A Touch of Class

To me this is the best start to any show out there and it owns mr bean and the simpsons etc i like this episode because of the very fine acting and comedy from john cleese aka basil fawlty and also starring his wife sybil fawlty and the helpers polly and manual a french waiter from barcelona and of course lord malbury the talented conman who owns a couple of prisoners. Basil Fawlty is the greatest comedian or John Cleese as such out there for me that's the only reason this show is so good John Cleese Basil Fawlty although the Spanish waiter Manual does a great job well. This show owns everything on planet earth especially justice and freedom and hope

The words "Legend " and " Genius " are so over used they're in danger of becoming redundant , I mean we even get footballers being described as legends and geniuses which is a bit like awarding President Assad the Nobel peace prize but sometimes very occasionally these words are used correctly . FAWLTY TOWERS is a legendary situation comedy that is a work of genius

British comedy is reliant upon class differences . Class difference is a British value that thankfully isn't as bad as it was when I was a child which on the Island Of Bute was little different from the Hindu caste system with no social mobility allowed and this opening episode illustrates the British attitude to class perfectly

Basil Fawlty runs Fawlty Towers with his wife Sybil and a waitress called Polly and a Spanish waiter called Manuel helping - or is that hindering - them . Basil is hen pecked , brusque and is the worst kind of snob . When a Lord Melbury arrives sycophancy that borders on the brutal ensues

This episode is more than mere comedy involving sadistic cruelty such as Basil using Manuel as a literal and metaphorical punchbag or scathing sarcasm " Is there any part of the room you want us to stay away from " but also shows the real and dramatic consequences of jumping to conclusions of first impressions . It's comedy at its most sophisticated and still well regarded and as funny as it was nearly 40 years ago

Basil Fawlty wants to upgrade his hotel giving a touch of class and spends 40 pounds in an expensive advertisement in the newspaper to attract the upper class under the protest of his wife Sybil. While having troubles for communicating with his Spanish employee Manuel and hanging a picture for Sybil, the aristocratic Lord Melbury checks in for the delight of Basil. Basil dedicates his full attention to the lord, ignoring his usual guests. When Lord Melbury asks to cash a 200 pound check and to evaluate his collection of coins, Basil's employee Polly Sherman goes to the bank and meets MI5 undercover agent Brown that tells her the truth about Lord Melbury, for the disappointment of Basil.

"A Touch of Class" is the opening of this hilarious series, where the characters and the Fawlty Towers are introduced. The jokes and gags flow in a fast pace, with John Cleese magnificent as usual performing a man that wants to be sophisticated. But Andrew Sachs is fantastic in the role of Manuel, a bellboy and waiter that can neither speak English nor communicate with Fawlty, who claims to know "Classic Spanish". This series was recommended by a friend of mine and I really liked this first show. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

In this first episode of the classic '70s BBC series, obsequious hotel owner Basil (John Cleese) is taken in by a confidence trickster (Michael Gwynn) posing as Lord Melbury, a member of the aristocracy. As Basil kowtows to his eminent guest, snubbing the other customers, his wife Sybil (Prunella Scales) wishes that her fawning husband would get on with the many jobs that need doing around the hotel.

A Touch of Class is far from the funniest episode of Fawlty Towers, but what it does brilliantly is to get the viewer acquainted with the characters and establish their particular quirks and foibles in readiness for the rest of the series. We immediately understand the dynamic between Basil and Sybil (neurotic henpecked husband and efficient harridan), realise that Polly (Connie Booth) is the sane one, and see that waiter Manuel (Andrew Sachs) is the whipping boy on whom Basil vents his frustration. It's a wonderful set up that, in future episodes, would pay off in spades.

I think they must have realised at the time they were on to a winner, I wonder if Cleese and Booth had imagined exactly what they'd created.

A Touch of Class is a truly magical episode, we're introduced to the lovable regulars, and some loathsome guests. Key Guest being Lord Melbury, who brings out Basil's inner snob. The dialogue between the two is a joy to behold, and the scene where Basil realises what Lord Melbury is doing is a moment of utter hilarity.

I'm reviewing this over forty years after it was transmitted, has there been a funnier sitcom? Don't think so. 10/10