LeonardRossiter.com: Rising Damp - Episode Guide: Series One

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Episode Guide: Pilot and Series One
Note: The reference to RDS in the Changed Scenes section refers to the page no. of the Rising Damp Scripts book.
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Related pages: The Story of the Series - Script Excerpts - Photos & Stills - Video Clips

The New Tenant - Black Magic - A Night Out - Charisma

All Our Yesterdays - The Prowler - Stand Up And Be Counted

Title: Pilot The New Tenant (formerly Rooksby) Starring: Leonard Rossiter, Richard Beckinsale, Frances de la Tour, Don Warrington.	Original Broadcast Date: Monday 2nd September 1974, 8pm, ITV. Summary: Rigsby agrees to take in a new lodger, a black student.
Scene Guide:
- Alan tries to persuade Rigsby to let him have the vacant - and warmer - downstairs room, as his room in the attic has rising damp, which Rigsby insists is condensation. Rigsby tells him the rent on the downstairs room is £6. Miss Jones instead persuades Rigsby to rent the room to a student friend of hers, Philip, as a favour.	.. ..
- Back in his room, Alan is heating a beaker of milk over a Bunsen burner. Rigsby walks in and demands Alan's table for the downstairs room. On his way out, Alan introduces Rigsby to his new friend - his training skeleton behind the door. Rigsby almost drops the table. When the new tenant arrives, however, he is black, and Rigsby takes an instant dislike to him.	. .
- After Philip has settled in, Rigsby goes to discuss Philip's colour and tribal marks with Alan.
- Rigsby then goes to see Philip to deter him from staying. He tells Philip that the brickwork holds back half the town and that the gas is potentially lethal. But when Philip gives him £6 rent without argument, he softens a little. Rigsby leaves with Vienna. Alan then enters and introduces himself, although he's only really there because the room is warmer. After Alan has gone, Miss Jones enters and starts to seduce Philip. Rigsby returns with Philip's rent book and Miss Jones exits hurriedly. Rigsby thinks Miss Jones has intentions towards Philip, and Rigsby gives his cat Vienna a jealous kick on his way out. Rigsby is now desperate and tries to think of a plan to make Philip leave.	.. ..
- In Alan's room he spots a jar which Alan has jokingly labelled 'Diphtheria Germs', and decides to put them to good use.	.
- Rigsby has just managed to place the jar of 'germs' under Philip's bedclothes when the student returns from the bathroom. After one last attempt at Philip's removal, by telling him the room is haunted, Rigsby leaves. Philip suspects something under the covers and finds the jar of 'germs' straight away, and throws it into the wastepaper basket. Ruth enters, and Philip is annoyed at the constant interruptions to his study. Ruth tries to calm him down by sitting on the bed and inviting Philip to join him. She turns back the covers seductively, and finds Alan's training skeleton lying there. Her screams are heard all over the house and Rigsby comes running to her defence. Miss Jones informs Rigsby that nothing was going on and tells Rigsby that Philip is the son of an African chief, much to Philip's annoyance, but Rigsby suddenly takes a shine to him, thinking it will improve his status in the community. He asks Philip about his upbringing in Africa, but Philip starts to pack his suitcase to leave. Rigsby tells him there is another room.	.. .
- In the attic room, Philip is unpacking when Alan enters. He protests that will not share the room, but Rigsby leaves them arguing.	.
Production Notes: - The reason for the two titles is as follows: Just before filming started on this pilot episode, Leonard Rossiter was interviewed about his character, for those who had not seen his Rooksby in the original play The Banana Box. His comment: "If you didn't like Hitler, you certainly won't like Rooksby!" offended a real Mr. Rooksby, who complained to Yorkshire Television. The episode was changed to The New Tenant and the resulting forced change of name from Rooksby to Rigsby (after a flick through the phone book) also made Eric Chappell decide that The Banana Box no longer sounded right as a title for the series, and instead decided on an excerpt from the script: "...I've got rising damp!" (which he instantly regretted, but Leonard Rossiter loved the title, so Rising Damp it was). Watch This Episode in Full	Bloopers: - After Philip has settled in to the downstairs flat, Rigsby finds his cat Vienna in the room and picks him up to remove him. As he nears the door, the cat makes a leap from Rigsby's arms and Leonard only just manages to hold onto him as he leaves the room. Script Excerpt: - "'Son of a chief', eh?"

Title: Black Magic Starring: Leonard Rossiter, Richard Beckinsale, Frances de la Tour, Don Warrington.	Original Broadcast Date: Friday 13th December 1974, 8.30pm, ITV. Summary: Philip has to demonstrate his 'godly' powers.
Scene Guide:
- Rigsby is in Alan's room, where his landlord has another go at Philip behind his back, insisting that he had never had a pair of shoes on till he came to Britain, and so on. Alan is having none of it, and jokes with Rigsby that he now has competition for Miss Jones' affections.	. .
- Meanwhile, Philip has returned to the boarding house and is trying to creep past Ruth's room, so as not to attract her attention. He fails, and Philip is dragged in to her room.
- She asks him why he didn't see her last night, and Philip uses the (very valid) excuse that Rigsby was outside her room, painting the door for the fifth time that week. Rigsby enters, paint pot in hand, and Philip makes his escape. Rigsby says he has come to check Ruth's paintwork.	..
- Philip is now back in his room, where he is surprised to see Alan, as he normally goes home at the weekends. Alan proceeds to ask Philip about his ten wives. As Philip starts to change his trousers, Alan asks him if he is circumcised, to which Philip replies he is. With his trousers at his knees, Philip's privacy is interrupted by the entrance of Rigsby, and the boys demand more privacy. Alan has told Rigsby that Philip has ten wives, much to Rigsby's disbelief, and that he is seen as a god in his own country. Amidst incredulity, Rigsby orders Philip to perform a miracle, to prove possession of his special powers. Philip produces a ceremonial assegai spear and head-dress, and kneels on the floor. He bangs the spear on the floor three times, but Rigsby is still sure nothing will happen. Miss Jones, however, has taken the knockings as a sign from Philip to come up to his room, and rushes into the room - and in her nightie - a miracle for sure! Rigsby is gobsmacked.	.. ..
- The following night, Rigsby is again eavesdropping outside people's doors with his pot of paint. This time it is the attic room. He is suddenly disturbed by Alan opening the door. On entering the room, Rigsby quickly changes the subject when he notices the two students reading their textbooks. He tells them of his own education - or lack of, and is amused to learn that Philip is studying Town and Country Planning. Rigsby refuses to believe there would be much demand for that 'in the jungle'. Talk turns to last night's 'miracle' appearance of a scantily-clad Miss Jones, but Rigsby says it was just coincidence. He challenges Philip to perform another miracle, and leaves the room saying it's all mumbo-jumbo.	..
- Revenge is apparently wrought by the Gods, however, when Rigsby slips on the stairs and nearly breaks his leg.
- Back in the room, Philip starts to get ready to go out. Much to Alan's envy, Philip tells him he has got a date. Philip suggests Alan should take Ruth out, but Alan has his doubts. After he has gone, Alan is trying on Philip's trendy jacket, and pretends to be at a dance. He asks a girl for the next dance - the 'girl' being his training skeleton - and starts to waltz it around the room. Rigsby enters, unnoticed by Alan, and calls him a morbid sod for dancing with a skeleton. He tells Rigsby that Philip has gone out on a date, and still denies that Philip has magical powers. Alone again, Alan tries his chances with the spear, banging it three times on the floor, as Philip had done. Once again, Ruth enters. Disappointed to see Philip absent, she tells Alan that they are almost engaged. When Rigsby returns, Ruth leaves hastily. Rigsby accuses Alan of trying to chat up Miss Jones, and an argument ensues. Alan ends up grabbing a laboratory jar and tells Rigsby it is full of millions of lethal micro-organisms. He throws it at Rigsby and he gets some of it on his fingers. After a few moments of panic, he smells something familiar. On sniffing his fingers, he realises the jar contains salad cream. Alan puts his head back round the door to laugh at Rigsby's gullibility, and Rigsby grabs the spear to send him off. Realising he is alone wit the spear, Rigsby attempts to perform a miracle. He puts on the head-dress, dims the lights and bangs the spear three times, as before. The knocks are replied with three more, and Rigsby is petrified. As he looks around the room, however, he sees Alan and Philip in the doorway, laughing.	.. .. ..
Changed Scenes: - After Philip jokes with Rigsby about suburbanising the jungle, talk turns to cannibalism. Philip says they eat hearts and eyes (RDS: p.42). - After Alan tells Rigsby about the miracles he sees on the wards, Rigsby invites Alan out for a pint (RDS: p.44). Watch This Episode in Full	Script Excerpt: - "...wearing gumboots, it branded you... especially round the back of the leg."

Title: A Night Out Starring: Leonard Rossiter, Richard Beckinsale, Frances de la Tour, Don Warrington. With: Frank Gatliff as Charlie; Derek Newark as Spooner.	Original Broadcast Date: Friday 20th December 1974, 8.30pm, ITV. Summary: Landlord and tenants celebrate Miss Jones' birthday.
Scene Guide:
- Rigsby enters the attic room in a black pinstripe suit, silk scarf and kid gloves. They tell him the suit is no longer in fashion, then ask him why he is wearing it. He tells them it is Miss Jones' birthday and he has booked a table at posh restaurant The Grange, but can't bring himself to tell Ruth, so he gets Philip to tell her. Alan says he won't be able to go as he's got no money. Rigsby offers to pay, then tells Alan he'll notice the increase in his rent to pay it back.	.. .
- Philip has gone to Miss Jones' room to invite her out on behalf of Rigsby. Ruth is depressed and has donned her blue glasses. She laments the fact that instead of enjoying a social night out she is trying to decide whether to do the ironing or try on a face pack. Philip cheers her up by telling her about the reservation at The Grange.	.
- Meanwhile, Alan has raided the wardrobe of another tenant, a wrestler called Spooner, nicknamed 'The Animal'. Alan tells Rigsby to wear a dapper tuxedo with pink lapels, but Rigsby thinks he looks like a member of the band.	.
- Persuaded to change his mind, Rigsby later wears the tuxedo to inform Ruth the taxi has arrived and to give her a present of perfume and talcum powder, and to adorn her with a corsage of flowers. He saves Miss Jones from a spider by stamping on it, only for her to tell him it was her false eyelash.	. .
- At The Grange, Rigsby thinks Philip will be lost in such 'high company' but Philip is in fact a member and is treated with far more respect than Rigsby (especially as Rigsby remembers the manager Charles from the war, and insists on calling him Charlie). Philip is the first to take Miss Jones for a spin on the dance floor, much to Rigsby's annoyance. Alan returns from the bathroom, having cost him ten pence to get out. Rigsby takes a dislike to Philip's style of dancing and also tells Alan about his terrible dinner manners. He waits for the band to strike up a slow waltz, then takes Miss Jones onto the dance floor. Meanwhile, the wrestler Spooner has appeared, taken back his bow-tie which Alan borrowed and wrestled with Rigsby on the dance floor to get his tuxedo back, resulting in a torn off sleeve. Philip takes Ruth home in disgust, while Alan and Rigsby are forced to settle the bill and leave. They still feel hungry, however, and head off to the chip shop.	.. .. .. ..
Production Notes: - This was reported to be Leonard Rossiter's least favourite episode, as he felt the major scenes in the restaurant lost the claustrophobic effect of the boarding house scenes. Watch This Episode in Full	Script Excerpt: - "...he'll be arching his back, passing under the tables in a minute."

Title: Charisma Starring: Leonard Rossiter, Richard Beckinsale, Frances de la Tour, Don Warrington. With: Liz Edmiston as Maureen.	Original Broadcast Date: Friday 27th December 1974, 8.30pm, ITV. Summary: Rigsby gets advice on courtship from the boys.
Scene Guide:
- Rigsby tries chatting up Miss Jones by telling her she has good taste, based not least on her table mats of Scenes From The Ballet and the fact she has put blue water in the toilet bowl. Ruth asks him to tighten the screws on her doorknob, as people keep walking off with it. Rigsby obliges, and invites Ruth to a wrestling bout tomorrow night, as his tenant Spooner is one of the wrestlers and has given Rigsby two tickets. Ruth is less than enthusiastic, until Rigsby informs her that sometimes the wrestlers end up in the audience. He gives her more details about the match, but she makes an excuse that she is working late.	.. ..
- Philip returns to his room and Alan asks him of his opinion on his new ear-ring. Philip likes it, but is in a bad mood, as he has had to say goodbye to his girlfriend in the street, as Rigsby does not allow girlfriends in the rooms. Alan thinks if Rigsby is given some help in wooing Ruth, he might relax that particular rule. Rigsby enters their room, coughing and spluttering. Alan gives him a coffee. As he sips it, he notices Alan's ear-ring, and wonders what the world is coming to. Rigsby throws the wrestling tickets at Alan, as he has failed to persuade Miss Jones to accompany him. The students get to work on giving Rigsby some charisma and advice on how to please Miss Jones. Alan gives him the latest Matt Munro LP and some relaxant tablets (which have an as yet undisclosed side effect), and Philip gives him his medallion.	.. ..
- By the time Rigsby has made it to Miss Jones' room and put the record on (at the wrong speed), he is nearly unconscious from the tablets, and falls towards Miss Jones. As she gets up in disgust, Rigsby wavers on the settee and then passes out on it, face down.	.. ..
- Two days later, after Rigsby had spent twenty-four hours asleep from the effects of the tablets, he seeks out Alan to beat him up. Not only did his water turn green, but he still can't feel his teeth. Later, Philip tries another plan, as Rigsby says he would do Philip a favour if it worked (and Phlip still wants to bring his girlfriend back to his room). He tells him of an African practice of burning 'love wood' outside a woman's hut, and gives Rigsby a piece.	.. ..
- Later, and Alan has bought a cyclist friend, Maureen, back to his room to get her drunk, but she only drinks from her bicycle canisters. When Miss Jones enters, trying to find the source of the burning smell, she sends Alan off to Spooner's room to investigate. With Maureen forced to hide under the bed, Rigsby enters, waving his smoking stick of 'love wood' at Ruth. Ruth extinguishes it with a soda siphon and leaves. After drying his face, Rigsby notices Maureen's bike and questions Alan about it when he returns. Maureen emerges from under the bed and Rigsby kicks her out. Now in a bad mood, Rigsby denies Philip his favour of bringing a girl in, so in anger Philip confesses to Rigsby his 'love wood' was in fact a piece of planed wood from off the wardrobe.	.. .. ..
Changed Scenes: - In the original script, the LP Alan gives Philip is by Perry Como, not Matt Munro (RDS: p.70). - Similarly, Alan's date Maureen was originally called Beryl (RDS: p.75). - The episode ends with Rigsby's anger at burning his own furniture as 'love wood', but the original script called for Rigsby to chase his tenants out of the room with the soda syphon (RDS: p.78).	Production Notes: - It was a reworked version of this episode which was filmed with an American cast and submitted as a pilot to CBS. The unfamiliarity of bedsitland to the American audience resulted in the show never being broadcast. - The 'green tablets as sweets' dialogue was based on a childhood event in Eric's life when he swallowed tablets thinking they were sweets, only for him to pass turquoise urine for a number of days afterwards, much to the wonderment of his fellow schoolmates. Script Excerpt: - "...I slept for twenty-four hours. I still can't feel my teeth!"

Title: All Our Yesterdays Starring: Leonard Rossiter, Richard Beckinsale, Frances de la Tour, Don Warrington. With: Derek Newark as Spooner.	Original Broadcast Date: Friday 3rd January 1975, 8.30pm, ITV. Summary: Spooner the wrestler has a broken leg.
Scene Guide:
- Rigsby's tenant Spooner, the wrestler known as 'The Animal' has broken his leg after falling over Rigsby's cat Vienna on the stairs. He has been playing his radio loud all night, and the other tenants are at the ends of their tethers. Rigsby confronts Spooner about the issue, but Spooner threatens to wring the cat's neck, and beat Rigsby to death with the carcass, so Rigsby leaves.	.. .
- Back in Alan and Philip's room, the conversation has naturally turned to courage and Rigsby tells a few war stories, while denouncing the RAF as 'Brylcreem Boys'.	..
- Rigsby says Alan is lacking in courage, so to prove a point Alan heads down to Spooner's room. After pacifying Spooner by offering to get things for him, he tries to help Spooner move his plaster cast leg, and leaves Spooner in agony.	.
- Back in the boys' room, Rigsby has fetched his trunk of World War Two mementoes from his room, as Philip doesn't believe half of what Rigsby has told him about the war. He tries to show Alan his shrapnel wound, but can't remember where it is. Ruth enters and says she'd be grateful if Rigsby could sort out noisy Spooner, so Rigsby decides it'll be worth it, but the confrontation again ends in a death threat.	..
- From the safety of the corridor, Rigsby shouts to Spooner that he's not frightened of him, then nearly has a heart attack when Alan comes down the stairs dressed in a Nazi uniform and helmet, from Rigsby's box. He is also carrying Rigsby's old Captain's revolver. While showing Alan the beautiful action of the trigger, the gun goes off. Alan spies a hole in Spooner's door, and Rigsby peeks in. Spooner is lying on his settee, pretending to be dead, and Rigsby panics. Ruth and Philip return from outside, where she has asked Philip to blow up her car tyre.	..
- The three tenants go in to see Spooner's body, as Rigsby couldn't stand the sight of blood. After Alan fails to find the location of Spooner's pulse, the wrestler reveals he is still alive anyway, but reckons on playing a prank on Rigsby. Ruth coaxes Rigsby in to see Spooner, and Rigsby gets near him, begging forgiveness. Spooner suddenly wakes up and shouts at Rigsby, and Rigsby nearly has another heart attack. The bullet, meanwhile, has gone through the bowl of Spooner's goldfish, which is lying on the floor. Rigsby infuriates Spooner even more by asking him if he can have the dead fish for Vienna.	.. ..
Script Excerpt: - "I thought you said it wasn't loaded?!!!"

Title: The Prowler Starring: Leonard Rossiter, Richard Beckinsale, Frances de la Tour, Don Warrington. With: George Sewell as 'Detective Constable Baker'; Michael Stainton as Policeman and Kelwyn Harrison as Non-speaking Policeman.	Original Broadcast Date: Friday 10th January 1975, 8.30pm, ITV. Summary: A burglar poses as a policeman to rob Rigsby.
Scene Guide:
- Rigsby is at the front door, calling Vienna in, when he hears Miss Jones scream.
- He rushes up to her room to find her in a distraught state. She tells him she turned to the sink to get some water when she saw a pair of eyes staring at her through the window. Rigsby instantly suspects Alan and Philip, but Alan is reading a book and Philip is in the bath.	..
- Rigsby tells the boys about a previous tenant who had their room. He was a pervert who made a hole in the floorboards to watch Miss Jones getting undressed. Alan asks whereabouts the hole is. When Alan suggests they may be after money instead of a sexual motive, Rigsby rushes to his 'miser's hoard' under the floorboards of the cupboard under the stairs.	.
- While counting his money, a detective enters and says he is following up reports of a prowler in the vicinity.	.
- Rigsby takes him to see Ruth, where he questions her in private, (but not before she tells him how she used to go out with a policeman, but split up because he always wore his uniform and so, whenever they held hands, it looked like she'd been arrested).	.
- Rigsby informs Alan that the police are here and that he'll be interviewing Alan soon. Philip has gone out to have a look around.
- The inspector meets Rigsby on the stairs and is taken up to the boys' room, where they find Alan on his hands and knees, looking through the hole in the floor. Alan is interviewed, and admits to having been in trouble with the police before, although it was only a fine for having a faulty rear light on his bike. The inspector decides to go back downstairs. Rigsby thinks he's 'returning to the scene of the crime' but the inspector corrects him by saying he thought it might be warmer down there.	..
- Back in Miss Jones' room, Philip is comforting her as Rigsby, Alan and the inspector enter. Miss Jones introduces Philip to the inspector, and he interviews him. He then lines the men up, turns off the lights and asks Miss Jones to pick out the most likely suspect. At first, she picks the inspector, then picks Rigsby. Philip presents a dirty comb, as possible evidence. It is also Rigsby's. The inspector asks everyone to leave the room - except Rigsby. After a few more questions, the inspector dismisses Rigsby as a suspect, and goes to check the windows and doors.	.. ..
- Rigsby returns to the boys' room where the three tenants are waiting. After a couple of minutes, two uniformed policemen arrive, making enquiries about an intruder, and give out a description of the man... including the fact that he is known to be posing as an inspector...
- Rigsby rushes back to his box of money, but it is all gone.
Production Notes: - We see the house number on the front door as No.917. In the next episode it has changed to No.34.	Script Excerpt: - "Look, I didn't trust Hitler, but it wasn't because of his moustache!"

Title: Stand Up And Be Counted Starring: Leonard Rossiter, Richard Beckinsale, Frances de la Tour, Don Warrington. With: Ian Lavender as Mr. Platt; Anthony Sharp as Colonel DeVere-Brown; Michael Ward as Labour Candidate.	Original Broadcast Date: Friday 17th January 1975, 8.30pm, ITV. Summary: It's election time, and campaigning is under way.
Scene Guide:
- Alan returns to the boarding house on the run from the police after accidentally pushing one to the ground during a protest march. Talk turns to the impending elections and Rigsby the Conservative argues with Labour supporters Alan and Philip. Philip says he has converted Miss Jones into a Labour supporter, so Rigsby dashes off to change her mind.	.. ..
- He tells her she is invited back to the Conservative candidate's manor, after the polls have closed, and that he has put her name down for a new car.	..
- However, he fails to convince her and returns to the boys' room. On the way he tears down Labour banners on the landing which Alan and Philip have put up, and also removes a Labour-coloured red blanket and ribbons from the cat.	.
- The boys start singing Labour's anthem as Rigsby continues to tear down more banners in the room. As he pokes fun at the Labour candidate's photo on the posters, the man himself walks in. Rigsby tells him he can't hold political meetings in the house, and anyway annoys the candidate so much he leaves, especially after Rigsby mentions the hopeful candidate's Filipino house boy. As Rigsby leaves, Philip sticks a Vote Labour sticker on his back.	.. ..
- Meanwhile, a handsome young Liberal candidate has made the mistake of calling on Miss Jones. She instantly shows her affections for him, saying 'she has always been rather Liberal', and he tries to ward her off by offering her a free pen. Rigsby enters her room, and gives Miss Jones a fright. She goes off to make some coffee and Rigsby proceeds to make Mr. Platt very uncomfortable, finishing off with the bad news that he didn't leave his car under the lamplight, so his hubcaps have probably been used for ashtrays. Mr. Platt rushes out. Philip and Alan enter, to take Miss Jones out to vote. There is a ring at the doorbell.	.. ..
- Rigsby is honoured to be visited by Colonel DeVere-Brown, the Conservative candidate, for whom Rigsby has been trying to rally support. They exchange repartee, despite the colonel's labrador messing on the carpet. The colonel, however, doesn't remember Rigsby's name, calling him 'Ragsby', says he intends to pull his boarding house down, and only recognises him when he remembers Rigsby as being the person disqualified from the Conservative Club's billiards championship for wetting the end of his opponent's cue. Rigsby soon gets rid of DeVere-Brown, his Conservatism suddenly on the wane.	.. .
- He returns to the boys, changes his blue rosette for a red one and joins in a chorus of the Labour anthem as they set off to vote.	..
Changed Scenes: - Michael Ward is credited as Labour Candidate, although he is given the name Jones in the script (RDS: p.122). Production Notes: - The house number is now No.34, having changed from No.917 the previous week.	Script Excerpt: - "You see, the Chinese believe that when God made us, He put us all in the oven to bake...."