Gourmet Night - Connections and Errors

Connections and Errors

• The first time in the programme we see a chef at Fawlty Towers, and the last time until Terry, the regular character in series two. Manuel would later have a disagreement with Terry (as well as a fight) in The Anniversary.
• Basil's car in this episode is a red 1967 Austin 1100 Countryman Estate. The car, registration number WLG 142E, still exists and is currently owned by an entertainments company.
• The scene which ends with Basil giving the Austin 1100 a "Damn good thrashing" with a tree branch has been immortalised in the form of a miniature model car, and Basil swinging the branch, by the Corgi toy company. The scene itself remains one of Fawlty Towers's most iconic and celebrated.
• On the second return journey from Andre's restaurant the road is dry when Basil pulls in behind the other vehicle blocking the road. However, when he reverses out the road is clearly soaking wet as if there had just been a downpour.
• Roughly 17 minutes into the episode the shadow of the microphone boom is visible moving across the wall as Basil sits in front of the typewriter.
• When Manuel bursts through the kitchen door from the dining room and knocks the duck onto the floor, a stagehand can be seen crouching inside the dining room area of the set.
• André's Restaurant is in fact 294 Preston Road, Harrow and is now 'Wings' restaurant.
• The scene where Basil attacks the car with a tree branch was also filmed in Harrow in the Kenton area at the T-junction of Lapstone Gardens and Mentmore Close (51°34′52″N 0°18′33″W / 51.581103°N 0.309072°W / 51.581103; -0.309072).
• In an external scene with Basil, the shopfronts have Torquay addresses and phone numbers.
• Andrew Sachs, Andre Maranne and Steve Plytas would later co-star again in Revenge of the Pink Panther, although they did not share any scenes together.
• Manuel offers to cook paella for Andre and Kurt, probably to his mother's recipe like he tried to do in The Anniversary.
• Manuel attempts to play the guitar in this episode, but clearly does not know how to play it properly. By the time of Basil the Rat, he can play the guitar and sing at the same time perfectly (although the singing is not quite adequate: Basil rolls his eyes in annoyance upon hearing Manuel singing).
• This is the only episode where Sybil drinks to excess. Her behaviour in this episode, such as her anecdote at the end of the episode, is also one of the few indications of her background.
• This episode is also one of the few occasions in which Sybil directly expresses signs of affection to Basil (albeit while drunk), when they are having dinner with Andre.
• Unusually, this episode sees Sybil play an active part in one of Basil's schemes; in most episodes she is the one from whom Basil is attempting to hide something.
• This episode is probably the one that takes place over the longest time-span. Its dialogue indicate that each 'act' takes place on three entirely separate days.
• Elizabeth Benson, who plays Mrs. Heath, would go on to appear in the second series as Mrs. White in The Kipper and the Corpse. She is one of three guest performers to appear in both series.
• Ann Way would later star alongside John Cleese again in the 1985 movie Clockwise
• In the scene where Kurt is vomiting, the editor edited the puke showing because it might seem disgusting and offensive and instead took a close-up shot of Sybil, though the puke was shown to the studio audience during filming. No sound effect is used, leaving viewers to infer what has happened from Sybil's reaction.