Basil Fawlty

Common card · No. 253528

Basil Fawlty is the main character of the 1970s British sitcom Fawlty Towers, played by John Cleese. The proprietor of the hotel Fawlty Towers, Basil is an irascible, class-conscious man who aspires to attract British upper-class guests. While cynical and contemptuous toward those he considers vulgar or beneath his standards, he is notably attentive and deferential toward people whose status, manners, or refinement he admires. His attempts to run an efficient hotel, however, usually end in farce. Possessing a dry, sarcastic wit, Basil has become an iconic British comedy character who remains widely known in the United Kingdom. Cleese would receive the 1980 British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance. In a 2001 poll conducted by Channel 4, Basil was ranked second (to Homer Simpson) on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters. Known for his quotable rants, the character was inspired by Donald Sinclair, an eccentric, inhospitable, and boorishly impolite hotel owner...

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