Basil the Rat

I like the bit where the rat pops out of the biscuit tin

I recently watched season 1 of Fawlty Towers because I realised that I had not actually done so for quite some time. Yes the episodes were fresh in my head and I could easily quote sections of it but this was mostly down to seeing it used on clip shows etc. Coming to season 2 it was quite telling that only one or two of the episodes provide these clips because, put simply, the second season of the show is not quite as good as the first. The structure is the same and it is still very good but several of the episodes are of a slightly lower standard and are obviously so due to the very high standard of the series as a whole and the majority of the episodes here.

Just so I can get my slightly reserved negativity out of the way, the specific problem I had was that a couple of the episodes seemed to rely on rather crude and obvious sexual material that would be more befitting the Carry On series than this. Specifically the psychiatrist episode suffers from this. This is one episode but it happens a few times in others but generally they are strong enough to carry it. The situations are exaggerated and silly but this suits the character of Basil, here with the tragic nature of him played down slightly and the clown aspect played up. Each episode is one long panic and they are mostly very funny as events spin out of control. The writing here focuses on these events and reactions and, while still very funny, it must be said that there is less in the way of depth in terms of the deference to class, the snobby attitude and "tragic" nature of Basil – again all this is sort of played down to a certain extent.

This criticism (minor as it is) is also an afterthought because mostly I was laughing at the comedy and the speed of it. The Anniversary episode didn't quite pull it off but the first episodes (with the hard of hearing woman and the missing money) starts things off really well and is followed by strong episodes such as the Waldorf Salad one and of course the one with the health inspector and Basil the pet rat. The cast play up to it very well but the star is of course Cleese. Although he has a little less substance than before, he has done a lot of the work already so it doesn't show as a gap and he nails the physical comedy each and every time. Each reaction and each line is bang on and he is very funny to watch. Booth has a bit more to do and is funny for it but Sachs' is the most improved and is very funny again. Scales is good and a bit less separated from the mayhem than before as a character, while Hall's chef is a solid addition that helps some of the narrative.

Season 2 may not be as good as I thought the first season was but it is still hard to fault and it is only in a few minor aspects that it doesn't work. Otherwise it is as frantic, as funny and as well written as it is famous for being and it is well worth revisiting if all you've done is see it as clips over the last few years.

The Fawlty Towers staff have to work like mad when a health inspector (John Quarmby, "Restoration") comes up with a long laundry list of things that are wrong, especially with the kitchen. He warns them that they had better clean up the place before his follow-up visit the next day. To make matters worse, Manuel has a pet rat - also named Basil - that ends up on the loose in the hotel.

One can't help but feel some regret, knowing that this was the end of the line and wishing that Mr. Cleese & Ms. Booth could have kept the series going. But they and the talented cast & writers still come up with some absolutely priceless moments of silliness, especially as Basil tries to kill the *other* Basil with poisoned veal, the health inspector decides that that's what he wants for lunch when he returns, and the staff have to make sure that he doesn't get the tainted piece of meat.

'Basil the Rat' delivers plenty of hearty laughs, also giving Major Gowan and Terry more of an involvement in the plot (the Major actually goes & gets his gun and tries to shoot the *other* Basil, all while the inspector is on the premises!).

This is 34 minutes of blissful farce, ending the series on a high note (for the audience, anyway).

Nine out of 10.

Fawlty Towers faces a shut-down when the public health department pays them a visit, finding such things as storage of cooked and raw meats being stored in the same tray, and dead pigeons in the water tanks! During the cleanup process, Basil finds a 'filigree' Siberian hamster in Manuel's room - which has been his pet for awhile. Worried that this will only contribute to the hotel's list of infractions, Polly finds a new home for him...much to Manuel's dissatisfaction (as he wears a black mourning arm band!) The "new home" is the shed out back, but the rodent loves the hotel so much that he finds his way back in!

This episode is one of the funniest - and is filled with the usual comedic failed attempts to discreetly rectify the problems. We all knew it was coming - the day Fawlty Towers gets threatened with shut-down. John Quarmby is superb as the anal Mr. Carnegie, the public health inspector. The look on his face when Basil opens up the tin of biscuits at the very end is absolutely priceless. A nod of approval should go to Brian Hall, who plays Terry the chef - he does quite well in the part.

The bit where Basil tries to capture the hamster by rummaging through the lady's purse - and gets clawed badly before it jumps out and scurries across the floor, is classic. The scene in the bar where the Major spots the hamster on a table in the bar is also a hoot (quick cut to Polly running in with a moth net!) Supposedly the cast got extra rehearsal time for this particular episode, and it definitely paid off. "Basil the Rat" is a beaut, and it ends the series pretty much as it began, as a fainted Basil gets dragged off by Manuel. Sybil, unfazed by this, gets the last words: "Oh, I'm afraid it's started to rain again...."

I'm Not Saying that this is my favorite episode of Fawlty Towers but I'd like to say that this is by far the funniest episode of the entire Fawlty Towers Series I do loving see this one. Unless you're a fan of the Simpson's or futurama you'll love watching this fable episode and enjoy every second of it. hey if you like fawlty towers watch this one it's funny as hell. Basil the Rat is most likely the key to the funny side of the show and or episode plus basil fawlty and manual are very talented comedians though i like to call them the mario bros. talented episode 8/10 and to all you fellow Americans out there there is no excuse for criticising this show