"Fawlty Towers"
The Psychiatrist (1979)

Director:

Bob Spiers

Writers:

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

TV Series:

"Fawlty Towers" (1975)

Original Air Date:

26 February 1979 (Season 2, Episode 2)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

When two doctors register for rooms at Fawlty Towers, Basil is delighted. Soon thereafter, Basil discovers that one is a psychiatrist...

Plot Keywords:

Paranoia | English | Waiter | Hotel | Torquay

Cast

John Cleese	...	Basil Fawlty
Prunella Scales	...	Sybil Fawlty
Connie Booth	...	Polly Shearman
Andrew Sachs	...	Manuel
Nicky Henson	...	Mr. Johnson
Basil Henson	...	Dr. Abbott
Elspet Gray	...	Mrs. Abbott
Ballard Berkeley	...	Major Gowen
Brian Hall	...	Terry
Luan Peters	...	Raylene Miles
Aimée Delamain	...	Mrs. Johnson (as Aimee Delamain)
Gilly Flower	...	Miss Abitha Tibbs
Renee Roberts	...	Miss Ursula Gatsby
Imogen Bickford-Smith	...	Girlfriend

Directed by
Bob Spiers

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

Produced by
Douglas Argent	....	producer

Original Music by
Dennis Wilson

Film Editing by
Susan Imrie		(as Caroline Maxwell)
Neil Pittaway		(video tape)

Production Design by
Nigel Curzon

Costume Design by
Caroline Hutchings		(as Caroline Maxwell)

Makeup Department
Suzan Broad	....	makeup artist

Sound Department
Bill Chesneau	....	sound
Mike Jones	....	studio sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Graham Banks	....	focus puller
Ron Bristow	....	studio lighting
Alec Curtis	....	camera operator

Other crew
John Kilby	....	production assistant

Makeup Department
Anne Rayment	....	makeup designer (uncredited)

Certification:

Australia:PG

Goofs:

Continuity: The psychiatrist's wife goes to have a bath. Later, she is seen in her room, but in another scene taking place a few minutes later, she is seen returning from her bath. Furthermore, her husband goes to have a bath during the time in which she is supposedly in there.

Quotes:

Basil Fawlty: Will you be dining here tonight in this unfashionable dump?
Mr. Johnson: No, I wasn't planning to.
Basil Fawlty: No, not really your scene is it?
Mr. Johnson: I wanted to try a place in town... anywhere you recommend?
Basil Fawlty: What sort of food did you want... fruit or...?
Mr. Johnson: Any place I can get French food?
Basil Fawlty: Yes, France I believe. They seem to like it over there. The swim would certainly sharpen your appetite. You'd better hurry, the tide leaves in 8 minutes.

Movie Connections:

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

Weekend Holiday in Torquay

"The Psychiatrist" is a brilliant, brilliant farce. Basil Fawlty is probably the world's greatest ass-kisser, and this story features his fawning over the two (or three??) Dr. Abbott's, who are down in Torquay for a holiday out of London. Meanwhile, a hippie man named Johnson is staying at the hotel, and sneaks his girlfriend into his room (sign of the times, eh?), making for a highly entertaining subplot as Basil tries to catch sight of her and throw them both out. But there's yet another subplot - the appearance of a beautiful lady named Raylene Miles from Australia who shows up, and Basil can't help but become infatuated with her (or so Sybil thinks.) Sybil's hair is at its beehive-best in this one, complete with Basil's reference to it: "the dormant organ you keep hidden in that rat's maze of yours!" The two 'hand on boob' scenes and Basil's breaking into guest rooms "just to check the walls"' are side-splittingly funny, as is the entire episode. Definitely one of the best-written ones in the series.