Fawlty Towers (TV Series)
Basil the Rat (1979)
Connie Booth: Polly Sherman
Photos
Quotes
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[Terry is examining a piece of possibly-poisoned veal the cat had been chewing on]
Terry : Right! Now, how's the cat?
Basil Fawlty : [Incredulously] How's the c...? How's the cat? We're about to take the life of a public health inspector and you want to know "how's the cat"? IT'S GONE TO LONDON TO SEE THE QUEEN! What're we going to do?
Polly : [bringing in the cat] He's fine!
Terry : Great!
Basil Fawlty : [leaping about hysterically] HOORAY! HOORAY! THE CAT LIVES! THE CAT LIVES! LONG LIVE THE CAT! What are we going to DO?
Terry : Mr. Fawlty - if the cat is all right, that means that slice is all right.
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[Polly struggles to keep Mr. Carnegie, the health inspector, from learning of Manuel's pet rat Basil, named after Basil Fawlty, running loose in the hotel]
Manuel : The Major try to kill Basil!
Sybil Fawlty : Kill BASIL?
Manuel : No, not Mr. Fawlty. I mean Basil, my little...
Polly : [suddenly, before Manuel can say 'Rat' in front of the health inspector] RATATOUILLE!
Mr. Carnegie : Basil the little...
Polly : Ratatouille. The chef calls the ratatouille 'Basil' because he puts quite a lot of basil in it.
Manuel : He put Basil in the ratatouille?
Polly : Yes!
Manuel : ARGGGHHHHHHHH!
[Manuel runs off to the kitchen screaming, Polly following]
Sybil Fawlty : [charmingly to Mr. Carnegie] He's from Barcelona.
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[Polly, with a piece of cheese, is looking for Basil the Rat under a table]
Polly : Basil. Basil? Cheesies! Basil...
Basil Fawlty : [coming up behind her] Yes?
[Polly bangs her head beneath the table]
Basil Fawlty : Here I am.
Polly : [coming out from under the table] Oh, Mr. Fawlty I...
Basil Fawlty : [taking the cheese] Oh, that's for me, is it? Thank you.
Polly : [as he eats it] Shall I get you some more? There's plenty...
Basil Fawlty : He's called "Basil," is he? Don't play dumb with me. I trusted you. You're responsible for this!
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Polly : He must have escaped, Mr Fawlty, and come back.
Basil Fawlty : Come back?
Polly : They home.
Basil Fawlty : Oh, I see. He's a homing rat, is he?
Terry : Oh, yeah. Rats are amazing creatures, Mr. Fawlty. I read about one once. His owner had gone down to Penzance...
Basil Fawlty : Yes, yes. I read about that. When the chef got filleted with his own carving knife?
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Mrs. Taylor : Veal substitute?
Polly : Well, it's Japanese, actually. Soya beans and essence of cow.
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Sybil Fawlty : Here's your veal, Mr. Carnegie. Sorry for the delay.
Ronald : He's just been given veal!
Basil Fawlty : Uh, no, no. That's, uh, veal substitute.
Ronald : Veal substitute?
Basil Fawlty : Yes, it's not very good. It got rather held up on the boat. On the way over from, uh...
Polly : Japan.
Basil Fawlty : Norway. It's a... it's sort of a... Japo-Scandinavian imitation veal substitute, and I'm afraid that's the last slice, anyway.