Just as Basil had placed an advertisement in a fashionable journal with the hope of attracting a more discerning guest, a confidence man checked into the hotel.

With the Fawlty family away on holiday, Polly and Manuel were left in charge of the hotel, a responsibility made all the more challenging by the sudden arrival of O’Reilly’s builders, who had been contracted to renovate the lobby.

Basil was having none of the clandestine activity he suspected was occurring within his rooms, and harbored suspicions regarding certain guests and Polly’s involvement.

With inspectors visiting the area, Basil grew increasingly anxious, oscillating between excessive flattery and unintentional insults toward those he entertained.

To attract the desired clientele to the hotel, Basil instituted a Gourmet Night.

With Sybil away at the hospital for a minor operation on her toe, Basil found himself entirely responsible for managing a sudden fire drill. A few sharp knocks to the head left him feeling uncharacteristically expansive, and he seized the o…