Fawlty Towers, Volume 1Basil the Rat

© BBC Audiobooks LTD 1994
BBC Audiobooks LTD 1999

If you're at all acquainted with British comedy, odds are you've watched the legendary comedy series, Fawlty Towers, and — given the fact that there are only 12 episodes about the zany employees and guests of a fictional hotel — you've probably re-watched it. These aren't long-lost episodes liberated from some basement vault, unfortunately, but rather audio versions of the television show. The good news is that these can be enjoyed while driving, which is more than can be said for the televised version. (Unless, of course, you have one of those dash-mounted TVs, in which case shame on you.) This volume includes "Communication Problems," featuring guest-from-hell Mrs. Richards; "The Hotel Inspectors," in which hotelier Basil tries to determine what guest secretly deserves his courtesy; "Basil the Rat," which marks the waiter Manuel's discovery that his hamster isn't actually a hamster; and "The Builders," in which a series of botched construction jobs leave the hotel battling entropy. Visual description is provided by Andrew Sachs as Manuel, and interview segments with John Cleese between episodes give insight into the series' real-world inspirations.