Rising Damp
Rigsby's shabby boarding house
Rising Damp is a British sitcom written by Eric Chappell and produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV. It centres on Rupert Rigsby, the miserly, seedy and hopelessly self-regarding landlord of a run-down Victorian townhouse, who rents grimy bedsits to a rotating cast of tenants. Leonard Rossiter stars as Rigsby, whose bigotry and snobbery are constantly punctured by his lodgers: the naive medical student Alan, the urbane Philip, who spins tall tales about being the son of an African chief, and the refined spinster Miss Jones, on whom Rigsby nurses a hopeless crush. Adapted from Chappell's stage play The Banana Box, it remains one of ITV's best-loved comedies.
Start a quizAt a glance
- First aired
- 2 September 1974
- Last aired
- 9 May 1978
- Created by
- Eric Chappell
- Channel
- ITV
- Series
- 4
- Episodes
- 28
- Set in
- A run-down boarding house in an unnamed northern English university town
- Quizzes
- 3
Rising Damp quizzes
Think you know Rigsby's crumbling boarding house? Take on this tricky ITV comedy quiz.
Meet Rigsby and his long-suffering lodgers in this quiz on the Rising Damp regulars.
Plots, the film and behind-the-scenes facts from the crumbling boarding house.
Rising Damp cast and characters
Rupert Rigsby
Played by Leonard Rossiter
The mean, nosy and snobbish landlord, usually seen with his cat Vienna. He pursues Miss Jones for most of the series, and his first name, Rupert, is only revealed in series 4.
Alan Moore
Played by Richard Beckinsale
A long-haired, good-natured medical student in the top room, with liberal views and little luck with girls. He does not appear in series 4.
Philip Smith
Played by Don Warrington
A suave, clever planning student who claims to be the son of an African chief. He winds up the gullible Rigsby with tall tales about his homeland.
Ruth Jones
Played by Frances de la Tour
Miss Jones, a romantic, genteel college administrator and the object of Rigsby's affections. She only has eyes for Philip, who does not return her interest.
Rising Damp facts and FAQs
- When was Rising Damp on TV?
- Rising Damp was first shown on ITV on 2 September 1974 and the final episode aired on 9 May 1978. It was made by Yorkshire Television.
- How many series (seasons) and episodes of Rising Damp are there?
- Rising Damp ran for four series (seasons) and 28 episodes, counting the 1974 pilot and the 1975 Christmas special. A feature film version followed in 1980.
- Who wrote Rising Damp?
- Eric Chappell wrote every episode of Rising Damp, adapting it from his 1973 stage play The Banana Box. Leonard Rossiter, Frances de la Tour and Don Warrington had already played their parts in the play.
- What is Rising Damp about?
- Rising Damp is about Rigsby, the miserly landlord of a shabby Victorian boarding house, and the tenants he spies on and schemes against. His lodgers are medical student Alan, the sophisticated Philip and Miss Jones, whom Rigsby hopelessly adores.
- Where is Rising Damp set?
- Rising Damp is set in a run-down Victorian house of bedsits in an unnamed northern English university town. The 1980 film version moved the action to London.
- Where was Rising Damp filmed?
- Rising Damp was recorded in front of a studio audience at Yorkshire Television's studios in Leeds. The TV series had no scenes shot on location.
- Who are the main characters in Rising Damp?
- The main characters are landlord Rupert Rigsby (Leonard Rossiter) and his tenants Alan Moore (Richard Beckinsale), Philip Smith (Don Warrington) and Ruth Jones (Frances de la Tour). Alan is absent from the fourth series because of Beckinsale's theatre commitments.
- What was Rigsby's cat called in Rising Damp?
- Rigsby's cat is called Vienna. Rigsby explains that when he puts the cat out on a dark night, if there is another set of eyes out there, it's 'Good night, Vienna'.
Awards and recognition
BAFTA Award for Best Situation Comedy (1978)
Ranked among the BBC's 100 greatest British sitcoms (2004)
Frances de la Tour won Best Actress at the Evening Standard British Film Awards for the 1980 film version