Original artwork, not a still
May I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically—
— Fawlty Towers ‧ 1975
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Basil answers an ordinary complaint by exaggerating it until it sounds absurd. His list is entertaining because it grows so far beyond the room, but it also lets him avoid the guest’s actual request. The interruption brings his grand performance back to the sea view under discussion.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Fawlty TowersShow the scene
In “Communication Problems” (series 2, episode 1), Mrs Richards complains about the view from her bedroom. Basil responds with a list of spectacular things she could hardly expect to see from a Torquay hotel. She interrupts his imagined wildlife procession to say that she expects a sea view: the speech stops at “majestically”, without a destination for the herd.
Sources (2)
- Fawlty Towers — Communication Problems transcriptCommunication Problems; Communication Problems, series 2 episode 1; Mrs Richards complains about the view from her roomReference checked
- Fawlty Towers — independent written referenceCommunication Problems; Communication Problems, series 2 episode 1; Mrs Richards complains about the view from her roomReference checked
Context reviewed
