Which 1979 episode introduced Mrs Richards, the 'guest from hell'?

The 1979 Fawlty Towers episode that introduced Mrs Richards, the “guest from hell”, is “Communication Problems”.

Mrs Richards is a domineering, hard-of-hearing hotel guest whose constant misunderstandings drive the episode’s escalating comic chaos. She struggles to hear the staff, while Basil Fawlty becomes increasingly exasperated by her demands, complaints and refusal to accept the hotel’s arrangements.

The episode is the seventh broadcast instalment and the first episode of the second series, which began airing in February 1979. Joan Sanderson played Mrs Richards, giving the character a sharply memorable combination of imperiousness and selective hearing. Basil’s attempts to keep his betting winnings secret from Sybil form the parallel storyline.

A common mix-up is confusing the episode title with the character’s unofficial label. Some audio releases used “Mrs Richards” as an alternate title for “Communication Problems”, which likely explains why both names appear in Fawlty Towers reference material. The episode was also later adapted into the stage production Fawlty Towers: The Play.