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From Amazon.co.uk
First broadcast in 1974, the ITV bedsitland sitcom Rising Damp was an instant and enduring success. It starred Leonard Rossiter as the miserly and lovelorn landlord Rigsby who is constantly needling young lodger Alan (Richard Beckinsale), a science student whose long hair and earrings are symptomatic to Rigsby of the parlous effeminacy of the modern age. He's also in love with Frances De La Tour's dowdy spinster Miss Jones, though his tentative advances are forever rebuffed. She in turn carries a torch for Philip (Don Warrington), the elegant son of an African chief who also resides at Rigsby Towers.
Some aspects of Rising Damp have not aged well, principally Rigsby's stream of racist jibes at Philip. Although these were doubtless well-meant and supposed to illustrate Rigsby's foolish bigotry, you suspect that that was a convenient cover for audiences in the 1970s to enjoy racist humour. However, Rossiter's Rigsby--stuttering, stammering, bent perpetually over backwards--remains a great comic creation, embodying all the festering prejudices, small-mindedness and self-delusion of the lower middle class Little Englander. --David Stubbs
Product Description
A delapidated tenement provides the home for equally run-down landlord Rupert Rigsby (Leonard Rossiter) and his three tenants: the unlikely object of Rigsby's affections, Mrs Jones (Frances de la Tour); the permanently skint Alan (Richard Beckinsale); and quick-witted tribal chief's son, Alan (Don Warrington). This video collects together the entire first series: 'Rooksby'; 'Black Magic'; 'Charisma'; 'Night Out'; 'All Our Yesterdays'; and 'The Prowler'.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful
By BurtKwok
...ITV's finest comedy half-hour is available on DVD - and cheaper than the recently released VHS compilations!! Sound, of course, is mono and is crystal clear. The picture is very, very sharp and really lets you see in detail the threadbare carpets and worn-out wallpaper. You can almost see the tenants breath in their freezing bedsits. Rigsby, a Fagin with a rent-book type of character, owns a completely run-down boarding house and lets rooms to Alan Moore - a naive medical student, Philip Smith - a cultured, black student and Ruth Jones - a lonely wall-flower, desparate for love. The four characters play off each other beautifully and the comedy is as sharp now as it was 25 years ago. Don't think twice about buying this masterpiece. If enough of us buy the 1st series, the makers may release the rest!!!!
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
By Rob
Rising Damp is a perfect example of comic writing and one of the few shows produced by ITV capable of matching anything from the BBC. The characters are fantastic - Scrooge-like landlord Rigsby, long-haired medical student Alan, his flatmate, a sophisticated African named Philip and the lovelorn Miss Jones (who has a permanent crush on Philip much to Rigsby's irritation).
Eric Chappell's writing and the performances by all concerned make the show unforgettable. In episodes such as 'Boxing Match' Rigsby's non-stop boasting about his physical fitness leads him into a boxing match with super-fit Philip - with hillarious consequences. Then there's the one where Rigsby must go without food for 24hrs in order to win a bet. Each of the episodes is a comic gem that will have you doubling up with laughter. It's a smashing series.
All of which makes Amazon's editorial review by one David Stubbs all the more depressing to read. There seems to be a smug strand of opinion amongst reviewers like him that 70's tv shows are all guilty of terrible racism and I'd just like to say that Rising Damp is NOT racist. For any show to be considered racist it would have to endorse and approve the racism on display. Rising Damp does not do this. In fact, in every single episode Rigsby's ignorance is shown up for what it is and he ends up both the butt of the joke and the loser.
Not only does Mr Stubbs conveniently ignore this fact but he makes the laughable assertion that the 'racism' was 'a convenient cover for audiences in the 1970s to enjoy racist humour.' It's very brave of Mr Stubbs to patronise the integrity of the millions of people who enjoyed Rising Damp but frankly, one feels that they were far more aware of what Eric Chappell was up to, even if such insight proves beyond the ability of a PC drone like Mr Stubbs.
So don't worry about Amazon's editorial review. The comments of everybody else here are far more relevant and far more accurate. Rising Damp is well worth your money.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Suspicious, cynical and yet breathtakingly nervous, Rigsby quietly befriends and indeed needs his resident comedy foils. He knows their types, though, he's seen them all before.
Indelicate with live audience belly laughs, this is a real sitcom like they used to make: funny in that it'll make you laugh.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow
Half the things they said are a bit close to the mark, but still great fun and a good laugh.
Published 3 days ago by A. Jeens
4.0 out of 5 stars
England in the 70s
It's good to see Leonard Rossiter and Richard Beckinsale in this 70's comedy that pokes fun at the bedsit aspect of British culture. Read more
Published on 4 Sep 2009 by Andrew Finch
5.0 out of 5 stars
Update of my original review
I was the original reviewer of this DVD further down the page and I've only just realised after consulting an episode guide that this DVD is NOT the complete 1st series! Read more
Published on 20 Aug 2003 by BurtKwok
5.0 out of 5 stars
British humour at its best
I loved this DVD and all six episodes are brilliant. This was the first time I had seen a complete episode of Rising Damp and I was not disappointed. Read more
Published on 23 Nov 2002 by Aaron Gatt Floridia
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