The Germans
| "The Germans" | |
|---|---|
| Fawlty Towers episode | |
The Germans
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| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 6 |
| Directed by | John Howard Davies |
| Written by | John Cleese & Connie Booth |
| Original air date | 24 October 1975 |
"The Germans" is the sixth episode of the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers. It is remembered for its line "Don't mention the war" and John Cleese's goose-stepping in a manner similar to that of the silly walk when he is impersonating Adolf Hitler.
Sybil is in the hospital for three days for minor surgery to remove an ingrown toenail. When Basil visits her, she reminds him of all his tasks over the next few days: Running a fire drill, hanging a moose head, etc. Basil fights with the Sister caring for Sybil. When Doctor Finn tells him Sybil will be in a lot of pain after the operation, Basil is thrilled.
Back at Fawlty Towers, Basil has a confusing conversation with Major Gowen about women, a cricket game and the "proper" racial slurs for Indians and West Indians (much of this dialogue has been cut in recent airings by the BBC). When the Major learns a group of German guests are coming to the hotel, he launches into an angry tirade against Germans. After the Major wanders off, Basil tries to hang the moose head, but he is interrupted by a phone call from Sybil reminding him to do just that. Basil tries to ask Manuel for a hammer, but he gives up after Manuel thinks that Basil wants a ham sandwich or wants to see his hamster, and leaves to get it himself. While he is gone, Manuel steps behind the front desk to tidy up and practise his English. The Major returns to hear a voice coming from behind the counter and thinks it is coming from the moose head. Basil returns and hangs the moose head, but it immediately falls on his head, and he trips over Manuel trying to get to the phone to talk to Sybil again.
The next morning, Basil hangs the moose head again, but one of the antlers keeps drooping. There are just a few minutes remaining until the fire drill, and Sybil calls to remind Basil of the drill and say the key for the fire alarm is in the safe. Basil retrieves the key, but he trips the burglar alarm, which the guests mistake for the fire alarm (and which The Major mistakes as an indication that there are burglars in the hotel). As Basil tries to explain, the guests ask to hear both bells so they can tell the difference. Hearing the fire bell from the demonstration, Manuel and Polly think the fire bell means the drill has started, so Basil has to explain the situation to them, too. After the demonstration, Basil says the real drill will start in 30 seconds, so the guests stand about in the lobby, to Basil's annoyance.
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