Fawlty Towers (TV Series)
Basil the Rat (1979)
Andrew Sachs: Manuel
Photos
Quotes
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[Manuel wants to keep his pet rat]
Manuel : [to Sybil] Mrs. Fawlty, please understand: If he go, I go.
Basil Fawlty : Well, goodbye.
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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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Sybil Fawlty : [about Manuel's rat] Perhaps it would be simplest to have him put to S-L-E-E-P.
Basil Fawlty : Who? Him or the rat? Might get a discount if we have them both done.
Manuel : 'Spleep'?
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Manuel : [after being told that his pet hamster is actually a rat] No, is hamster.
Basil Fawlty : It's a rat.
Manuel : No, I think so too.
Basil Fawlty : What?
Manuel : I say to man in shop, 'Is rat.' He says, 'No, no, no. Is a special kind of hamster. Is Filigree Siberian Hamster.' Only one in shop. He make special price, only 5 pounds.
Basil Fawlty : Have you ever heard of the Bubonic Plague, Manuel? It was very popular here at one time. A lot of pedigreed hamsters came over on ships from Siberia.
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Manuel : [after learning that his pet rat will be going to a new home] But he forget me!
Basil Fawlty : Well, rats are like that, Manuel. Don't get involved with them.