Fawlty Towers (The Germans)

Damn near any other comedy would have been satisfied with conjuring as much wit as the first two-thirds of this episode. It has no shortage of amusing conversations and slapstick comedy that should appease any sort of audience, and a lesser comedy would have considered that a fine point to start. “Fawlty Towers”, however, is just getting started, reaching manic heights through a final third that sees Cleese at his best, paying off setups that were amusing enough by themselves that they didn’t register as mere setups for a punchline at first glance. Maybe the funniest half-hour of television ever.

10