Fawlty Towers Lesson Plans

Fawlty Towers Volume 3: Episode 4: Basil the Rat

Sybil is angry with Basil because she wants to go out. True
Who thinks Basil is peculiar?
What does Basil offer to get the man in the kitchen?
Who does the man in the kitchen work for?

False

The hotel has the correct standards for health and safety. True
When is the inspector coming back?
What does Basil want Manuel to do?
What does Manuel think a pigeon is?
What does Manuel have in his room?
Why is Manuel unhappy?
How long has Manuel had the rat?
What does Basil want to do with the rat?
What does Sybil think they should do with the rat?
Why does Basil get irritated with Manuel?
Where is the rat?
What is the rats name?
What does Polly try to sell the guest?
Why are Polly and Manuel panicking?
Why does the Major get his shotgun?
Why is Basil angry with the rest of the staff?
How does Basil stop the Major talking about the rat?
What does Manuel think the chef has done to the rat?
Whats the problem with the veal?
Why does Basil drop the bottle of wine?
The cat is OK. True

False

Why does the woman think Manuel is looking at her legs?

What does the woman have in her bag?
What would the inspector like when he finishes the meal?

False

Vocabulary

To have something done to order

or pay someone to do something for you
Black magic a bad form of
magic normally performed by witches
Witch a person that performs
magic and casts spells on people
Health and Safety the standard
by which we judge the hygiene and safety
of a place
Public Health Department a
ministry of the government for checking
the health and safety in public areas and
buildings
Prayer a wish to God
Raw meat uncooked meat
Otherwise apart from
Filthy very dirty
Pigeon a very common bird
Pigeon English very basic English
spoken by foreigners
Cuddly to look very nice and the
kind of thing people want to touch or hold
To put to sleep a colloquial
expression meaning to humanely kill or
destroy something
Shed a small building for keeping
things
Strike when a group of workers
refuse to do any work
Vermin animals that spread
disease and illness
German a person from Germany
To home for an animal to be
able to return to its home; for example
pigeons home
Ratatouille a kind of French
stew, very popular in the UK
Veal meat from a baby cow
Starling a kind of bird
Rat poison a powder used for
killing rats

Fawlty Towers Volume 2: Communication problems

Why does the woman (Mrs. Richards) need change?
How long is Mrs. Richards staying?
Why does Mrs. Richards get confused with Manuel?
What room is Mrs. Richards staying in?
What does kind of tip does Mr. Firkins give to Basil?
What is happening at Exeter at 3 oclock?
Why is Mrs. Richards unhappy with the room?
How much is she paying for the room?
What does Mrs. Richards say doesnt work?
What time is lunch served?
What does Basil ask Manuel to do for him?
Why does Manuel want to see Basil?
What does Mrs. Richards want?
What does Polly think Mrs. Richards wants?
Where are Mrs. Richards glasses?
How many packets of toilet paper does Manuel take upstairs?
Why is Basil singing?
Why does Manuel get upset?
What does Basil want Manuel to forget?
How much money has Mrs. Richards lost?
Why does Mrs. Richards bang her head?
Why does Sybil want to speak to Polly?
Where does Polly say she got the money?
What was the name of the horse?
What does Basil ask the Major to do?
Who is on the phone to Mrs. Richards?
How much is offered for Mrs. Richards house in Brighton?
How much does she want?
What has the Major forgotten?
How much money does Mrs. Richards say is still missing?
Where was Mrs. Richards money?

Vocabulary

Faulty defective
To Bet to put money on the result of something
Betting shop a shop for betting
Filly colloquial term for horse
To have stuffed the process of taxidermy
To have a flutter to bet
A tip extra money or a strong piece of advice.
Gee gees horses
Jolly happy
Loopy crazy

Fawlty Towers Volume 2: Episode 2: The Germans

What colour is the bed-jacket?
How long is Sybil in hospital for?
What does Sybil want Basil to put up on the wall?
Where is the telephone book?
Why is Sybil in hospital?
What does sister want Basil to do?
Why is Basil happy when he leaves the hospital?
When are they operating on Sybil?
How long ago did Elsie leave?
Who does Basil accuse of not being able to think logically?
What nationality doesnt the Major like?
Who are good card-players?
What time is it?
Who is on the phone?
What does Basil ask Manuel to get?
Where does the Major think the moose head is from?
What time is the fire drill?
Why is Sybil calling?
Why are the guests confused?
Why does Basil lock Manuel in the kitchen?
What has Basil lost?
Why is Basil in hospital?
Where does Basil want to go?
Why is Basil confused by the man and woman at the check-in desk?
What does Basil tell Polly not to mention?
What does Basil keep mentioning?
Why does the woman start crying?

Vocabulary
In-grown toe nail a nail on the toe that is growing into and cutting the flesh surrounding it.
* note: nail means the hard part of the toe or finger but it also means a small metal spike used by carpenters to join
pieces of wood together.

Fire drill a health and safety practise activity for hotels, schools and businesses in case of fire.
To annoy to irritate or make angry.
Chips fried potatoes.
Moose an animal that lives in North America. A cross between a deer and a cow. Very big.
Cardy short for cardigan. A cardigan is a kind of cross between a jersey and a jacket .
Concussion a kind of injury to the brain where the patient is confused after hitting his head.
The Oval a famous cricket stadium in South London.
Safe a strong box for keeping money and valuables .
Sister a senior nurse. Second in command to the matron but senior to a nurse .
To cope to manage, to be able or capable.
Burglar alarm an anti robbery system that makes a noise if someone tries to steal from it.

Fawlty Towers: Volume 1: Episode 4: The Hotel Inspectors

Why is Basil annoyed at Sybil?
What does the guest want?
Why does Basil think the guest is strange?
What does the guest never use?
Why not?
What cant Basil find?
What building is the guest trying to find in the town?
What room number is the other guest staying in?
Why is Basil worried?
Why is Basil being polite to the guests?
What does the guest want to reserve?
What job does Basil think the guest (Mr. Hutchinson ) does?
What does Mr. Hutchinson want for lunch?
Why is Manuel unhappy?
What day is it?
Why doesnt Mr. Hutchinson like his ginger beer?
Whats the problem with the wine?
What does Mr. Hutchinson do?
Why isnt Mr. Hutchinson happy with his meal?
Why does Basil attack Manuel with the spoon?
Why does Basil attack Manuel with the corkscrew?
Why does Mr. Hutchinson get angry with Basil?
How does Polly help Basil?
How many colleagues is the other guest travelling with?
How does Basil justify attacking Mr. Hutchinson?
How does Mr. Hutchinson respond when he recovers from the attack?
How much money does Basil offer the other guest?
What does the guest sell?
Why does Basil scream at the men?

Vocabulary

To have something done to order or pay someone to do something for you

A live wire a lively person; a problematic person
Hold on wait
Stroll a walk, to walk
Borstal a prison or reform centre for young delinquents
P. off piss off: a very strong way to ask someone to go away
To run to do, (and direct, manage, operate)
Average medium quantity
In a nutshell in few words
Nutcase a colloquial expression for a person with mental problems
To have a screw loose to be crazy
To be homesick to miss the place where you come from
To be corked when the wine reacts badly with the cork in the bottle
To be standing by to be in reserve
Corkscrew a device to extract corks from wine bottles
To shut up to stop talking or be quiet
Outboard motors the engines that are used on small boats

Fawlty Towers Volume 2: Episode 4: The Psychiatrist

What service is Basil trying to get through to?
How long has the service been engaged?
How many messages does Mr Johnson have?
What animal does Basil compare Mr. Johnson to?
What do Mr. and Mrs. Abbot do?
What room number do the Abbots get?
How old is Mr. Johnsons mother?
What does Basil say men want to do to Sybils mother?
Until what time do they serve dinner?
What kind of restaurant would Mr. Johnson like to go to?
What drinks would The Abbots like after the coffee?
What did Basil want to be when he was younger?
What kind of Doctor is Mrs. Abbot?
What kind of Doctor is Mr. Abbot?
Why is Basil frightened of Doctor Abbot?
What does Basil think Dr. Abbot asked him?
How many times does Basil tell him?
What did Dr. Abbot really ask him?
Where is the young woman from?
Why is Sybil angry with Basil?
What time must visitors leave guests rooms?
Why is Basil trying to see inside Mr. Johnsons room?
Why is Basil inside the Abbots room?
Why is the Major worried?
Why does Basil tell the young woman he was in her room?
Why
Why
Why
Who

does Sybil hit Basil?

does Basil attack Manuel?
does Basil go to the young womans room again?
is in the room with the young man?

Vocabulary

Get through to to be connected to by telephone

Engaged occupied
Pretentious self-important
Earl Haigh British general from the First World War
Hold on wait
Stroll a walk, to walk
Sap the liquid inside trees
Surgeon a doctor that perform operations
To manage to do, (and direct, run, operate)
Average medium quantity
To grope to touch in a sexual or passionate manner
To be on the job a colloquial expression to mean having sex
The games up! an expression meaning that all is discovered and you have been caught
To have a screw loose to be crazy

Fawlty Towers: The Corpse and the Kipper

What breed is the dog?
What does the woman want for the dog?
What does the doctor want to drink?
What would the doctor want to eat?
What does the doctor order to eat?
How many does the doctor order?
What room number does the couple want the key for?
What time do the group of people say they will pick the man up?
What is the number of the room the man is staying in?
Why is Basil angry with the man?
Where does the man want to have his breakfast?
What does he want for breakfast?
What does the doctor want for breakfast?
What does the woman want for her dog?
What is the problem with the kippers?
Where does Manuel put the cushion at first?
Where does the woman think Manuel is from?
What does the woman have for breakfast?
Whats the problem with the guest in room 8?
What does Basil think he has done to the guest?
Why is Mr Fawlty relieved?
What is Basil trying to hide from the doctor?
What does Basil have in his jersey?
Where do they put the body?
Why does Basil say he is happy to the old lady?
Who does the doctor have to phone?
Why does the old lady start screaming?
How many guests are still alive according to Basil?
Why doesnt Polly let the couple into their room?
Where do they put the body this time?
Why does Manuel start dancing and singing?
How long ago did the old womans husband die?
Who does the old woman want to speak to?
Who was the guest speaking to on the phone?
How does the Major think the guest died?
Why does the guest crash the car?
Why wont Manuel let the doctor have breakfast?
Who does Basil think the three people are?
Who has accidentally taken the body?
What does Manuel refuse to do?
Why doesnt Basil give the man his hat?
What is the problem with the sausages?

Vocabulary box
A draft = a cold breeze, cold air from
outside.
A breed = the race or variation of a
species of animal.
Coroner= an official who registers and
confirms death for the local authorities
To pick up= to collect.