The Kipper and the Corpse The Kipper and the Corpse "The Kipper and the Corpse" is the fourth episode of the second series of the British sitcom "Fawlty Towers". It first aired at 9.00pm on 12 March 1979 on BBC2. Distinguishing it from other episodes is its heavy use of black comedy. During the early 1970s, John Cleese met a young hotelier called Andrew Leeman. They went on holiday together to the Aegean with their girlfriends between the first and second series of "Fawlty Towers", a time when Cleese was looking for ideas for plots. During the holiday, Leeman told him how when he was
The Kipper and the Corpse are out of date. Despite his protestations, he is reassured by Terry and overruled by Sybil, who orders him to take the breakfast upstairs. So distracted by fury at industrial action reported in that morning's papers, he fails to notice that Leeman has died, assuming that his silence is due simply to rudeness, and instead rants about the strike while tidying the room and opening the curtains. Moments later, Polly takes up the milk which had been mistakenly omitted from Leeman's breakfast tray, realises immediately that Leeman is dead and hurries downstairs to tell everyone. Recalling the "Sell-By" date he