Line(s) of the Day #FawltyTowers

“So Harry says: “You don’t like me anymore.”
“Why not?”
And he says, “‘Cause you got so terribly pretentious.”
And Harry says, “Pretentious, moi?”

As said by Mr Johnson (Nicky Henson) in the outrageously funny Torquay-set show Fawlty Towers  (1975 – 1979). Long considered one of the greatest British sitcoms ever, the main character of Basil Fawlty was based on a real-life rude hotel owner. Creator John Cleese had met him when he was still a Monty Python member.  You can find other examples of the show’s humour here.

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Line of the Day #DeadParrotSketch

This parrot is no more. It has ceased to be. It’s expired and gone to meet its maker. This is a late parrot. It’s a stiff. Bereft of life, it rests in peace. If you hadn’t nailed it to the perch, it would be pushing up the daisies. It’s rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible. This is an ex-parrot.

The very famous Monty Python quote from John Cleese (in the scene with Michael Palin) who was conned into buying a dead parrot. It was inspired by Palin’s experience with a car salesman “who had an excuse for everything”. You can find the memorable Argument Room sketch here and the oft-referenced Roman achievements here.

Line(s) of the Day #JohnCleese

I was introduced to a producer called Marvin in a Hollywood restaurant. He said: “What’s your name?” I said: “John Cleese.” He went back to talking for a long time with the man he was with. Then he came over to me and said: “Hey, I’m a big fan of yours.”

John Cleese recounting a memorable networking appearance.

Line(s) of the Day #MontyPythonsLifeofBrian

All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh-water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?

Reg (John Cleese) in the religious satire Monty Python’s The Life of Brian (1979)

Line(s) of the Day #TheArgumentSketch

Customer:  An argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition.
Arguer:   No it isn’t.
Customer:  Yes it is! It’s not just contradiction.
Arguer:   Look, if I argue with you, I must take up a contrary position. 
Customer:  Yes, but that’s not just saying ‘No it isn’t.’
Arguer:   Yes it is!
Customer:   No it isn’t!

Michael Palin and John Cleese in ‘The Argument Sketch’ from the surrealist comedy legends Monty Python.

Line(s) of the Day #FawltyTowers

Basil: I fought in the Korean War, you know. I killed four men.
Sybill: He was in the Catering Corps. He used to poison them. 

John Cleese and Prunella Scales in British sitcom Fawlty Towers (1975 – 1979)