Diagonaldi
Very well executed
Platicsco
Good story, Not enough for a whole film
Rio Hayward
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Dave
This is an ITV sitcom which ran from 1974 - 1978. It is about a landlord - Rupert Rigsby (played by Leonard Rossiter) - and his lodgers - Alan Moore (Richard Beckinsale), Philip Smith (Don Warrington) and Ruth Jones (Frances de la Tour).It is well-written and well-acted. It appears to be set in Yorkshire, although the location is never stated. This was followed in 1980 by a film.
beresfordjd
Apparently Leonard Rossiter was a complete perfectionist and very difficult to work with. It was his obsessive perfectionism that made Rising Damp so much better than it's actual content. Of course the casual racist remarks would not be tolerated today, but funny is funny and it was very funny. Eric Chappell's creation of Rigsby was a work of genius and the casting of the show was ideal - it is always what makes a sitcom really work. Francis de la Tour's Miss Jones is played perfectly and Don Warrington's Philip was sophisticated and urbane and much more intelligent than Rigsby as was Richard Beckinsale's Alan. They revolved around Rigsby and had great lines which they delivered wonderfully. It is a great series and I appreciate the decision to show it again , even in these PC times. As a black man I guess I am supposed to be horrified at it but as I said before funny is funny - my dad always loved it way back when too.
RaspberryLucozade
There is not really much one can say about this show that hasn't already been said. Quite simply, it is one of the best sitcoms of all time. I was only a child when I first saw 'Rising Damp' so therefore I didn't really understand the humour. Now as an adult I can appreciate how great a show it truly is.Starting life as a play entitled 'The Banana Box' ( which starred Wilfrid Brambell ) and then later a Yorkshire Television pilot entitled 'Rooksby', 'Rising Damp' was all about a tight-fisted landlord known to all as Rigsby ( first name Rupert if you can believe it ), who was played to perfection by the wonderful and much missed Leonard Rossiter and who ran a squalid bedsit. His lodgers include hippie-like medical student Alan Moore, frumpy spinster Ruth Jones and black planning student Philip Smith who happens to be the son of a tribal king. Rigsby often tries to woo Ruth, without success, who instead has romantic feelings for Philip.Rigsby's attitude towards Philip has led to the show being branded as 'racist' in some quarters. True, Rigsby does not like Philip but it is not down to his colour, it is because he is jealous of Philip, jealous that Philip is all of the things that he isn't, intelligent being one of them.While of course, it is Rossiter who shines throughout, Richard Beckinsale, Frances De La Tour and Don Warrington do a fine job in supporting him. Rossiter at this time was also to be seen in 'The Fall & Rise Of Reginald Perrin' for the BBC while Richard Beckinsale was also to be seen starring alongside Ronnie Barker in 'Porridge' ( also for the BBC ). Eric Chappell's scripts were ( for the most part ) very witty and very well written.Beckinsale dropped out after the third series, which resulted in series four looking rather patchy. In 1980, Eric Chappell devised a feature film spin-off with Christopher Strauli from Chappell's 'Only When I Laugh' replacing Richard Beckinsale ( having died suddenly the year before ). It was a disappointment. No effort was made afterwards to make more episodes.Dennis Wilson wrote the show's brilliant theme tune, which suits the show so well. Four decades on, 'Rising Damp' still racks up enormous ratings even on repeat showings, and not without good reason.
Ikenna Nwabueze
The sitcom was indeed one of the best from Uk. A lot of people in Britain will be surprised to learn that the sitcom is often on TV in countries in Africa. I fell in love with it a long time ago when I first saw an episode in Africa. Just watched an episode on ITV today (2015) and could not stop laughing. Rigsby got into a boxing match with Philip. The plot was hilarious. I can understand why some people find the comedy racist in today's PC world.In my view the writers were using the sitcom to educate people with views similar to those of Rigsby back then. If they succeeded in changing the thinking a few such people then they achieved a lot. That crusade is still relevant today.I don't find it racist even after years in the Uk as a black man. Art is a great way to initiate change and in my view to seek to remove from TV anything that we perceive as controversial or uncomfortable is a wrong approach.
