Independent 12153 by Phi

Phi on Saturday – interesting.

Was it really 50 years yesterday that Fawlty Towers first aired? An absolute classic

A fun puzzle today too – 28ac was a great clue (for its construction) and 4dn would be my other pick for its amusement. Plenty of also-rans too

Thanks Phi – not too taxing for an autumnal morning.

Key * anagram; rev, reversed; underline definition

Across
1 Cutlet? School dunce getting zero meals, skipping regularly (9)
Sch (school) + nit(dunce) + z + mEaLs = SCHNITZEL

6 Heads for chilled beer, but accepting another drink a bit (5)
cb (heads of chilled beer) around rum (another drink) = CRUMB

9 Match time – about to get stuck in (5)
age(time) about re (about) = AGREE

10 Horrible bum noises in substantial volumes (9)
(bum noises)* = OMNIBUSES

11 Alaskan city in which nothing is unpleasant (7)
Nome (Alaskan city) around o (nothing) + is = NOISOME

12/8 Elegant clothes? Yes, and bust will look remarkable (6,4)
(yes and bust)* = SUNDAY BEST

13 Good sense, not about to take European bribe (6)
g(good) + reason(sense) – on(about) + e (European) = GREASE

14 Large group, nearly everyone, besieging very good treatment centre (8)
host(large group) + all(everyone) – l around pi (very good) = HOSPITAL

18 Exercises I abandoned to repair spear (8)
trains (exercises) – I + fix*repair) = TRANSFIX

20 Recalled strike times: rather hard in places (6)
Rev. bonk (strike) + by (times) = KNOBBY

23 Joke teller covering Society on the widest scale (6)
comic (joke teller) around s(society) = COSMIC

25 Agreement: there s damage on rear of dinghy (7)
harm(damage) + on + y (rear of dinghy) = HARMONY

27 Running, I cannot retain energy, and start to languish over two Olympiads (9)
(I cannot)* around e(energy) + l (start to languish) = OCTENNIAL

28 Religious figure clearing South American city of dangerous insects (5)
mosquitoes(dangerous insects) – Quito(South american city) = MOSES

29 Hot with desire, a creature waiting to move in? (5)
h(hot) + yen (desire) + a = HYENA

30 Robespierre, perhaps frequently beheaded servant (9)
fr(frequently) + henchman(servant) – h = FRENCHMAN

Down
1 Identify name involved in spectacle such as drunken party? (4,5)
tag (identify) + n(name) in sight (spectacle) = STAG NIGHT

2 Girl s getting love in scene, ultimately – this girl? (7)
her(girl’s) + o(love) + in + e (scene ultimately) = HEROINE

3 Dubious choice to ignore earliest cold operations in such as these? (3,6)
(choice – s)* + uses (operations) = ICE HOUSES

4 Rushed veterinary work at Regent’s Park? (6)
Zoo med (veterinary work at Regent’s Park) = ZOOMED

5 New rip in sack letting one escape? It might just work (4,4)
n + gash (rip) – a (one escape) in loot (sack) = LONG SHOT

6 Writer with account elevated humble home? (5)
Rev. nib (writer) + ac(account) = CABIN

7 Newly-prominent delivery company, very sharp (7)
UPS (delivery company) + tart (very sharp) = UPSTART

8 See 12 Across

15 Roam around in alarm, covering a wide area (9)
(roam)* in panic(alarm) = PANORAMIC

16 Observe secular period, certainly getting involved (3,4,2)
lay(secular) + eon (period) around yes(certainly) = LAY EYES ON

17 Male is arch – displaying this? (8)
m(male) + is + chief(arch) = MISCHIEF

19 Article following the Parisian evangelist (7)
a(article) + post (following) + le (the Parisian) = APOSTLE

21 Succeed, having misdirected gangsters about failure (7)
loss(failure) in Rev. mob(gangsters) = BLOSSOM

22 Put off a lot of individuals touring 14 (6)
selves (individuals) – s around h (hospital) = SHELVE

24 End being bowled over about a new fad (5)
rev. aim (end) about a + n(new) = MANIA

26 Expression of sadness upset hearts? Nonsense (4)
Rev. sob (expression of sadness) + h(hearts) = BOSH