| Basil Fawlty | |
|---|---|
| Fawlty Towers character | |
 | |
| First appearance | "A Touch of Class" (1975) |
| Created by | John Cleese Connie Booth |
| Based on | Donald Sinclair |
| Portrayed by | John Cleese |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Hotelier |
| Affiliation | British Army |
| Spouse | Sybil Fawlty (wife) |
| Nationality | British |
Basil Fawlty is the main character of the 1970s British sitcom Fawlty Towers, played by John Cleese. The proprietor of the hotel Fawlty Towers, he is a cynical and misanthropic snob, desperate to attract hotel guests from the British upper class. His inept attempts to run an efficient hotel, however, usually end in farce. Possessing a dry, sarcastic wit, Basil has become an iconic British comedy character who remains widely known to the public despite only 12 half-hour episodes ever having been made.
Cleese would receive the 1980 British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance.[1] In a 2001 poll conducted by Channel 4, Basil was ranked second (to Homer Simpson) on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters.[2][3] Known for his quotable rants,[4] the character was inspired by Donald Sinclair, an eccentric, inhospitable, and boorishly impolite hotel owner whom Cleese had encountered when he stayed at his hotel (Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay, Devonshire) along with the rest of Monty Python in May 1970.[5]
- ^ "See all of John Cleese's BAFTA wins and nominations". BAFTA.org. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ "100 Greatest TV Characters". Channel 4. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ "100 Greatest ... (100 Greatest TV Characters (Part 1))". ITN Source. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
- ^ "Fawlty Towers: 20 of Basil's best rants". The Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
- ^ "Fawlty hotelier was bonkers, says waitress". The Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 24 May 2019.