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For the eponymous condition affecting structures, see rising damp (structural).
Rising Damp is a television sitcom produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV, first broadcast from 1974 to 1978. It was adapted for television by Eric Chappell[1] from his well-received 1971 stage play, The Banana Box (retained as the working title early in the series[2]). The series was the highest-ranking ITV sitcom on the 100 Best Sitcoms poll run in 2004 by the BBC[3].
[edit] Basic premiseRising Damp starred Leonard Rossiter, Frances de la Tour, Richard Beckinsale and Don Warrington.[4] 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 bedsits to a variety of tenants. Beckinsale played Alan Guy 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 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. In the first series there was another tenant Spooner, a professional wrestler, played by Derek Newark (Rigsby gets on his bad side when he and Alan 'borrow' his clothes in the episode 'A Night Out') he made only two appearances but is mentioned in other episodes in series 1. 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 leading lives of quiet desperation. Frances de la Tour temporarily left the series in 1975, after appearing in four episodes of the second series, because of theatre commitments, and was 'replaced' by Gabrielle (Gay) Rose for three episodes as new tenant Brenda (she also appeared in la Tour's last episode of 1975 "Moonlight and Roses"), whilst Henry McGee also stood in for one episode as new tenant Seymour. Frances de la Tour returned for the final two series. Richard Beckinsale did not appear in the fourth series due to West End theatre commitments. Eric Chappell wrote some lines to explain Alan's absence into the intended first episode 'Fire and Brimstone', he had passed his exams to become a doctor, but these were cut when it was decided to broadcast the second episode 'Hello Young Lovers' as the first episode instead. 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 Miss Jones'. [edit] Emphasis on personal failureThe programme depicts closely the failing lives of all four characters, unusually for such comedy programme, there is no character who is presented in a positive and successful light. Rigsby is a divorcee who has since become a seedy, ignorant man who is suspicious of anyone different from himself. Miss Jones is an unhappy spinster, who is shown to be desperate for male attention, and even willing to effectively pay for it. Alan is socially inept and remains a virgin throughout much of the series, despite appearing to be in his mid 20s. Phillip is a compulsive liar, who creates a Walter Mitty-like life for himself, which everyone in the house believes, however outsiders always see through his outlandish lies. [edit] Characters[edit] RigsbyRupert Rigsby is the landlord of the house. Rigsby is a dour, tight fisted character with particularly right wing views. In the film he states he believes hanging should be reinstated, but this time in public. Rigsby is suspicious of anything unknown, particularly Philip, who is black, suave and intelligent. Although Rigsby is by no means racist, he is suspicious of Philip because of his different culture and the fact he is genuinely sophisticated and educated (what Rigsby aspires to be). Rigsby is an ardent British patriot, believing himself to be a lost member of the British royal family. Rigsby also makes exaggerated and romanticised references to his military service during the Second World War (e.g. frequently referring to 'a bit of trouble with the old shrapnel'). Rigsby is also an enormous snob, and obsessively pre-occupied with being middle class, which although he is the proprietor of a boarding house is perhaps a stretch too far. Rigsby appears to adopt an 'old school tie' attitude, although this is likely to be just a front as there is no mention of any public school connections (one can only assume, if Rigsby did have any, he would mention them frequently). Rigsby is a seedy man, who has little romantic interest in Miss Jones, only a sexual interest; he spends most of the series trying to prove to her otherwise, usually with no avail. Rigsby's cat is named Vienna. The name comes about (as Rigsby tells us) from when he goes to put the cat out on a cold dark night - if there is another set of eyes out there then it's Goodnight Vienna. [edit] Miss JonesRuth Jones is an educated college administrator, who has always remained a spinster. She is a romantic, but only gets male attention from Rigsby, which although she sometimes enjoys, she mostly seems to find it an annoyance. Like Rigsby, Miss Jones, carries pretensions, believing herself to be better than the life she leads and to be reasonably sophisticated. The comedy uses pathos to touch upon the sad, failing life of Miss Jones, in one episode she gives money to a man she has romantic interest in, knowing full well he is conning her, but craving male attention to a point where she is willing to effectively pay him for it. Miss Jones openly fancies Philip, frequently cooking for him (much to the annoyance of Rigsby) however unfortunately for her, this is not reciprocated, however she does find solace in Philip's superior intellect and the two appear to be friends. Besides being a sexual interest of Rigsby, Miss Jones is also a social interest to him, being as she is genuinely middle class, (seemingly upper middle class), Rigsby sees her as a sophisticate and any courtship with Miss Jones would be a social as well as sexual conquest. [edit] AlanAlan Moore is a likeable young medical student. Rigsby treats him with mistrust, mainly because of Alan's permissive, left wing views. Alan has little luck with girlfriends, but is content with his life. Alan hails from a middle class family and appreciates music and arts. Although Alan is academically successful, socially he is somewhat inept, appearing to have few friends outside of the lodging house. Alan occasionally confides his problems with Rigsby, who is always unsympathetic. On one occasion however Alan is defended by Rigsby, when an incandescent father of one of his girlfriends suspects the two of them have been having sex, Rigsby sends the man out of the house with a 'flea in his ear', defending Alan, apparently because Rigsby was offended the man assumed Rigsby to be Alan's father. Alan is immature and Rigsby does become somewhat of a strange father figure for him. [edit] PhilipPhilip Smith is a second generation African immigrant from Croydon, although for most of the series he claims to be the son of an African tribal King. Philip largely fabricates a Walter Mitty style life for himself, glamorising his unremarkable background. Miss Jones, Rigsby and Alan all willingly believe him, but outsiders never seem to. Philip is an intelligent, educated man (more so then the moderately educated Alan and Miss Jones), he is sophisticated and suave, this makes Rigsby suspicious of him, particularly as Miss Jones openly fancies him. Philip does not reciprocate Miss Jones' romantic interests. [edit] SettingThe exact setting is never made clear. It is perhaps not important because it very rarely moves outside of the house. All that is specified is that it is somewhere in Yorkshire, following a few references to the fact: the River Humber is mentioned in one episode, and Alan says he commutes via Yorkshire Traction, a former bus company which operated in South and West Yorkshire, particularly around Barnsley. [edit] FilmA feature film was made in 1980. Richard Beckinsale died the year before, and his role was taken by Christopher Strauli. The film's theme song features lyrics by Eric Chappell and released as a 7" single. The B-side features comedy dialogue between Rigsby and Miss Jones. Philip is revealed not to be a chief's son from Africa, but from Croydon, adopting his false persona to start a new life and gain respect. When Rigsby finds out, he cannot believe Philip doesn't come from Africa, and continues to assume he does. This plotline is from the original stageplay The Banana Box. The film reuses many of the storylines in the television series. [edit] Re-runs & DVDAs of 2009[update] the series is still repeated on UK Freeview channel ITV3 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). The series was repeated on Channel 4 between 1998 and 2004 until ITV3 was launched. On screen episode titles have been added to the DVD versions of series 1 & 2, the episode titles on series 3 & 4 are however original. [edit] Libel caseLabour 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. The episode in question 'Stand Up and Be Counted' is an NTSC copy returned from Canada, the original PAL videotape was deliberately wiped by Yorkshire Television because of the offence caused and was never intended to be broadcast in the UK again. [edit] Meaning of the titleMain article: rising damp (structural) Rising damp is a condition caused by ground moisture rising up a masonry wall by capillary 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. [edit] DVD Releases
^ This 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. [edit] See also[edit] References[edit] External links
Categories: Yorkshire Television productions | ITV sitcoms | 1970s British television series | Television programs based on plays | 1974 in British television | 1974 television series debuts | 1978 television series endings | Television shows set in Yorkshire | Television shows set in Leeds | Films set in Yorkshire | Films set in Leeds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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