WATCH: Andrew Sachs’s 5 Best ‘Fawlty Towers’ Moments
“Fawlty Towers” star Andrew Sachs, a German-born British actor who fled the Nazis in 1938, died last week.
The 86-year-old was best known for his role as Manuel, a bumbling Spanish waiter who drove star John Cleese (of Monty Python fame) crazy.
The show ran for just 12 episodes, but it was still ranked No. 1 by the British Film Institute on a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes.
In honor of Sachs, here are five of our favorite Manuel moments from “Fawlty Towers.”
1. “I know nothing.”
After “¿Que?” This declaration became Manuel’s most famous catchphrase. It occurred in the first episode of Series 2, which was aptly named “Communication Problems.”
.
2. “There is too much butter on those trays.”
“No, sir, not ‘on, those, trays.’ Uno, dos, tres.”
.
3. A Biscuit With Your Rat?
This scene from the series finale is perhaps the most famous “Fawlty Towers” clip. Manuel is conned into purchasing a pet rat, believing it to be a Siberian hamster. When the rat escapes, chaos ensues.
.
4. Manuel Practices His English
In which a talking moose head gets the better of hotel resident Major Gowen (Ballard Berkeley).
.
5. Building Blunders
When a door is plastered over, Basil uses Manuel to break it down.
A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO