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"Fawlty Towers"
Basil the Rat (1979)
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Would You...Care for a Rat?, 16 May 2006
Author: oceanave from United States
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...."
3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Very well done!, 9 April 2006
Author: Simon Rodgers from Birmingham, United Kingdom
There is a health visitor inspecting the premises and finds a few faults with how the kitchen is being operated. He therefore serves a warning.
Basil tries as hard as he can to get to get everything clean and tidied up and to be fair he does quite a good job, so what seems to be the problem?
Manuels pet rat is on the loose, can Basil capture him in time? This is a very funny episode and it really does keep you on the edge of your seat.
A perfect finale to a perfect sitcom.
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