The Germans
- Episode aired Oct 24, 1975
- TV-PG
- 31m
IMDb RATING
9.3/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
A moose head to be hung, a fire drill to be conducted, and German guests are all a bit much for Basil to handle while Sybil's in hospital.A moose head to be hung, a fire drill to be conducted, and German guests are all a bit much for Basil to handle while Sybil's in hospital.A moose head to be hung, a fire drill to be conducted, and German guests are all a bit much for Basil to handle while Sybil's in hospital.
Barbara Bermel
- German Woman
- (uncredited)
Martine Holland
- Nurse
- (uncredited)
- Director
- John Howard Davies(uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe episode was one of the most popular of the series in Germany when it was first shown there in 1993.
- GoofsThe fire alarm that plays such a pivotal role, prominently placed at the reception desk, is mysteriously absent in all other episodes.
- Quotes
Basil Fawlty: Is there something wrong?
German Guest: Will you stop talking about the war?
Basil Fawlty: Me? You started it.
German Guest: We did not start it!
Basil Fawlty: Yes, you did. You invaded Poland.
- Crazy creditsThis is the only episode which does not open with an establishing shot of the hotel in its grounds, with the disintegrating or rearranged name sign. Instead, it opens with an establishing shot of the hospital Sybil has been admitted to (actually Northwick Park Hospital, London Borough of Harrow).
- Alternate versionsThe jokes with the names of the Nazi-leaders were slightly altered for the German version to fit spelling in the German language.
- ConnectionsFeatured in TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time (1997)
Featured review
Season 1: Really just hits the bull's-eye from the very first minute
More and more over the last few years I find myself watching television shows that I either never tried or that it has been decades since I last watched properly. The thing I normally end up noting is that many shows seem to take some time to bed in. Curb Your Enthusiasm is certainly better after the first season, likewise Battlestar Galatica, Always Sunny and many other shows. It is a compliment to the quality then to come back to shows like Yes Minister and Fawlty Towers and find that they pretty much hit the mark from the very first episode of the very first season – indicating that they knew what they were about and were able to find their targets from the start.
With Fawlty Towers the "target" is the creation of Basil himself. Basil is a great comedy character because he is a character we can easily laugh at because he is quite unlikeable but not so unlikeable or victorious that we feel bad that he exists. Basil is irritable, smarmy, intolerant and exaggerated – in short, funny. Season 1 nails this from the very start with the episode that makes the class system the focus. In it of course we see Basil treat people differently based on his perceptions of them only for them to change again as he finds himself to be incorrect. As a device it is simple but it works and is repeated several times in different forms with the episode with the hotel inspectors and the one where everyone appears to be "at it". He is a tragic clown who is arrogant, unable to admit he is ever wrong and also self-destructive to a fault, with his frustrations building up inside him as he goes. In short he is about the last person you would want to have in a role that involves dealing with the public in any capacity, far less being at their beck and call.
Cleese delivers this perfectly from the very start and his exaggerated reactions really draw the laughs. He is well supported by a cast that don't get the credit they deserve for letting him play off them as he does. Booth in particular never gets enough of the credit that her joint writing credit should give her. OK she has much less time to shine but she acts with Cleese very well. Scales has more comedy material and her intolerant and bullying Sybil is a simple but effective character that feeds Basil more. Sachs' "Spanish" is an easy joke but his physical timing is great and again he is best when allowing Cleese to react around him. All of them are very funny in this first season and they are all part of the show not even having a "settling in" period of a minute.
Watching it in full rather than in clips shows (which is how most of us have probably seen it in the last few years) the effect is to be more impressive. It is a very well delivered show that has great physical humour built around a wonderful comedy character in the shape of Fawlty. That he is so well delivered by Cleese while the others help him do it just makes this stronger. I'll give it a minute but I'm looking forward to properly watching the second season for hopefully more of the same.
With Fawlty Towers the "target" is the creation of Basil himself. Basil is a great comedy character because he is a character we can easily laugh at because he is quite unlikeable but not so unlikeable or victorious that we feel bad that he exists. Basil is irritable, smarmy, intolerant and exaggerated – in short, funny. Season 1 nails this from the very start with the episode that makes the class system the focus. In it of course we see Basil treat people differently based on his perceptions of them only for them to change again as he finds himself to be incorrect. As a device it is simple but it works and is repeated several times in different forms with the episode with the hotel inspectors and the one where everyone appears to be "at it". He is a tragic clown who is arrogant, unable to admit he is ever wrong and also self-destructive to a fault, with his frustrations building up inside him as he goes. In short he is about the last person you would want to have in a role that involves dealing with the public in any capacity, far less being at their beck and call.
Cleese delivers this perfectly from the very start and his exaggerated reactions really draw the laughs. He is well supported by a cast that don't get the credit they deserve for letting him play off them as he does. Booth in particular never gets enough of the credit that her joint writing credit should give her. OK she has much less time to shine but she acts with Cleese very well. Scales has more comedy material and her intolerant and bullying Sybil is a simple but effective character that feeds Basil more. Sachs' "Spanish" is an easy joke but his physical timing is great and again he is best when allowing Cleese to react around him. All of them are very funny in this first season and they are all part of the show not even having a "settling in" period of a minute.
Watching it in full rather than in clips shows (which is how most of us have probably seen it in the last few years) the effect is to be more impressive. It is a very well delivered show that has great physical humour built around a wonderful comedy character in the shape of Fawlty. That he is so well delivered by Cleese while the others help him do it just makes this stronger. I'll give it a minute but I'm looking forward to properly watching the second season for hopefully more of the same.
helpful•185
- bob the moo
- Dec 9, 2009
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