A Touch of Class (Fawlty Towers)
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| “A Touch of Class” | |
|---|---|
| Fawlty Towers episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Written by | John Cleese & Connie Booth |
| Directed by | John Howard Davies |
| Production no. | 01 |
| Original airdate | 19 September 1975 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| – | "The Builders" |
| List of Fawlty Towers episodes | |
"A Touch of Class" is the pilot episode in the first series of the BBC television sitcom Fawlty Towers.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Basil Fawlty has become smitten with a guest, a supposed rich aristocrat named Lord Melbury. Little does Basil know that he is getting himself entangled into a complex confidence scam.
[edit] Cast
Episode credited cast:
- John Cleese as Basil Fawlty
- Prunella Scales as Sybil Fawlty
- Andrew Sachs as Manuel
- Connie Booth as Polly Shearman
- Michael Gwynn as Lord Melbury
- Ballard Berkeley as Major Gowen
- Gilly Flower as Miss Abitha Tibbs
- Renee Roberts as Miss Ursula Gatsby
With:
- Terence Conoley as Mr. Wareing
- Robin Ellis as Danny Brown
- David Simeon as Mr. Mackenzie
- Lionel Wheeler as Mr. Watson
- Martin Wyldeck as Sir Richard Morris
- An un-named actress (non-speaking) plays Lady Morris
- An un-named actor plays a Policeman, who says Sorry, Mr Fawlty at the end, and restrains Basil from hitting Lord Melbury
[edit] Plot
The episode begins with the nagging monologue that we will come to know and love as Sybil Fawlty, who is desperately trying to persuade her incompetent husband Basil to hang a picture up, and write out the new menu. After introducing Manuel (we hired him because he was cheap, Sybil - and eager to work), Major Gowen and Polly the central plot begins.
Sybil confronts Basil about an expensive advert he has placed in an up-market magazine, and he explains he is trying to encourage a higher class of clientele. Almost immediately, a Cockney guest, Danny Brown turns up asking for a room, much to Basil's annoyance. However Basil is soon put out when Mr. Brown shows that he can communicate better with Manuel as he can speak Spanish.
Whilst on the phone to O'Reilly (the builder featured in the next episode) Lord Melbury, a snooty aristocrat turns up out of the blue and Basil immediately becomes infatuated by his alleged class and breeding. Embarrassing incidents follow, where Basil fawns on Lord Melbuty and treats him better than the other guests. Basil asks a family to move for Lord Melbury, but deposits Lord Melbury on the floor in the process!
When Polly goes into town to take out some money for Basil (who is borrowing it in order to cash a cheque from Lord Melbury, an offer he unwisely made while fawning on the aristocrat) she comes across Danny Brown and a police inspector. They explain that they are from the CID, and are watching Melbury who is revealed to be a confidence trickster, and pulling off a large scam in town.
Basil continues to ignore other guests while attending to Lord Melbury in the bar, neglecting to get them their drinks. Melbury offers to take Basil's collection of coins to have them valued while visiting another aristocrat that evening. Basil is honoured and agrees.
Polly confronts Basil with the information that Melbury is a con, but he refuses to believe her. She tells Sybil, who takes out Melbury's valuables suitcase from the safe, and the contents are proven to be nothing but bricks! Sir Richard Morris, a real aristocrat, and his wife arrive to check in and witness Basil's furious rage, as he swears at Melbury who is promptly arrested by Brown and his colleague. Basil takes the money he has given Melbury from Melbury's own pockets, and then promptly kicks the conman. Horrified by what he has seen Sir Richard leaves, vowing never to return to such a terrible hotel.
Basil re-enters the hotel, and a very angry Mr. Wareing (whom Basil moved from his table earlier in the episode) shouts (after several prior requests) that he would like a gin and orange, a lemon squash, and a scotch and water, PLEASE!, for which he has been waiting in the bar for some time. Basil smashes the picture he hung up previously, and violently guides his guest back to the bar as the episode ends.
[edit] Trivia
- After this episode modifications were made to the set (for example, in the next episode the wallpaper is a totally different colour, and the hotel layout slightly wider).
- After the transmission, Fawlty Towers was given a very bad rating, however this was not to last long, by the end of the first series, the show was phenomenally popular, and ever since has been regarded by many as the finest British sitcom ever made.
- This was Michael Gwynn's (Lord Melbury) final televised role. He died less than a year after the series ended.
- 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.
