BBC viewers slam Fawlty Towers episode paying tribute to Prunella Scales 'Hardly in it'

The BBC have been slammed by viewers after airing an episode of classic sitcom Fawlty Towers in tribute to one of its stars Prunella Scales who has died at the age of 93, following a long battle with dementia. The channel announced they were airing the second episode, The Builders, which originally broadcast in September 1975. Although the episode was intended to honour the late star many viewers felt it was a bad choice given that she hardly features in the story.

Taking to X one vented: "Well done BBC for showing Fawlty Towers tonight. However you managed to show the episode which features Prunella the least. Also I'm still waiting for your Robert Redford tribute." Another opined: "@bbc have scheduled a tribute to Prunella Scales with an episode of Fawlty Towers that she's hardly in. Also, it's a pretty horrible racist, sexist show in retrospect isn't it?"

A third chimed in: "No, not The Builders being shown in tribute to Prunella Scales? OK, Sybil has some great scenes, but it's easily the weakest episode of the entire series. If you wanted a Sybil-centric episode, why not show The Anniversary?"

A fourth took offence that the broadcaster hadn't edited out a racial slur aimed at the character of Manuel, who is a Spanish waiter played by Andrew Sachs.

A fifth person, however, enjoyed the episode penning: "Absolutely in love with watching Fawlty Towers on BBC One. Sybil was fantastic and the standout in this episode. RIP Prunella Scales."

Prunella's absence in most of the episode is explained as her character Sybill Fawlty is supposed to be away.

The plot revolves around her husband Basil's (played by John Cleese) attempt to have renovations done at the hotel by hiring cheap, incompetent builders, which leads to a disastrous mess that he tries to fix in her absense.

The episode recently featured in a 5 documentary The Cancellation of Fawlty Towers as they looked at the show's attitude towards the Irish. The character of Irish builder O'Reilly, played by David Kelly, recurred regularly on the show.

Prunella, played Sybil Fawlty for the entire run of Fawlty Towers - from 1975 to 1979 - appearing in all 12 episodes of both series.

Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy said: "All of us at BBC Comedy are so sorry to hear of Prunella Scales' passing. She was a national treasure whose brilliance as Sybil Fawlty lit up screens and still makes us laugh today. We send our love and condolences to her family and friends."

The on-screen star's son's Samuel and Joseph announced the news of her death. The brothers said she had been watching Fawlty Towers the day before she died.

The legendary actress retired from acting after being diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2013. Her husband Timothy died in November 2024 at the age of 90, but she was sadly not able to fully understand that he had died. Her son Samuel said: "All I am going to say is she's not really well enough to take it all in."