"Germans"". Booth, who had not done television acting in front of an audience before, wanted to keep Polly as a relatively minor character. According to Cleese, they realised Polly would be a ""beacon of sanity"", whose sense of ""instinctive decency"" leads her to save Basil from his foibles. He credits Booth's performance in a scene of ""The Anniversary"", where she argues with Basil over his plan for Polly to impersonate Sybil in order to save his embarrassment, as ""marvellous"". Polly Sherman Polly Sherman is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom ""Fawlty Towers"". Played by Connie Booth, she is Fawlty"
"Sybil Fawlty Sybil Fawlty is a fictional character from the BBC sitcom ""Fawlty Towers"". She is played by Prunella Scales. Her age is listed as 34 years old as seen on her medical chart in the 1975 episode ""The Germans"", thus presumably indicating that she was born in 1941. Scales was 43 years old when ""Fawlty Towers"" began. She is Basil Fawlty's wife, and the only regular character in the series who usually refers to him by his first name (Major Gowen addresses Basil by his first name in ""Communication Problems""). Sybil is a far more effective worker and manager"
"Prunella Scales Prunella Margaret Scales (née Illingworth; born 22 June 1932), is an English actress best known for her role as Basil Fawlty's wife Sybil in the BBC comedy ""Fawlty Towers"" and her BAFTA award-nominated role as Queen Elizabeth II in ""A Question of Attribution"" (""Screen One"", BBC 1991) by Alan Bennett. Scales was born in Sutton Abinger, Surrey, the daughter of Catherine (née Scales), an actress, and John Richardson Illingworth, a cotton salesman. She attended Moira House Girls School, Eastbourne. She has a younger brother, Tim (""Timmo""). Scales' parents moved their family to Bucks Mill near Bideford in Devon"
"school, and then Cambridge-educated Cleese and the working class, self-educated Mancunian Dawson) were marked, but both worked well together from series 8 onwards until the series ended in 1976. Cleese achieved greater prominence in the United Kingdom as the neurotic hotel manager Basil Fawlty in ""Fawlty Towers"", which he co-wrote with his wife Connie Booth. The series won three BAFTA awards when produced and in 2000, it topped the British Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes. The series also featured Prunella Scales as Basil's acerbic wife Sybil, Andrew Sachs as the much abused Spanish waiter Manuel"
"Michael Gwynn Michael Gwynn (30 November 1916 in Bath, Somerset – 29 January 1976 in London) was an English actor. He attended Mayfield College near Mayfield, Sussex. During the Second World War he served in East Africa as a major and was adjutant to the 2nd (Nyasaland) Battalion of the King's African Rifles. Gwynn is perhaps best remembered for his role in the first episode of the BBC comedy ""Fawlty Towers"" ""A Touch of Class"" (1975) as the conman ""Lord"" Melbury who eventually humiliates Basil Fawlty. For Hammer Films, he performed in several productions including the war film ""The Camp"
"He died in 1988, and the film was released the following year. Ballard Berkeley Ballard Blascheck (6 August 1904 – 16 January 1988), known professionally as Ballard Berkeley, was an English actor of stage and screen. He played Major Gowen in the British television sitcom ""Fawlty Towers"". The son of Joseph and Beatrice Blascheck, he was born in Margate, Kent. He served as a Special Constable with the Metropolitan Police during the Second World War, witnessing the Blitz at first hand including the bombing of the Café de Paris nightclub. For his service he received the Defence Medal and the"
"the parts going to Barbara Flynn and James Bolam. Turner died on 27 December 2014 in Dorchester at the age of 75, and was survived by her husband, Frank Cox. She was also godmother to actor Tom Burke. Bridget Turner Bridget Joanna Turner (22 February 1939 – 27 December 2014) was an English actress, born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. On 8 May 2009 John Cleese stated in an interview that Turner was the original choice in 1974 for the role of Sybil Fawlty in ""Fawlty Towers"". She turned it down and the part was given to Prunella Scales. She played a"
"Ballard Berkeley Ballard Blascheck (6 August 1904 – 16 January 1988), known professionally as Ballard Berkeley, was an English actor of stage and screen. He played Major Gowen in the British television sitcom ""Fawlty Towers"". The son of Joseph and Beatrice Blascheck, he was born in Margate, Kent. He served as a Special Constable with the Metropolitan Police during the Second World War, witnessing the Blitz at first hand including the bombing of the Café de Paris nightclub. For his service he received the Defence Medal and the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal. Berkeley played the role of the bumbling"
"Donald Sinclair (hotel owner) Donald William Sinclair (10 July 1909 – 1981) was the co–proprietor of the Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay, England. He helped manage the hotel after an extensive career as an officer in the Merchant Navy and the Royal Navy. During World War II, he twice survived the sinking of the ship he was serving on. He was the inspiration for the character Basil Fawlty in ""Fawlty Towers"", owing to his allegedly stuffy, snobbish and eccentric treatment of his guests, including John Cleese (whose character in the 2001 film Rat Race, was also named Donald Sinclair) and other"
"in horror after stumbling across the body in the hotel office. In that episode it is revealed that Tibbs is 79. Miss Tibbs and Miss Gatsby Miss Abitha Tibbs and Miss Ursula Gatsby are fictional characters, played by Gilly Flower and Renee Roberts respectively, in the BBC television sitcom ""Fawlty Towers"". Miss Tibbs and Miss Gatsby are two mostly inseparable and slightly scatty elderly spinsters who are permanent residents of Fawlty Towers (the only other long-term guest being Major Gowen). Basil Fawlty switches from being overly kind to being utterly rude during his various conversations with them, although they rarely"
"back to the bar to be served at last. Episode-credited cast: Also starring: A Touch of Class (Fawlty Towers) ""A Touch of Class"" is the pilot episode in the first series of the BBC television sitcom ""Fawlty Towers"". The episode introduces Basil Fawlty, the cynical, sharp-tongued owner of Torquay's Fawlty Towers hotel; his henpecking wife Sybil; Manuel, the eager but hapless Spanish waiter; Major Gowen, a semi-senile and often whisky-soaked permanent resident; and Polly Sherman, a maid/waitress who is the only sane and sensible employee of the hotel. The episode opens with Sybil reminding Basil of many chores he must"
"Miss Tibbs and Miss Gatsby Miss Abitha Tibbs and Miss Ursula Gatsby are fictional characters, played by Gilly Flower and Renee Roberts respectively, in the BBC television sitcom ""Fawlty Towers"". Miss Tibbs and Miss Gatsby are two mostly inseparable and slightly scatty elderly spinsters who are permanent residents of Fawlty Towers (the only other long-term guest being Major Gowen). Basil Fawlty switches from being overly kind to being utterly rude during his various conversations with them, although they rarely understand his sarcasm. They are depicted as being ""on the edge of their eighties"". The two ladies appear in every episode"
"""that golfing puff-adder"", ""the dragon"", ""toxic midget"", ""the sabre-toothed tart"", ""my little kommandant"", ""my little piranha fish"", ""my little nest of vipers"" and ""you rancorous, coiffured old sow"". Despite these nasty nicknames, Basil is terrified of her. There is only one time he loses patience and snaps at her (Basil: ""Shut up, I'm fed up."" Sybil: ""Oh, you've done it now.""). Prunella Scales speculated in an interview for ""The Complete Fawlty Towers"" DVD box set that Sybil married Basil because his origins were of a higher social class than hers. Polly Sherman, played by Connie Booth, is a waitress and"
"obvious hint that the bar should be open and his drink should be served. Early in the day, Basil tends to say """"Ah, morning Major"""". John Cleese has said that the Major was based on his Latin teacher from school. Major Gowen Major Gowen, usually known as the Major, is a fictional character played by Ballard Berkeley in the BBC sitcom ""Fawlty Towers"". Major Gowen is an old, befuddled, slightly senile, retired artillery officer permanently residing in the hotel. He appears in all 12 episodes, along with the other permanent residents Miss Gatsby and Miss Tibbs. He enjoys talking about"
"a ""sweet, sweet man"". Andrew Sachs Andreas Siegfried ""Andrew"" Sachs (7 April 1930 – 23 November 2016) was a British actor. Born in Berlin, Germany, he and his family emigrated to London in 1938, to escape persecution under the Nazis. He made his name on British television and rose to fame in the 1970s for his portrayals of the comical Spanish waiter Manuel in ""Fawlty Towers"". He went on to have a long career in acting and voice-over work for television, film and radio. In his later years, he continued to have success with roles in films such as ""Quartet"","
"Bridget Turner Bridget Joanna Turner (22 February 1939 – 27 December 2014) was an English actress, born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. On 8 May 2009 John Cleese stated in an interview that Turner was the original choice in 1974 for the role of Sybil Fawlty in ""Fawlty Towers"". She turned it down and the part was given to Prunella Scales. She played a radical English teacher, Judy Threadgold, opposite Alun Armstrong’s woodwork teacher in Alan Plater’s ""Get Lost!"" for Yorkshire Television, shown in 1981. Armstrong was unavailable for a sequel, so it was completely recast and became ""The Beiderbecke Affair"" with"
"Michael Bilton Michael Bilton (14 December 1919 – 5 November 1993) was an English actor best known for his roles in the British television sitcoms ""To the Manor Born"" (playing the gardener and sometime butler Ned) and ""Waiting for God"" (playing Basil, a septuagenarian satyr). He attended Hymers College, Hull. In the Second World War he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and was wounded at the Battle of El Alamein. After his recovery he began his acting career in repertory theatre. He had a strong comedic bent and featured in ""Keeping Up Appearances"", ""One Foot in the Grave"" and"
"Daniel Baldwin Daniel Leroy Baldwin (born October 5, 1960) is an American actor, director and producer. He is the second eldest of the four Baldwin brothers, all of whom are actors. Baldwin played the role Detective Beau Felton in the NBC TV series """" and has starred in """" (1992), ""Mulholland Falls"" (1996), ""Vampires"" (1998), ""The Pandora Project"" (1998), ""Stealing Candy"" (2002), ""Paparazzi"" (2004) and ""Grey Gardens"" (2009). He hosts his own ESPN radio show ""The Daniel Baldwin Show"" on WTLA in Syracuse.. He has also been an emcee for the television series """". Baldwin was born in Massapequa, New"
"British fantasy series ""Redwall"", an extremely sarcastic and imprudent anthropomorphic hare, ""Basil Stag Hare"", makes an appearance. Author Brian Jacques claims to have based his name and character on Basil Fawlty. In the 2016 movie ""Deadpool"", Ryan Reynolds' character asks Ed Skrein's character what his name is, he asks multiple choices and one of them is Basil Fawlty. In the sitcom ""As Time Goes By"", Lionel Hardcastle is discussing with his wife Jean about what to do with the Hampshire house his father gave him. He offers to make it a hotel,but Jean objects to the option saying he'd ""empty"
"A Touch of Class (Fawlty Towers) ""A Touch of Class"" is the pilot episode in the first series of the BBC television sitcom ""Fawlty Towers"". The episode introduces Basil Fawlty, the cynical, sharp-tongued owner of Torquay's Fawlty Towers hotel; his henpecking wife Sybil; Manuel, the eager but hapless Spanish waiter; Major Gowen, a semi-senile and often whisky-soaked permanent resident; and Polly Sherman, a maid/waitress who is the only sane and sensible employee of the hotel. The episode opens with Sybil reminding Basil of many chores he must do: prepare the bill for some guests in a hurry to depart, hang"
"Nicholas Ball (actor) Nicholas Ball (born John Nicholas Ball, 11 April 1946 in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire) is an English actor. He is best known for playing the title role in the television series ""Hazell"". He portrayed the violent gangster Terry Bates in ""EastEnders"" between 2007 and 2009. He played Garry Ryan in series five of ""Footballers' Wives"" and both series of its spin-off programme """". The voice of Nicholas Ball can be heard as well on various audio books offered via the internet; he has narrated books from such authors as Christopher Hitchens and James Maybrick. He can currently"
"Frailty (2001 film) Frailty is a 2001 American psychological thriller film, directed by and starring Bill Paxton, and co-starring Matthew McConaughey and Powers Boothe. It marks Paxton's directorial debut. The plot focuses on the strange relationship between two young boys and their fanatically religious father, who believes that he has been commanded by God to kill demons disguised as people. Fenton Meiks (Matthew McConaughey) visits FBI Agent Wesley Doyle (Powers Boothe) claiming that his brother Adam is the culprit in the ""God's Hand"" serial killings. Fenton says Adam has committed suicide, prompting Fenton to fulfill a promise to bury his"
"was in the last episode of Series 4. He died shortly after completing filming. In the Christmas episode 1993, his absence was explained by his character having gone on an ""Icelandic wife-swapping cruise"" and he is not mentioned again. The character of Basil was ""replaced"" by Jamie Edwards, Jane's spirited Irish grandfather, who was played by Paddy Ward. Mr. Bilton was married twice: Valerie Newbold (1953–1967) (divorced) Sally West (1944 – ?) (divorced) Bilton died on 5 November 1993 in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. Michael Bilton Michael Bilton (14 December 1919 – 5 November 1993) was an English actor best known for"
"Rufus Jones (actor) Rufus Jones (born 17 May 1975) is an English actor and writer. Jones was born in London, and educated at Latymer Upper School and the University of Cambridge, where he studied English. Jones began his career as one fifth of the comedy group Dutch Elm Conservatoire. On television, he is known for playing Doctor Foggerty in Julia Davis's award-winning dark comedy ""Hunderby,"" producer David Wilkes in ""W1A,"" and Miles Mollison in the BBC TV mini series ""The Casual Vacancy"". He also played Terry Jones in the BBC Four BAFTA-nominated ""Holy Flying Circus,"" Cosmo in comedy-drama ""Stag,"" and"
"Gilly Flower Gilly Flower (26 August 1908 – 17 February 2001) was an English actress and model, best remembered as the elderly Miss Abitha Tibbs in the BBC sitcom ""Fawlty Towers"". Gilly Flower played Miss Tibbs in all twelve episodes of the show, which was produced in two six-episode series separated by a three-and-a-half-year interval (September–October 1975 and February–March 1979, apart from the twelfth episode which was not shown until October 1979). A native of London, Gilly Flower had her first film role in 1932 and, with the advent of television in Britain, she found a new outlet for her"
"Touch Of Frost"" (2003); ""Judge John Deed"" (2005); ""Holby City"" (2005); ""The Golden Hour"" (2005); ""Tom Brown's Schooldays"" (2005); ""Five Days"" (2006) and ""Doctor Who"" episode ""42"", playing Dev Ashton (2007). He made several other appearances in ""The Bill"" in 2005, 2006 and made a larger appearance as Darren Cuttler in ""The Bill""s series Gun Runner. Film credits have included: ""Crush"" (2001); ""From Hell"" (2001) and ""Hollywoodland"" (2006). Gary Powell (actor) Gary Powell (born 10 September 1963) is a British actor. He is possibly best known for playing the character Laurie Bates in the BBC soap opera ""EastEnders"". Laurie made"
"Basil (film) Basil is a 1998 British historical drama film directed by Radha Bharadwaj and starring Christian Slater, Jared Leto, Claire Forlani and Derek Jacobi. It was based on the 1852 novel ""Basil"" by Victorian author Wilkie Collins. The adaptation is by Bharadwaj. Basil (Jared Leto) recalls his younger days when he and his ennobled British family live at their Cornwall estate of Windermere Hall. His father, Frederick (Derek Jacobi), is a firm believer that people should know their place in society. Clara Fairfax is an orphaned daughter of Basil's father's friend, and comes to live with Basil's family. Basil's"
"Basil Langton Basil Calvert Langton (9 January 1912 – 29 May 2003) was an English actor, director and photographer, who made a career on both sides of the Atlantic. He was an authority on the plays of George Bernard Shaw and compiled an archive of more than 400,000 words of interviews with people who had known and worked with Shaw. He was also a teacher, working at colleges in New York and California. Langton was born in Clifton, Bristol, but spent his early years in Canada, where his family moved soon after his birth. His first experience of theatre was"
"Mykelti Williamson Michael T. ""Mykelti"" Williamson (born March 4, 1957) is an American actor best known for his roles in the films ""Forrest Gump"" and ""Con Air"", and the television shows ""Boomtown"", ""24"", and ""Justified"". In 2016, he portrayed Gabriel Maxson in Denzel Washington's acclaimed film adaptation of August Wilson's play ""Fences"", reprising his role from the 2010 Broadway revival. His other notable roles include ""Free Willy"", ""Heat"", ""Lucky Number Slevin"", ""Three Kings"", ""Black Dynamite"", ""The Final Destination"", ""ATL"", ""Species II"", and """". Williamson was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the son of Elaine, a certified public accountant,"
"Gourmet Night ""Gourmet Night"" is the fifth episode in the first series of the BBC TV sitcom ""Fawlty Towers"". Basil Fawlty is having trouble with his Austin 1100 car. Despite Sybil's insistence that he take the car to a garage for repairs, miserly Basil tries to fix the car himself. Meanwhile, Fawlty Towers has a new Greek chef named Kurt who has been found for them by André, Kurt's culinary trainer and a friend of the Fawltys. Basil and Sybil are intending to host a gourmet night at the hotel. After a rude, pampered boy calls the hotel a ""dump"""
"entitled ""The Hustler"" (1974). He fondly recounts being paid £50 for the day's work. Quarmby was born in Liverpool and after two years' national service in the RAF joined RADA in 1949. Repertory work dominated the first twenty years of his career, although he began appearing in television in 1956. John Quarmby John Quarmby (born 18 June 1929) is an English actor who had a career spanning over 50 years, was best known for the role of Mr Carnegie, the Health Inspector in the ""Fawlty Towers"" episode ""Basil the Rat"" and Henry Tobias (the newspaper editor) in ""K-9 and Company""."
"died in Manhattan on August 14, 2016, at the age of 93 as a result of heart problems. Fyvush Finkel Philip ""Fyvush"" Finkel (; October 9, 1922 – August 14, 2016) was an American actor known as a star of Yiddish theater and for his role as lawyer Douglas Wambaugh on the television series ""Picket Fences"", for which he earned an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1994. He is also known for his portrayal of Harvey Lipschultz, a crotchety history teacher, on the television series ""Boston Public"". Philip Finkel was born at home in"
"be seen in an advert for Premier Inn, playing the part of Lenny Henry's manager. He was married to psychologist and former actress/comedian Pamela Stephenson until her affair, and eventual elopement, with Billy Connolly. Nicholas Ball (actor) Nicholas Ball (born John Nicholas Ball, 11 April 1946 in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire) is an English actor. He is best known for playing the title role in the television series ""Hazell"". He portrayed the violent gangster Terry Bates in ""EastEnders"" between 2007 and 2009. He played Garry Ryan in series five of ""Footballers' Wives"" and both series of its spin-off programme """"."