A Touch of Class (Fawlty Towers)
Encyclopedia
"A Touch of Class" is the pilot episode in the first series of the BBC television
sitcom Fawlty Towers
.
, the cynical, sharp-tongued owner of the hotel; his nagging wife Sybil
; Manuel, the eager but hapless Spanish
waiter; Major Gowen, a semi-senile and often whisky-soaked permanent resident; and Polly, a maid/waitress and the only member of hotel staff with any common sense.
The episode opens with Sybil reminding Basil of many chores he must do: prepare the bill for some guests in a hurry to depart, hang a picture in the lobby, type the menus for lunch. While Basil is trying to have a snack, Sybil confronts him about an expensive advertisement that he has placed in an upscale magazine, and he explains that he is trying to encourage a higher social class
of customer. Basil informs Sybil that Sir Richard and Lady Morris, an aristocratic couple who saw the advertisement, will be arriving that evening. Soon after, a leather-jacketed Cockney
guest, Danny Brown, turns up asking for a room, much to Basil's annoyance. Basil - who, it has been revealed, learned "Classical Spanish
" - is further put out when Mr. Brown shows that he can communicate better than he with Manuel, as he speaks fluent Spanish.
While Basil is on the phone to a Mr. O'Reilly (a "cowboy" builder featured in the following episode
) complaining about some recent shoddy workmanship, Lord Melbury, a well-dressed aristocrat, turns up out of the blue. Basil immediately becomes infatuated by Melbury's air of class and breeding. Embarrassing incidents follow, where Basil fawns over Lord Melbury and treats him better than the other guests. Basil even asks a family, in the middle of their meal, to move tables for Lord Melbury, but accidentally deposits Lord Melbury on the floor in the process which earns a passing Manuel an angry and totally undeserved blow to his head, primarily as a distraction from Basil's own ineptitude. Basil grovels to Melbury for forgiveness, which Melbury grants him.
After lunch, Melbury emerges from the dining room and Basil immediately begins fawning over him again, apologizing incessantly. Lord Melbury dismisses his apologies and claims it was merely an accident and has forgotten all about it. Basil insists that if there is anything he can do to make it up to Melbury he will. Lord Melbury immediately becomes interested and asks Basil to cash him a "small" cheque
for one hundred pounds. Despite being inwardly aghast at such a large sum, Basil obsequiously asks if that would be enough; he is even more aghast when Melbury takes him up on this and revises his request to two hundred. Too late to backtrack, Basil agrees to cover this large cheque. Melbury is delighted and Basil hides the whole matter from Sybil. He then confides in Polly and asks her to go to the bank and collect the money for his lordship.
However, when Polly goes into town to take out the money, she comes across Danny Brown - who is now revealed as a policeman - and a fellow detective inspector. They explain that they are from the CID
, and are watching Melbury, who is in turn revealed to be a confidence trickster pulling off a large scam in town.
Meanwhile, Basil continues to ignore other guests while attending to Lord Melbury in the bar, neglecting their orders for drinks. Melbury offers to take Basil's collection of coins
to have them valued while dining with the Duke
of Buckleigh that evening. Basil is deeply honoured, and agrees.
Polly confronts Basil with the information that Melbury is an impostor
, but he refuses to believe her, suggesting Brown is merely spinning tales of intrigue in order to impress her. She then tells Sybil who, despite Basil's fervent protests, takes Melbury's previously surrendered suitcase
of "a few valuables" from the safe, and reveals the contents to be simply a pair of house bricks.
Basil finally realises he has been duped, and manic anger begins to brew inside him. In a cruel twist, Sir Richard and Lady Morris arrive to check in, and witness Basil's fury as he abuses and swears at Melbury, who is eventually arrested by Brown and his colleague but not before Basil takes the money he had given Melbury from Melbury's own pocket, and kicks him while he lies on the floor, winded. Horrified by all he has seen, Sir Richard leaves, vowing never to return to such a terrible hotel. Basil hypocritically curses Morris' snobbish behaviour.
A dejected Basil re-enters the hotel and begins finally to hang the picture featured at the outset. Then, a very angry Mr. Wareing (whom Basil moved from his table earlier in the episode) shouts his order, for which he has been waiting in the bar for some time and which Sybil has not bothered to serve. Basil finally snaps: he smashes Sybil's picture and frog-marches his guest back to the bar to be served at last.
Also starring:
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
sitcom Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom produced by BBC Television and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975. Twelve television program episodes were produced . The show was written by John Cleese and his then wife Connie Booth, both of whom played major characters...
.
Plot
The episode introduces Basil FawltyBasil Fawlty
Basil Fawlty is the main character of the British sitcom Fawlty Towers, played by John Cleese. The character is often thought of as an iconic British comedy character, and has been deemed unforgettable despite only a dozen half-hour episodes ever being made....
, the cynical, sharp-tongued owner of the hotel; his nagging wife Sybil
Sybil Fawlty
Sybil Fawlty is a fictional character from the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers. She is played by Prunella Scales. Her age is listed as 34 years old as seen on her medical chart in the 1975 episode "The Germans", thus presumably indicating that she was born in 1941...
; Manuel, the eager but hapless Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
waiter; Major Gowen, a semi-senile and often whisky-soaked permanent resident; and Polly, a maid/waitress and the only member of hotel staff with any common sense.
The episode opens with Sybil reminding Basil of many chores he must do: prepare the bill for some guests in a hurry to depart, hang a picture in the lobby, type the menus for lunch. While Basil is trying to have a snack, Sybil confronts him about an expensive advertisement that he has placed in an upscale magazine, and he explains that he is trying to encourage a higher social class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
of customer. Basil informs Sybil that Sir Richard and Lady Morris, an aristocratic couple who saw the advertisement, will be arriving that evening. Soon after, a leather-jacketed Cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
guest, Danny Brown, turns up asking for a room, much to Basil's annoyance. Basil - who, it has been revealed, learned "Classical Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
" - is further put out when Mr. Brown shows that he can communicate better than he with Manuel, as he speaks fluent Spanish.
While Basil is on the phone to a Mr. O'Reilly (a "cowboy" builder featured in the following episode
The Builders
"The Builders" is the second episode in the first series of the BBC TV sitcom Fawlty Towers.-Synopsis:Basil hires Irish builder O'Reilly to do some vital work on the hotel...
) complaining about some recent shoddy workmanship, Lord Melbury, a well-dressed aristocrat, turns up out of the blue. Basil immediately becomes infatuated by Melbury's air of class and breeding. Embarrassing incidents follow, where Basil fawns over Lord Melbury and treats him better than the other guests. Basil even asks a family, in the middle of their meal, to move tables for Lord Melbury, but accidentally deposits Lord Melbury on the floor in the process which earns a passing Manuel an angry and totally undeserved blow to his head, primarily as a distraction from Basil's own ineptitude. Basil grovels to Melbury for forgiveness, which Melbury grants him.
After lunch, Melbury emerges from the dining room and Basil immediately begins fawning over him again, apologizing incessantly. Lord Melbury dismisses his apologies and claims it was merely an accident and has forgotten all about it. Basil insists that if there is anything he can do to make it up to Melbury he will. Lord Melbury immediately becomes interested and asks Basil to cash him a "small" cheque
Cheque
A cheque is a document/instrument See the negotiable cow—itself a fictional story—for discussions of cheques written on unusual surfaces. that orders a payment of money from a bank account...
for one hundred pounds. Despite being inwardly aghast at such a large sum, Basil obsequiously asks if that would be enough; he is even more aghast when Melbury takes him up on this and revises his request to two hundred. Too late to backtrack, Basil agrees to cover this large cheque. Melbury is delighted and Basil hides the whole matter from Sybil. He then confides in Polly and asks her to go to the bank and collect the money for his lordship.
However, when Polly goes into town to take out the money, she comes across Danny Brown - who is now revealed as a policeman - and a fellow detective inspector. They explain that they are from the CID
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
, and are watching Melbury, who is in turn revealed to be a confidence trickster pulling off a large scam in town.
Meanwhile, Basil continues to ignore other guests while attending to Lord Melbury in the bar, neglecting their orders for drinks. Melbury offers to take Basil's collection of coins
Coin collecting
Coin collecting is the collecting or trading of coins or other forms of minted legal tender.Coins of interest to collectors often include those that circulated for only a brief time, coins with mint errors and especially beautiful or historically significant pieces. Coin collecting can be...
to have them valued while dining with the Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
of Buckleigh that evening. Basil is deeply honoured, and agrees.
Polly confronts Basil with the information that Melbury is an impostor
Impostor
An impostor or imposter is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but just as often for purposes of espionage or law enforcement....
, but he refuses to believe her, suggesting Brown is merely spinning tales of intrigue in order to impress her. She then tells Sybil who, despite Basil's fervent protests, takes Melbury's previously surrendered suitcase
Suitcase
A suitcase is a general term for a distinguishable form of luggage. It is often a somewhat flat, rectangular-shaped bag with rounded/square corners, either metal, hard plastic or made of cloth, vinyl or leather that more or less keeps its shape. It has a carrying handle on one side and is used...
of "a few valuables" from the safe, and reveals the contents to be simply a pair of house bricks.
Basil finally realises he has been duped, and manic anger begins to brew inside him. In a cruel twist, Sir Richard and Lady Morris arrive to check in, and witness Basil's fury as he abuses and swears at Melbury, who is eventually arrested by Brown and his colleague but not before Basil takes the money he had given Melbury from Melbury's own pocket, and kicks him while he lies on the floor, winded. Horrified by all he has seen, Sir Richard leaves, vowing never to return to such a terrible hotel. Basil hypocritically curses Morris' snobbish behaviour.
A dejected Basil re-enters the hotel and begins finally to hang the picture featured at the outset. Then, a very angry Mr. Wareing (whom Basil moved from his table earlier in the episode) shouts his order, for which he has been waiting in the bar for some time and which Sybil has not bothered to serve. Basil finally snaps: he smashes Sybil's picture and frog-marches his guest back to the bar to be served at last.
Cast
Episode credited cast:- John CleeseJohn CleeseJohn Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
as Basil FawltyBasil FawltyBasil Fawlty is the main character of the British sitcom Fawlty Towers, played by John Cleese. The character is often thought of as an iconic British comedy character, and has been deemed unforgettable despite only a dozen half-hour episodes ever being made.... - Prunella ScalesPrunella ScalesPrunella Scales CBE is an English actress, known for her role as Basil Fawlty's long-suffering wife in the British comedy Fawlty Towers and her award-nominated role as Queen Elizabeth II in the British film A Question of Attribution.-Career:Throughout her long career, Scales has usually been cast...
as Sybil FawltySybil FawltySybil Fawlty is a fictional character from the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers. She is played by Prunella Scales. Her age is listed as 34 years old as seen on her medical chart in the 1975 episode "The Germans", thus presumably indicating that she was born in 1941... - Andrew SachsAndrew SachsAndrew Sachs is a German-born British actor. He made his name on British television and is best known for his portrayals of Manuel in Fawlty Towers, a role for which he was BAFTA-nominated, and Ramsay Clegg in Coronation Street.-Early life:Sachs was born in Berlin, Germany, the son of Katharina , a...
as ManuelManuel (Fawlty Towers)Manuel is a fictional character from the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers. Played by Andrew Sachs, he is an iconic character in British comedy history... - Connie BoothConnie BoothConstance "Connie" Booth is an American-born writer and actress, known for appearances on British television and particularly for her portrayal of Polly Sherman in the popular 1970s television show Fawlty Towers, which she co-wrote with her then-husband John Cleese.-Biography:Booth's father was a...
as Polly Sherman - Michael GwynnMichael GwynnMichael Gwynn was an English actor. He attended Mayfield College near Mayfield, East Sussex. During the Second World War he served in East Africa as a major and was adjutant to the 2nd Battalion of the King's African Rifles.He is perhaps best remembered in contemporary culture as the shyster Lord...
as Lord Melbury - Ballard Berkeley as Major GowenMajor GowenMajor Gowen is a fictional character played by Ballard Berkeley in the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers.Major Gowen is an old, befuddled, somewhat senile ex-soldier permanently residing in the hotel. He enjoys talking about the world and is always on the lookout for the newspaper. He has trouble forgiving...
- Gilly FlowerGilly FlowerGilly Flower was an English actress, best remembered as the elderly Miss Abitha Tibbs in the cult BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers.Gilly Flower played Miss Tibbs in all twelve episodes of the show, which was produced in two six-episode series separated by a three-and-a-half-year interval Gilly Flower...
as Miss Abitha Tibbs - Renee Roberts as Miss Ursula Gatsby
Also starring:
- Terence Conoley as Mr. Wareing
- Robin EllisRobin EllisRobin Ellis is an English actor best known for his role as Captain Ross Poldark in 29 episodes of the BBC classic series Poldark, adapted from a series of books by the late British author, Winston Graham...
as Danny Brown - David Simeon as Mr. Mackenzie
- Lionel Wheeler as Mr. Watson
- Martin WyldeckMartin Wyldeck-Selected filmography:* My Wife's Lodger * Time Bomb * Timeslip * Just Joe * The Girl on the Boat * The Pot Carriers * Night Must Fall * The Return of Mr...
as Sir Richard Morris - Pat Symons as Lady Morris (uncredited)
- Dennis Plenty and Ian Elliot as Policemen (uncredited)
- The Newspaper boy (uncredited) has one word: Newspapers
- An uncredited actor plays a C.I.D. officer who says "Sorry Mr Fawlty" at the end and restrains Basil from hitting Lord Melbury
Connections and errors
- After this episode modifications were made to the set. For example, in the next episode the wallpaper is a completely different colour, and the hotel layout slightly wider. The theme music was also re-recorded.
- Basil keeps getting distracted from hanging the picture on the wall. Throughout the episode the picture clearly has no glass covering it, yet at the end when Basil smashes the picture on the ground we hear the distinct sound of glass breaking.
- Another continuity error occurs when Basil goes outside to collect Lord Melbury's cases. The cases have switched hands when he returns to the lobby.
- Additionally, in the scenes filmed outside, Basil's hair is noticeably shorter (and groomed differently) than in the indoor scenes, indicating these scenes were filmed on a different day.
- In the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series The Real HustleThe Real HustleThe Real Hustle is a BBC television series made by Objective Productions and written by Alexis Conran and Paul Wilson. The show demonstrates confidence and magic tricks, distraction scams and proposition bets performed on members of the public by presenters Conran, Wilson and Jessica-Jane Clement...
, Alex uses the name "Lord Melbury" to confidence trickConfidence trickA confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual working alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty and honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility,...
a hotel. - Terence Conoley later appeared in the episode Waldorf SaladWaldorf Salad (Fawlty Towers)"Waldorf Salad" is the third episode of the second series of BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers.-Synopsis:American tourist Mr. Hamilton checks in with his wife late one evening. They want a hot meal, but Terry, the cook, has finished his shift. Hamilton bribes Basil to keep the kitchen open, but Terry leaves...
of the second series, playing an entirely different character but with an equally-irritable personality.