"Fawlty Towers"
The Anniversary (1979)

Director:

Bob Spiers

Writers:

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

TV Series:

"Fawlty Towers" (1975)

Original Air Date:

26 March 1979 (Season 2, Episode 5)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Wedding Anniversary | English | Waiter | Hotel | Torquay

Cast

John Cleese	...	Basil Fawlty
Prunella Scales	...	Sybil Fawlty
Andrew Sachs	...	Manuel
Connie Booth	...	Polly Shearman
Ken Campbell	...	Roger
Una Stubbs	...	Alice
Robert Arnold	...	Arthur
Pat Keen	...	Virginia
Roger Hume	...	Reg
Denyse Alexander	...	Kitty
Christine Shaw	...	Audrey
Ballard Berkeley	...	Major Gowen
Gilly Flower	...	Miss Abitha Tibbs
Renee Roberts	...	Miss Ursula Gatsby
Brian Hall	...	Terry

Trivia:

Anagram: FLOWERY TWATS

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the beginning, when Sybil goes into the office after speaking to Basil about the date, the lights are obviously on in the office, but when she walks out, it can just be seen on the right that the office is in complete darkness, and then when the shot changes back to the regular one in the lobby, the office is lit up again, without anyone going in there in the meantime.

Quotes:

Manuel: [helping Basil improvise an excuse for his wife's absence at their anniversary party] Is surprise party?
Basil Fawlty: Yes!
Manuel: She not here.
Basil Fawlty: Right.
Manuel: That is surprise!

Movie Connections:

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

Keeps you watching

Can you actually believe that Basil and Sybil have been married for fifteen years? Well they actually made it and Basil learnt not to forget the anniversary this year because of the disaster that happened the year before.

So Basil makes a large effort to make this year a good one to remember, however he decides to play an evil trick which backfires on him by pretending he's forgotten again (good job they don't own a dog otherwise he would have starved).

Sybil then goes off in a huff and that's when the real problems start. Oh Basil, you know what she's like! Quite funny as per usual and unpredictable, however I found that it ended just as it was getting interesting.

Another show not to be missed.