Rising Damp

Infobox television
show_name = Rising Damp


caption = Main cast of "Rising Damp"
(l-r) Frances de la Tour, Leonard Rossiter, Richard Beckinsale, Don Warrington.
format = Sitcom
picture_format =
runtime = 30 minutes
creator = Eric Chappell
starring = Leonard Rossiter,
Frances de la Tour,
Richard Beckinsale,
Don Warrington
channel = ITV
country= United Kingdom
first_aired = 2 September 1974
last_aired = 9 May 1978
num_series =
num_episodes = 28
producer = Yorkshire Television
(ITV Productions)
related =
imdb_id = 0071041
list_episodes= List of Rising Damp episodes

"Rising Damp" was a UK television sitcom produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV, first broadcast from 1974 to 1978. It was adapted for television by Eric Chappell ["Writer Eric Chappell" http://www.itv.com/BestofITV/comedy/RisingDamp/default.html Retrieved 24/09/07] from his well-received 1971 stage play, "The Banana Box" (retained as the working title early in the series"The Banana Box working title" [http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguide/books/story/0,14684,1556350,00.html] ] ). The series was the highest-ranking ITV sitcom on the 100 Best Sitcoms poll run in 2004 by the BBC ["Rising Damp, highest ITV comedy ranking" http://www.bbc.co.uk/sitcom/top11to100.shtml Retrieved 24/09/07] .

Basic premise

"Rising Damp" starred Leonard Rossiter, Frances de la Tour, Richard Beckinsale and Don Warrington. ["Cast of characters" http://www.itv.com/BestofITV/comedy/RisingDamp/default.html Retrieved 24/09/07] Rossiter played Rupert Rigsby (originally Rooksby in the stage play): the miserly, seedy, and ludicrously self-regarding landlord of a run-down Victorian town house who rented out his shabby rooms to a variety of tenants. Beckinsale played Alan George Moore, a long-haired, naive, good-natured and amiable medical student who occupied the top room. Frances de la Tour was Ruth "Miss" Jones: a fey, whimsical spinster and college administrator who rented another room, with whom Rigsby was in love and to whom Rigsby proposed in the last episode.

In the pilot episode, a new tenant arrived. Philip Smith (Don Warrington) was a planning student who claimed to be the son of an African Chief. As a black man, he brought out the ill-informed fears and knee-jerk suspicions of the Rigsby. However, the landlord quickly accepted his new tenant and henceforth regarded him with a wary respect... wary because of Philip's intelligence, smooth manners and especially because Miss Jones was attracted to the handsome sophisticate. Of these four principal actors, only Beckinsale was a new recruit - the others had all played their roles in the original stage play.

Other tenants occasionally lived at the house but never became permanent residents, often appearing only in a single episode. The series is in the British comedy tradition of having failure as a key underlying theme, each of the characters having lives of quiet desperation.

Frances de la Tour temporarily left the series in 1975 due to theatre commitments, and was 'replaced' by occasional other tenants. She returned for the final two series.

Film

A feature film was made in 1980, but due to the death of Richard Beckinsale the year before, his role, though not his actual character, was taken by actor Christopher Strauli. The film's theme song features lyrics by series creator Eric Chappell and was released as a 7" single. The B-side features comedy dialogue between characters Rigsby and Miss Jones.

In the movie, Philip is revealed "not" to be a chief's son after all, and to be from Croydon rather than Africa, adopting his false persona in order to start a new life and gain some respect. When Rigsby finds out, he refuses to believe Philip doesn't come from Africa and continues to pretend he does.

List of Episodes

Pilot
* The Lodgers Broadcast (2 Sep 74)

Series 1
* Black Magic (13 Dec 74)
* Charisma (20 Dec 74)
* A Night Out (27 Dec 74)
* All Our Yesterdays (3 Jan 75)
* The Prowler (10 Jan 75)
* Stand Up And Be Counted (17 Jan 75)

Series 2
* Permissive Society (7 Nov 75)
* Food Glorious Food (14 Nov 75)
* A Body Like Mine (21 Nov 75)
* Moonlight And Roses (28 Nov 75)
* The Perfect Gentleman (5 Dec 75)
* The Last Of The Big Spenders (12 Dec 75)
* Things That Go Bump In The Night (19 Dec 75)

Christmas Special
* For The Man Who Has Everything (26 Dec 75)

Series 3
* That's My Boy (12 Apr 77)
* Stage Struck (19 Apr 77)
* Clunk Click (26 Apr 77)
* The Good Samaritans (3 May 77)
* Fawcett's Python (10 May 77)
* The Cocktail Hour (17 May 77)
* Suddenly At Home (24 May 77)

Series 4
* Hello Young Lovers (4 Apr 78)
* Fire And Brimstone (11 Apr 78)
* Great Expectations (18 Apr 78)
* Pink Carnations (25 Apr 78)
* Under The Influence (2 May 78)
* Come On In - The Water's Lovely (9 May 78)

Re-runs & DVD

As of 2007 the series is still frequently repeated on UK terrestrial and satellite channels (though sometimes with noticeable cutsFact|date=April 2007, possibly due to some of the material being perceived as racist) and the complete series has been released on Region 2 DVD and Acorn Media is releasing it on region 1 DVD in North America as well (see below).

Unfortunately for fans, many of the TV episodes only exist in the form of copies with grainy pictures and badly distorted sound, the original master tapes apparently having been wiped. Labour MP Tom Pendry also won a libel action against the programme when it portrayed a Labour candidate (played by Michael Ward) with the same surname in an unflattering light; his name is edited out of the broadcast version when it is repeated.

Meaning of the title

Rising damp is a condition caused by ground moisture rising up a masonry wall by capilliary action. It often occurs where there is no damp-proof course (DPC) or where the DPC has been damaged or bridged. Older houses, such as depicted in the show, were built without damp-proof courses or with a barrier material that is liable to failure.

In the temperate/wet British climate, water infiltration into a house can be a problem, particularly in houses without a cellar or crawl space beneath them. The result of water penetrating the inner wall is visible as a darker patch on the plaster lining of the inner wall, usually starting at floor level on the ground floor and rising up from there, hence the term. In extreme cases, salt leached out of the wall forms crystals on the surface of the plaster as the water evaporates. Needless to say, the appearance of rising damp everywhere in a house is a symptom of neglect, age, decrepitude etc.

DVD Releases

endnote|movieThis includes includes the film version, since Carlton had acquired the rights to the film, and through the mergers of the various ITV companies Granada Television subsequently acquired the rights to both the Carlton and Yorkshire Television archives.

Miscellaneous

* Rigsby’s cat is named Vienna. The name comes about (as Rigsby informs us) from when he goes to put the cat out on a cold, dark winter's evening - if there is another set of eyes out there then it's Goodnight Vienna.

* Rigsby's first name is Rupert, which is revealed in the film and in one episode where Rigsby's estranged wife turns up after hearing that he is to inherit his uncle's estate.

* Eric Chappell defended Rigsby by saying he "was not a racist or a bigot, but he was prejudiced and suspicious of strangers. But he accepted Philip, and his only concern afterwards was that he didn't get a legover with Miss Jones."

* Richard Beckinsale was not in the fourth series.

* There are twenty eight episodes in total (this includes the pilot).

* In 2007 Peter Serafinowicz did an impression of Ralph Fiennes in the guise of Rigsby. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pJMuFMVow0 YouTube link to episode of Peter Serafinowicz show with impression of Ralph Fiennes in the guise of Rigsby.] ]

* Alistair McGowan did impressions of Rising Damp in his show The Big Impression, McGowan played Rigsby and Ronni Ancona played Catherine Zeta-Jones in parody to Miss Jones.

ee also

* List of films based on British sitcoms

References

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/r/risingdamp_7775500.shtml Comedy Guide - "Rising Damp"] at bbc.co.uk
* [http://www.leonardrossiter.com/risingdamp/index.html Rigsby Online - Official Web Site]
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/R/htmlR/risingdamp/risingdamp.htm Encyclopedia of Television]
* [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/579131/index.html British Film Institute Screen Online]
* [http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/rising/index.html Cast and series credits]
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