Is 'The Kipper and the Corpse' the best bit of farce ever?

[lankyguy95]

Just had a look now. Sybil says he was meant to leave that day and "some people were coming at lunchtime". Mentioned that the hotel was going to be full that night.

Yeah, not much of a reason to move him before the undertakers arrive, certainly not into the office. I think it's fair to say that all twelve episodes are now compromised.

[Jockice]

It is of course brilliant, but why, once the body has been discovered, do they have to move it from the bed? Why didn't he just leave it there until the undertaker could arrive? I've seen this episode a ridiculous number of times but can't remember that ever being explained.

Because it would have cut the episode short by about 20 minutes.

[Bingo Fury]

My favourite bit is a joke I've never seen anyone else mention, when the man reaches for his hat and Basil says, "I'll have it sent on." There's so much else going on in the episode, but that moment just hit the right level of ludicrous to light up my 12-year-old brain, and it still does now.

[Smeraldina Rima]

Just had a look now. Sybil says he was meant to leave that day and "some people were coming at lunchtime". Mentioned that the hotel was going to be full that night.

Yeah, not much of a reason to move him before the undertakers arrive, certainly not into the office. I think it's fair to say that all twelve episodes are now compromised.

They have to allow for the possibility that the undertakers will arrive after Mr Ingrams turns up with room 8 booked. Mr Ingrams then occupies the vacated room and is interrupted when they carry the corpse back into the same room. Admittedly, they might have made an excuse to Mr Ingrams instead of moving the corpse to the office. What troubles me more than this is the timeline. Mr Leeman's associates are due to collect him at 9.30 AM but they arrive just after Mr Ingrams - who was due to arrive at lunchtime - has taken the key to room 8. Breakfast service has recently ended - at 9 AM presumably. Mr Ingrams not only arrives two and a half hours early but immediately gets out his blow-up doll.

My favourite part is after Basil lies across the laundry basket when Manuel puts his hand to his head and his leg on the laundry basket to perform thinking about where Mr Leeman is.

[Smeraldina Rima]

I'm not sure why I implied you should wait until midday before fucking a blow-up doll.

[Gurke and Hare]

I'm not sure why I implied you should wait until midday before fucking a blow-up doll.

Yeah, that's fair enough, but you can be pretty sure that Basil isn't going to allow much flexibility around check-in times.

[lankyguy95]

My favourite part:

"You can't keep a dead body in here where there's food!"

"Can't we?"

[sick as a pike]

My favourite part is after Basil lies across the laundry basket when Manuel puts his hand to his head and his leg on the laundry basket to perform thinking about where Mr Leeman is.

For me it's the same scene, where Basil demands that Polly gets Manuel out of the not especially big laundry basket. 

[from memory]
He's not in there, Mr Fawlty.
Yes he is, look for him.

[pigamus]

The timing on "Oh, spiffing" after the old woman faints nearly killed me the first time I saw it. An utter masterpiece from start to finish.

[Utter Shit]

The only thing I can think of that tops it is another from Fawlty Towers, the fire drill scene. Breathlessly brilliant.

"I don't why we bother, we should let you all burn".

[samadriel]

Manuel's a touch too thick in Kipper, I think Communication Problems is the best farce. All that intrigue with the race money, beautiful.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

For bonus points, who did John Cleese deliberately name the blow- up doll bringing guest after?

[Voltan (Man of Steel)]

Richard Ingrams, who'd slagged FT off previously.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Oh, spiffing answer![nb] It is correct.[/nb]

[Voltan (Man of Steel)]

Ooh, that was lucky. I've never even heard of him.^[1]


1. Like Henri Bergson.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

I'd move on to the question about who Cleesey named Stephen Fry's character at Heathrow Airport in " A Fish Called Wanda" after, but I'm not sure I actually know the answer, and would thus be unable to offer tonight's star prize ( a dagger up the clithoris) to you.

[idunnosomename]

Eh, think I'll stick with the broadcast version.

i was so disappointed this wasnt a dining experience

[Starlit]

My favourite bit is a joke I've never seen anyone else mention, when the man reaches for his hat and Basil says, "I'll have it sent on." There's so much else going on in the episode, but that moment just hit the right level of ludicrous to light up my 12-year-old brain, and it still does now.

Mine too.
The fact that rather than the obvious angry / rude dismissal / denial that one might expect from Basil he instead gives a seemingly helpful and courteous response which is in fact utterly bewildering as the man is a few inches away from being able to touch his hat.
Brilliant.

[lankyguy95]

I've just remembered my favourite bit is actually Basil's "BRILLIANT!" when Polly conjures up the linen/Leeman 'misunderstanding'. For a split second he can't contain his delight.

[kalowski]

I've just remembered my favourite bit is actually Basil's "BRILLIANT!" when Polly conjures up the linen/Leeman 'misunderstanding'. For a split second he can't contain his delight.

Christ, yes, that is fantastic.
The young me, watching FT for the first time, thought the "Right, the game's up! Up there. A bit of game pie," was just brilliant (daft as it may be) and I literally fell off a chair laughing in Waldorf Salad when he "introduces" Terry, the chef, after hitting the counter with his hat "Don't hit me, Mr Fawlty."

[Gurke and Hare]

I've just remembered my favourite bit is actually Basil's "BRILLIANT!" when Polly conjures up the linen/Leeman 'misunderstanding'. For a split second he can't contain his delight.

"I didn't realise women did it these days."

[pigamus]

I've just remembered my favourite bit is actually Basil's "BRILLIANT!" when Polly conjures up the linen/Leeman 'misunderstanding'. For a split second he can't contain his delight.

I love the way Basil gestures to her as if to say "Help me", knowing that she will - and she does.

[Tony Yeboah]

I'd move on to the question about who Cleesey named Stephen Fry's character at Heathrow Airport in " A Fish Called Wanda" after, but I'm not sure I actually know the answer, and would thus be unable to offer tonight's star prize ( a dagger up the clithoris) to you.

Alan Hutchison, his original writing partner at Cambridge.

[lankyguy95]

Christ, yes, that is fantastic.
The young me, watching FT for the first time, thought the "Right, the game's up! Up there. A bit of game pie," was just brilliant (daft as it may be) and I literally fell off a chair laughing in Waldorf Salad when he "introduces" Terry, the chef, after hitting the counter with his hat "Don't hit me, Mr Fawlty."

Thinking about it now, I think this might be one of the reasons that the second series is stronger than the first. The majority of the first series is about Basil's attitudes, primarily classist, and how he changes from crawling all over a guest to spitting poison at them (to quote Sybil). There's only really two episodes - The Builders and Gourmet Night - where the main plot becomes about him having to cover something up. In the second series, that's the main dynamic of every episode apart from the reversal in The Psychiatrist, which becomes about him trying to uncover Mr Johnson's secret. That ramped up the pace and intensity.

[Ferris]

IS THIS A PIECE OF YOUR BRAIN?

[kalowski]

IS THIS A PIECE OF YOUR BRAIN?

To this day my dad says this whenever he meets anyone he thinks is stupid.
He also says the incredibly obscure "stermofats".

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

"Sausages please!"

"Just sausages?"

"Mmm - just sausages."

[Ferris]

To this day my dad says this whenever he meets anyone he thinks is stupid.

My dad also does this. FT is one of the rare things we are both equally enthusiastic about, and is one of the reasons I am so fond of it. And it is brilliant of course, that helps.

[pigamus]

My mom was very fond of saying "Sp - [raspberry] - oons".

[Cold Meat Platter]

I'm quite fond of the way Cleese sobs "outboard motors?"

Also a mate and I used to bellow "A GIN AND ORANGE, A LEMON SQUASH AND A SCOTCH AND WATER ...PLEASE!" when rounds were being bought.