Called Wanda" the funniest movie from the '80s! 😂

[@stickytapenrust6869]

2:20 - it is much better now re: strikes than it was nearly 50 years ago when this was broadcast.

[@markdermody9698]

Hi Megan, have you ever seen the film 'A Fish Called Wanda'? I only ask as John Cleese is also in that film with Eric Idle!

[@musefan12345]

One of the funniest sitcoms ever. Just be prepared, because your stress levels will soar through the roof.

[@steved272]

Basil was inspired by Donald Sinclair, an eccentric, inhospitable, and impolite hotel owner that John Cleese had encountered when he stayed at his hotel (Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay) along with the rest of Monty Python team ... one of his staff said of him " he saw his customers/guests as an inconvenience to his running of the hotel " ... great reaction Megan ... There's only 12 episodes/ 2 series

[@SamuelBlack84]

Working in retail, I know how he feels

[@canuckled]

There was a polar bear named Basil in the old CBC series Sesame Park, a Sesame Street spin off

[@zerogo40]

A fish called wanda a great film well worth a look 😅

[@whattiler5102]

According to the Bank of England inflation calculator, £200 when the show was originally broadcast (1975), would be equivalent to more than £1400 now.

[@chris_debian5368]

Did you also know John Cleese as Nearly Headless Nick, in Harry Potter?

[@RalphWigg1]

John wrote Faulty Towers with his wife at the time who plays Polly here.

[@worthalook4870]

Classic, really hope to see Open All Hours hit the channel in the future. Another classic. Also Goodnight Sweetheart

[@Jagaroth_]

So glad you're watching this - I'll be here until the end. If you like this one, you're gonna love every single one of the twelve episodes! Hmm...I may have to head to Patreon once you've seen them all.🤔

[@leroywallis3142]

Your best reaction yet I've never seen you laugh so much .

[@MeganRuth]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@peterwilliamskelhorn6675]

​@@MeganRuththat's true we in the UK say basil(bah-sil) you say basil(baysil)

[@michaelsullivan1631]

POLLY THE MAID, WAS JOHN CLEESE REAL WIFE, AT THE TIME, CONNIE BOOTH AMERICAN WHO CO WROTE THE SERIES WITH HIM.

[@MKitchen75]

the episode with German guests is hilarious AF ... dont get anything in your mouth watching it or it will be on your computer screen LOL

[@Tom.T]

The idea to the sitcom serie, come from a little hotel he was living , in Canada on of his tour, and the owner and his wife, was like this

[@jameswiglesworth5004]

It is based on the owner of a hotel called Gleneagles, which was in Torquay in Devon England

[@bexbugoutsurvivor]

This episode was aired in 1975 when £200 would be worth About $1,146.53 today

[@alexfletcher5192]

The fact this is literally based on a real person may boggle the mind. Staying at the Gleneagles Hotel during filming, the Python team moved out one by one because they couldn't take anymore. But Cleese knew he had comedy gold in the offing.

[@alm2187]

2:33 By and large, it always struck me how she's written with all that sense and savvy. In this case, though, it's like she just doesn't get it. In the short term, figure he's just hoping rich customers will stay over and work up bigger bar tabs. In the long, that could enable him to expand. So no, 22 rooms is not necessarily the limit.

[@top40researcher31]

n May 1970, the Monty Python comedy group stayed at the now demolished Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay, Devon while filming on location in Paignton. John Cleese was fascinated with the behaviour of the owner, Donald Sinclair, later describing him as "the rudest man I've ever come across in my life". Among such behaviour by Sinclair was his criticism of Terry Gilliam's "too American" table etiquette and tossing Eric Idle's briefcase out of a window "in case it contained a bomb". Asked why anyone would want to bomb the hotel, Sinclair replied, "We've had a lot of staff problems". Michael Palin states Sinclair "seemed to view us as a colossal inconvenience". Rosemary Harrison, a waitress at the Gleneagles under Sinclair, described him as "bonkers" and lacking in hospitality, deeming him wholly unsuitable for a hotel proprietor. "It was as if he didn't want the guests to be there." Cleese and his then-wife Connie Booth stayed on at the hotel after filming, furthering their research of its owner. Demolished in 2015, the building was replaced by a new retirement home named Sachs Lodge in memory of Andrew Sachs who played Manuel in the sitcom and who died in 2016.

[@stevencarr4002]

Eventually (at the end) , Basil ends up living in the garage, and poison is put down to end Basil's existence. But I'm giving away the plot.

[@lbd-po7cl]

Undoubtedly the greatest, funniest and best sitcom in TV history! And that’s not hyperbole, but rather a certified, objective fact. And it’s not that Basil would be charging wealthy guests more, but rather it’s a class thing. He would probably happily have a member of the aristocracy stay for free.

[@stuartanderws5705]

The show was very popular in Spain when if was first air in the UK. Manwell had a name change and came from Brazil to not upset the Spanish.

[@philipkynaston8875]

Apparently they chose spanish as his nationality (for this version) just for the 'on those trays' joke!

[@cynthiaschultheis1660]

Basal is herb. Basil is a name...i.e. BASIL RATHBONE WHO PLAYED SHERLOCK HOLMES.

[@Meine.Postma]

This and the prequel Monty Python's Flying Circus are the great absurdist classics

[@user-EricWatson55]

The character Manuel is supposed to be Spanish, but it's a British actor! 😂

[@markdermody9698]

The worst thing about Fawlty Towers is that they only ever made 12 episodes which was such a shame because it won accolades and awards left, right and centre. They decided from the start they were only ever going to make 12 episodes though because it was just that darned funny they didn't want to spoil it by dragging it out longer and the writing failing to reach the heights of the previous 2 series so they said enough was enough! I hope you have watched and done reactions to Hi-De-Hi as that is another series which is absolutely hilarious and full of bawdy English Comedy Holiday Postcard type humour seeing as it was set in a Cheap and Cheerful Basic 1950's Holiday Camp! What makes it so funny is because of the austerity that our people, (The Holidaying and Everyday Brits had to endure throughout the 1950's & even through to the start of the 1960's too)!

[@albertscanlon2005]

Your so right .....strikes strikes strikes!!...nothing gets done here in the UK. We have meetings about meetings for Pete's sake!!.Thanks for your reaction. Timeless Classic..my favourite episode of the 12 they made, but very one was sharp, witty, funny and clever. The best of British humour for sure. John Cleese, a national tresure

[@robinfereday6562]

Who’s on strike

[@Neil_BT]

Oh my gosh, was never expecting you to get to this. It's one of the best comedies ever written - two series, 12 episodes, and quit whilst you're ahead. Basil was based on an actual hotelier Cleese met whilst staying at a hotel. Connie Booth was married to John Cleese around this time although I think they had separated by the second series. Episode 1 is a decent start, but there are some highlights to come. Keep an eye on the sign with the name of the hotel on it in the opening credits, that's all I'll say ;)

[@user-EricWatson55]

Basil creates all his own problems.

[@ritahamblin1043]

Steptoe and son. Give it a try. There's a short 5 minute clip called the kitchen sink.

[@mefw]

John Cleese his real world wife at the time is the one that played Polly the house maid

[@smoothmove7566]

You're in for a fun ride.

[@Jinty92]

Anything to declare. *How about a nice brick?* 😂

[@arrow5599]

£200 pounds in 1970s is around £1500 today

[@markdermody9698]

Yes against today, however this was set in the 1970's!

[@Telthar]

The income bracket really only matters in the amount, or rather the price, of alcohol consumed. But somehow I don't suspect Basil is concerned with revenue as he is with just being associated with the "upper class".

[@brandonflorida1092]

One or two hundred pounds is, as you said, "pennies today," but this was a long time ago, not today.

[@im-gi2pg]

$150-200 is unthinkable for me unless my kid had an emergency. $20,000? 😮😮😮

[@proflcr8779]

If you want more John Cleese, you should watch "A Fish Called Wanda"!

[@derningtona]

John Cleese is brilliant in the film Clockwise

[@jkpole]

Just fabulous

[@vallee3140]

If he wrote down the number, instead of trying to get Manuel, to understand it wouldn't be so funny. Hope you watch them all.

[@Archipelington]

Apparently there are still people out there that believe reactors are watching shows/films/music in the edited form that is posted. 🙄 They’ve watched the whole thing ffs, it’s edited down for copyright reasons.

[@TheRealRedAce]

£200 was a lot back then like 50 years ago!

[@FloridaMugwump]

They did not have photo id back then

[@johnhewett9483]

i hope you are able to watch the whole episode, this is the funniest series ever on uk tv, what is here isnt enought to get the context

[@MeganRuth]

The full episode is on my Patreon :)

[@vincentsaia6545]

Congratulations. You have started on a very exciting journey in the worst run hotel in history! If you dig Shakespeare you can check out John Cleese's THE TAMING OF THE SHREW that he did for the BBC.

[@ianbennett1491]

1975 200 quid was a lot of money back then.We are not all rich Canadians.

[@philipcochran1972]

He's a snob, he just wants posher customers. Brahms, Brahms third racket! See a young Prunella Scales in the 1954 film, Hobson's Choice.

[@pedanticperson1149]

Re: £200 being a lot of money- £200 in the 1970s, it's the equivalent of £2000+/- adjusted for inflation so trying to borrow it from a B&B on the basis of your reputation alone would get a reaction & Basil is a bit of a Scrooge.

[@helenwood8482]

Brits don't generally carry ID. I have no ID.

[@stevencarr4002]

And a con-man would have fake ID anyway, even if checked.

[@bryanhorswell3772]

Fawlty Towers is great l watched it a lot with every episode something different happens

[@chris_debian5368]

WRT £100 or £200 that Melbury wants, remember you could buy property for a £5000, back then.

[@neilgriffiths6427]

£200 in the 1970's - I grew up i the countryside, up my first job out of school in 1983 was on a farm - £50 a week. So £200 in, say, 1973 would be about two months wages for a working man - you work THAT out in today's prices....

[@bingbong7316]

My first job out of school, in 1973, paid £1000 a year, about £16 a week after deductions.

[@brendanstokes-c7y]

You are absolutely going to love this classic comedy and I hope you do a reaction to Mr Bean soon.

[@grahamtravers4522]

Basileos is the Greek word for king.

[@stevencarr4002]

Basil is a fox. Everybody knows that.

[@pompeymonkey3271]

Perfect "farce"

[@johnmannymoo8626]

My first wage packet was £22.50. 1978

[@ianjones2187]

Mine 25 for the month in 1972 frightening

[@paulmunn9699]

comic genius!!

[@jameswaterman9209]

In that époque it was allot 200£

[@daviddwyer5568]

Hi Megan, Fawlty Towers? Ah, you are going to enjoy this one. What makes this funny is that he is completely unsuited to running a hotel. Also he is a snob and intensely dislikes most of the people who stay there. Notice the difference in the way he reacted to Mr Brown who he considered to be "common" and "Lord" Melbury. In addition, Fawlty is absolutely terrified of his wife, and a lot of the comedy comes from that. By the way, this show is almost 50 years old, and my Dad paid just over £200 for a brand new car around about that time, so yes, it was a lot of money. Enjoy Fawlty Towers, looking forward to seeing your reactions.

[@MeganRuth]

£200 for a car?! That's crazy! Yes I get that about the humour! I'm looking foreword to watching more :)

[@daviddwyer5568]

It wasn't a very big car, and he got an employee discount as well. LOL@@MeganRuth

[@weedle30]

Why do we say baa sil and not bay sil?? Because…… Basil is spelled B A S I L - there’s no letter Y In it! Otherwise yes, you would say it as Baysil …. Like herbs has a letter H! Oooohhh ….. “can of worms opener…”

[@Dav_Rock]

I have to boxset and wanna watch it again! Timeless classic there's not a bad episode among them. Check out (the Germans) Basil goes nuts literally 😂

[@petermizon4344]

200 WAS about 1000 pounds in the day, you lend someone 1000 pounds lol

[@Jawknee007]

Thank you. I love this show and you.

[@MeganRuth]

You're welcome! 😊

[@howardmartin6984]

You fail to understand this was filmed in the 1970 and £100 pounds was a very large sum of money back then. Your Canadian so I'll let it go .

[@stevedunwoodie7621]

some mothers do have em is funny

[@dolfin98]

When you say £200 in today’s money is just pennies I think you’re in La La Land. This series was from the Middle 70s and according to the Bank of England inflation calculator £200 then is now worth about 1500 quid, a not inconsiderable sum to be loaned out to some stranger. BTW, would you happily loan £200 to a stranger. I doubt it

[@arkadybron1994]

If you made your tubes just a little longer, you wouldn't have to keep cutting of the tag lines. I can't believe you cut off the Brahms' payoff. It's one of my favourite bits.

[@RalphWigg1]

You need to understand Basil!

[@KNINESVIDS]

U sound sloshed af bro 😂

[@Birko64]

You missed the point about "high class" customer - Basil is a terrible snob and social climber - nothing to do with money.. £200 in 1980's is more like a few thousand today.

[@reggiebhorrorbaker1650]

Funny

[@michaelsullivan1631]

YOU ARE TALKING LIKE IT IS NOW, NOBODY NEEDED ID IN THE 1970s. I NEVER HAD ANY PHOTO ID UNTIL 10 YEARS AGO, AND I AM 64 NEXT WEEK.

[@stevemccullagh36]

I understand you have to clip these significantly but i wish you wouldn't add in the ZOOM sound effects. They're very annoying.