Rising Damp

Rising Damp originated as a script for a stage play, The Banana Box, in 1970. It's author, Eric Chappell, was inspired by a newspaper article about a black man who had guested at a hotel for a year, pretending to be an African prince as a means of avoiding discrimination. The play enjoyed a short lived run in 1971, with Wilfred Brambell as landlord Rooksby, and again in 1973 where regular stars Leonard Rossiter, Don Warrington and Frances De La Tour were cast. It was on this final run that a Yorkshire Television executive was invited to see it, and recognised it's potential as sit-com material.

In 1974, The Banana Box became one of six sit-com pilot episodes commissioned by YTV, the others being Badger's Set, Brotherly Love, Slater's Day, You'll Never Walk Alone and Oh No, It's Selwyn Frogit! During production of The Banana Box, the title was deemed unsuitable and changed to Rising Damp (after a line from the script). Also, due to a complaint from a real Mr Rooksby, the lead character's name was altered to the more familiar Rigsby after a flick through the phone book.

Audience reaction to the pilot were deemed favourable enough for YTV to commission a series. In fact, the show ran to four series, a Christmas special and a successful feature film, winning multiple awards along the way.

Episodes:

Season 1:
1. The Lodgers
2. Black Magic
3. A Night Out
4. Charisma
5. All Our Yesterdays
6. The Prowler
7. Stand Up and Be Counted

Season 2:
1. Permissive Society
2. Food Glorious Food
3. A Body Like Mine
4. Moonlight and Roses
5. The Perfect Gentlemen
6. The Last of the Big Spenders
7. Things That Go Bump in the Night
8. For the Man Who Has Everything

Season 3:
1. That's My Boy
2. Stage Struck
3. Clunk Click
4. The Good Samaritan
5. Fawcett's Python
6. The Cocktail Hour
7. Suddenly at Home

Season 4:
1. Hello Young Lovers
2. Fire and Brimstone
3. Great Expectations
4. Pink Carnations
5. Under the Influence
6. Come On In the Water's Lovely