The Builders

Hire the cheapest contractor, and (usually) get even less than what you hoped for. Basil and Sybil decide to block off a couple doors and put in a couple new doors instead - the notoriously bad construction company in town, run by airhead Mr. O'Reilly, is hired by Basil because they work for cheap. All hell breaks loose when the Fawltys go away for the weekend, during which time O'Reilly's men do great damage to the hotel lobby. The incomparable (and always underweight!) David Kelly does splendidly as unscrupulous O'Reilly, who has about as much knowledge of construction as a garden gnome. This episode shows Sybil at her most caustic, "nest of vipers" self - Basil and O'Reilly don't stand a chance against her when she catches a glimpse of the remodel. John Cleese has stated that this episode is probably the weakest of the series - but there really is no weakness. The situation itself was perhaps not one that would evoke much comedy, but it has its great moments, such as the bit where Manuel gets attacked by Basil when he can't figure out how to get into the dining room because the door is missing...then, as usual, the Major comes in and puts the icing on the situation, wondering what's going on. BASIL: "Well, I was silly enough to leave the hotel for a few minutes."

After deconstructing the British class system in the opening episode of the show Cleese and Booth now aim their sites towards another taboo of British culture - Irish builders . Of course it's something of a stereotype and there's not much truth in it but no one can ever put their hand on their heart and say they have never heard of someone getting a knock on their door to be met by two chirpy Irishmen saying " Tarmac your drive sir " only to regret it at a later date

This is a slight change of pace from the opening episode where Basil and his wife were centre stage . Here the characters of Polly and Manuel are left to carry much of the episode though it's probably one of the lesser ones . Much of this lies in the premise of having some cheap and dodgy Irish builders building an internal wall with the premise not allowing much of a situation beyond . That said there are some genuinely funny moments involving cruelty to Manuel and FAWLTY TOWERS is so brilliant even a substandard episode is funnier than anything you'll see on television produced today so The Builders isn't a dead loss

I like the bit where the builders did a really bad job

Basil hires some cheap builders who do a botch job.

What impresses me the most about this episode is that 99% of it takes place in the hotel reception area and it still manages to keep me 100% entertained for the duration.

It depicts Basil's relationship with Cybil brilliantly. He gives the usual witty one-liners at her expense but then reveals how utterly terrified he is of incurring her wrath at the same time. Prunella Scales is on top form in the scenes where Cybil has to take a firm hand with Basil and the builders.

Andrew Sachs carries the show for quite a bit of time whilst Basil is out of the hotel and Manuel takes charge of a number of situations that end in disaster. Sachs shows how funny he can be without sharing the stage with John Cleese.

There is some racial stereotyping here that would not see the light of day in modern comedy writing, but allowing for the time period it was written and how the biggest buffoon depicted as always is Basil, I think it is relatively harmless.

Having established the characters in the opening episode, The Builders sees John Cleese and company in riotous full swing, their impeccable situation comedy resulting in a barrage of non-stop laughs.

This time around, Basil is tasked with arranging some building work on the hotel while he and his wife Sybil are away for a couple of days. Rather than hire a reliable builder, as Sybil suggests, Basil goes for the cheaper option, cowboy outfit O'Reilly's. The results are, unsurprisingly, far from perfect, and when Basil comes home to check on the work, he slips into panic mode, afraid of what his wife will say.

Priceless moments abound, with a hilarious pair of dotty old women who inexplicably adore Basil, and hapless Manuel left in charge of the hotel while the far more capable Polly takes a nap. But the best moments are, of course, all Basil's, John Cleese performing some wonderful histrionics guaranteed to entertain.

Best line: 'Cloth-eared bint'.