"Fawlty Towers"
Communication Problems (1979)

Director:

Bob Spiers

Writers:

John Cleese (written by) and
Connie Booth (written by)

TV Series:

"Fawlty Towers" (1975)

Original Air Date:

19 February 1979 (Season 2, Episode 1)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

When the Mrs.Richardson, a demanding woman who is hard of hearing, checks into the hotel, Basil, Sybil...

Plot Keywords:

Deafness | English | Waiter | Hotel | Torquay

Cast

John Cleese	...	Basil Fawlty
Prunella Scales	...	Sybil Fawlty
Andrew Sachs	...	Manuel
Connie Booth	...	Polly Shearman
Joan Sanderson	...	Mrs. Alice Richards
Ballard Berkeley	...	Major Gowen
Brian Hall	...	Terry
Gilly Flower	...	Miss Abitha Tibbs
Renee Roberts	...	Miss Ursula Gatsby
Robert Lankesheer	...	Mr. Thurston
Johnny Shannon	...	Mr. Firkins
Bill Bradley	...	Mr. Mackintosh
George Lee	...	Mr. Kerr
Mervyn Pascoe	...	Mr. Yardley

Certification:

Australia:PG

Trivia:

The episode "Communication Problems" has three of John Cleese's "wives". Connie Booth was his wife in real life, Prunella Scales played his wife in this show, and Joan Sanderson (Mrs. Richards) played his wife in The Great Muppet Caper (1981).

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Basil is explaining to Polly that Mrs. Richards's money is ten pounds up on the deal, a crew member is seen briefly scuttling about on the office floor behind him, they bump the office door causing it to move a little behind Basil.

Quotes:

[Basil is mouthing words to Mrs. Richards, so she is forced to turn up her hearing aid as high as it will go]
Sybil Fawlty: [quietly] Basil, don't!
[Basil is still mouthing words]
Sybil Fawlty: [shouting] Basil!
Basil Fawlty: [at full volume now, right into Mrs. Richards' face] I SAID...!
Mrs. Richards: [jumps back with a shock, hitting her head on the shelf] Oh!
Sybil Fawlty: [she elbows Basil] Did you bang your head?
Mrs. Richards: Yes, yes!
Sybil Fawlty: Oh dear, let me have a look.
Basil Fawlty: You'd better go and lie down before something else happens.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The John Cleese Interview (1998) (V)

Just when you thought it couldn't get any better.

Fawlty Towers is back, due to popular demand, with the first episode in the new series and very good it is too.

Everyone knows someone who they just can't stand and Basil Fawlty is no exception. No I don't mean Basil Fawlty himself, but the guest Mrs. Richards who is always making a fuss, even when she can't see or hear things properly.

I can't really tell you much more because it would spoil the whole episode but let's just say that Basil is already having troubles and Mrs. Richards makes them worse, without even trying! Someone worse than Basil Fawlty, you'll have to watch this to believe that such people do exist.

Pure class and no mistake.