Fawlty Towers

How the Fawlty Towers sign's letters changed throughout the 12 episodes

At the beginning of each Fawlty Towers program (except one), an exterior shot of the inn and its sign was shown. The letters -- FAWLTY TOWERS -- were variously changed each week; sometimes letters were missing, sometimes they had been maliciously rearranged into funny anagrams. In only one case were all the letters used for an anagram.

We've compiled a screen capture of each episode's opening to track how they changed:

Series 1 - 1975

Episode 1: A Touch of Class -- FAWLTY TOWERS

Normal, except the S is sliding off.

Episode 2: The Builders -- FAWLTY TOWER

The S has fallen completely off, starting a little narrative of sorts for the first series' opening screens.

Episode 3: The Wedding Party -- FAWTY TOwER

The L has fallen off, and the W in TOWERS is following.

Episode 4: The Hotel Inspector -- FAWTY TOER

The W of TOWERS has fallen off completely.

Episode 5: Gourmet Night -- WARTY TOWELS

Someone has rearranged the letters, though the F is missing.

Episode 6: The Germans -- (none)

This episode's first scene was in a hospital rather than the inn, and the opening shot was of the hospital so no sign was shown.

Series 2 - 1979

Episode 7: Communication Problems -- FAWLTY TOWER

Same as the second show of the first series, with the sign intact except for the S.

Episode 8: The Psychiatrist -- FLAY OTTERS

The anagram artist is at it again, though both Ws are this time missing.

Episode 9: Waldorf Salad -- WATERY FOWLS


This episode's sign gag came with a bonus: a kid, face unseen, is seen arranging the letters before scampering off and revealing his latest handiwork, an anagram which continues with the previous episode's fauna theme. A T has gone unused.

Episode 10: The Kipper and the Corpse -- FATTY OWLS

The E, R, and one W are not used for the third animal-related sign in a row and the second avian phrase.

Episode 11: The Anniversary -- FLOWERY TWATS

A comment on the episode's theme of Basil Fawlty trying to arrange an anniversary celebration for his loathed wife? Comedically the best of the signs, as not only does it elicit a hearty 'tee hee' for its risqué content (could they say that even now on American TV?) but uses all the letters (indeed, this is the only Fawlty Towers program except the first to feature the sign with all its letters).

Episode 12: Basil the Rat -- FARTY TOWELS

Scraping the bottom of the barrel (tee hee!) for the series' final program, a W is not used for this one but at least it kinda rhymes with the show's actual title. Same as Episode 5's WARTY TOWELS with an F instead of a W.

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