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00:00:04,100 --> 00:00:06,800
It's one of the greatest comedies
of all time!

2
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You liar.

3
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And one which went on an
extraordinary journey

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from the stage to our screens.

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I've not been in this theatre
since 1973.

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It's a show with a line-up that
became the fab four of sitcom.

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It is very well written,

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but they've really kind of made
the characters leap off the page.

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But what did go on
between these walls?

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Frances leaned over to me and said
"He doesn't want to kiss me".

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Tonight in Rising Damp Forever, we'll
reveal the secrets of life on set.

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00:00:41,620 --> 00:00:43,980
Richard hated that wig.
He couldn't wait

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to get rid of that wig.

14
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I've decided to change my image.
I've been neglecting myself.

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And there'll be an emotional return

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to the place
where television history was made.

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The thing about coming here was,
it was very homely here.

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I felt completely welcomed here.
So did I.

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Agh!

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Every single time I see it,
I howl - proper, proper,

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proper howl with laughter!

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(LAUGHTER)

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I love it. Just thinking about it
makes me smile.

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I should think that would be more
than enough!

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(CAT MEOWS)

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This is the story of a miserly
landlord called... Rigsby!

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..his three tenants...
Roses are red, violets are blue,

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your tenants are sweet,
what happened to you?

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..and a cold dark house
that has long since seen better days.

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You've got rising damp.
My furniture's falling apart.

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From 1974 to 1978 Rising Damp was one

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of the most popular series
on our TV screens.

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Have you thought anymore
about the room?

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I thought about it, yes.

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And you said you'd consider me.
Did I?

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Yeah, you did say that. No, you
couldn't afford a room like this.

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But as we'll reveal tonight, the
classic line-up we came to love

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could have been so very different

39
00:02:01,980 --> 00:02:04,580
in a journey that begins
with a man then working

40
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as an electricity board auditor
in Grantham - Eric Chappell.

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I always wanted to be a writer
and secretly I was writing novels.

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They were terrible novels
and I knew that

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because people always fell asleep
while they were reading them.

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And then one day I had this thought:
"I'll write a play."

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When I started to write the play,
I realised I wasn't so boring

46
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and what one person said to another

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was far more important to me
than describing it.

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It was that gift for dialogue
that changed my life.

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In 1969, aged 36,
Eric Chappell wrote a play

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that would change both his life
and comedy history.

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Do you mind if I just check
your paintwork, Miss Jones?

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I thought it might need
another coat!

53
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It's had five already, Mr Rigsby.

54
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I know, Miss Jones,
but it's groaning for it.

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Inspired by a newspaper article
about a black student masquerading

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as an African prince
at a London hotel,

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Eric put pen to paper
and wrote The Banana Box.

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I thought, 'What a great idea
for a farce,'

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but, actually,
it didn't work like that

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because first of all I didn't know
anything about superior hotels.

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It became a lodging.

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And it became a landlord
like Rigsby.

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It became a different sort of play,
but never the less it worked for me.

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The character millions of us came
to love as Rigsby

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was originally called Rooksby,

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while his tenant Alan
started out as Noel.

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Eric Chappell turned the African
prince into the son of a chief

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and the suave and sophisticated
character of Philip Smith was born.

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I found a book on African folklore.

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There were great lines in the book,

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like "I'm a pool without water,
but men may drown in me",

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and "I have beautiful milk",
and things like this.

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And I used that for Philip.

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Your trouble is you're mean.
No, I'm not.

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Yes, you are.
No, I'm not.

76
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I like a woman to like me
for what I am, not what I've got.

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Well, I can understand that,
but we have a saying in my country:

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"He who seeks the bird of paradise
but must put down a little seed."

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After rehearsals at the Hampstead
Theatre Club in 1970,

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The Banana Box went on tour

81
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with Steptoe And Son's
Wilfred Bramble as Rooksby

82
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and Neville Aurelius as Philip.

83
00:04:24,980 --> 00:04:28,740
Two years later, when the play
moved to East Grinstead,

84
00:04:28,740 --> 00:04:31,460
47-year-old Leonard Rossiter
joined the cast.

85
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The journey towards the series
we came to know and love

86
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was now truly underway.

87
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On the first night when he came on,

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he gave a glowering look to the
audience, and they laughed.

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And I thought,
"I haven't written anything yet

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and he's getting a laugh.
I'm home and dry."

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Go on!
(CAT MEOWS)

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00:04:50,940 --> 00:04:53,260
(LAUGHTER)

93
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No, he was great.
And it just suited him, you know.

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The son of a barber, Leonard Rossiter
was born in Liverpool in 1926,

95
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and after national service, took up
a career as an insurance salesman.

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Aged 24, Rossiter discovered
his talent for acting

97
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when he joined
an amateur dramatics group.

98
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He was just noticeable, I suppose.

99
00:05:17,300 --> 00:05:20,420
I've worked with some wonderful
actors from Sir Laurence Olivier,

100
00:05:20,420 --> 00:05:23,780
you know, you name it,
but he was just something special

101
00:05:23,780 --> 00:05:26,260
and his comic timing was brilliant.

102
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Oh, oh, goodness me.
What?

103
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We appear to be standing under
the mistletoe! Are we?

104
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You can't quarrel with fate, eh?
Mr Rigsby, I'm in uniform.

105
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I don't mind
But Mr Rigsby!

106
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Please, you're tampering
with the Royal Mail.

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In 1954, Leonard Rossiter
gave up his sales job

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and auditioned
for a rep theatre company.

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It would be the start of an
extraordinary 30-year career

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on stage and screen.

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I was a huge admirer of Leonard's.

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I just revelled in watching him

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cos I just thought
this man's a genius.

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(LAUGHTER)

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What are these like grilled?

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Rossiter's onscreen performances
earned him many plaudits,

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but he proved not the easiest man
to work with.

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It's only a game, old sport. It's all
a game, for Weaver's benefit.

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I know that some actors said
that they were aware

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that when they were working
with Leonard,

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that a lot of the times
he wouldn't look at them.

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And, and when you watch
Rising Damp the series,

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you can see that as Rigsby he's
continually looking around a room

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and doing other things

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rather than facing the actor
and straight ahead.

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I think that might have been
disconcerting for the other actor,

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but, you see, you can't argue

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because it was wonderful
for the character.

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Rossiter would come to be regarded

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as one of Britain's
greatest comedy actors,

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but often seemed to be uncomfortable
with the label.

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Can I ask you whether you're
naturally a funny man,

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or whether life isn't a rather
more serious sort of business?

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Life's fairly serious!
No, I'm... I...

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What I find curious is people say,

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"I see you've stopped being
a serious actor
now you're doing comedy?"

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As though it isn't
particular serious to do.

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Comedy is the most serious form
of work,

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in so far as
it's very difficult to get laughs.

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By 1973, Leonard Rossiter was a well
established stage actor,

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but despite roles on TV and in films,

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his was not a big name
at the box office.

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Eric Chappell's play The Banana Box

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still needed a star turn
to sell tickets.

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The producers turned to a man

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who was clearly top of the pops
with the British public.

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# I'm hers
# I'm hers

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# She's mine
# She's mine

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# I'm hers, she's mine,
wedding bells are gonna chime

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# Whoa-oh-oh-oh

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Joining the cast
was pop star Paul Jones

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from '60s chart toppers Manfred Mann.

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00:08:01,100 --> 00:08:07,340
One of the things about Leonard,
he had a slight bitterness

154
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about the fact that he hadn't been
recognised as the actor that he was.

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He hadn't yet reached those heights
of fame that he was about to.

156
00:08:17,580 --> 00:08:21,140
I think perhaps that might be some
of the reason why I was in it.

157
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It was that I had a bit of a name
and quite a lot of a hit records

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and I might have been helpful in
getting a few more botties on seats!

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Actress Rosemary Leach, who would go
on to star in The Jewel In The Crown

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and The Charmer, was cast alongside
Rossiter as Miss Jones,

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and replacing Neville Aurelius
as Philip,

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an actor fresh out of drama school,

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who was about to start
a partnership with Rossiter

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which would change
both of their lives.

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Did I mention the rent?
Yes!

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£6 a week and I insist
on a month in advance.

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Miss Jones didn't mention that.

168
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Just right!

169
00:09:13,380 --> 00:09:16,540
Don Williams was born
in Trinidad in 1951

170
00:09:16,540 --> 00:09:20,140
and arrived in Britain aged five
alongside his mother,

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swapping the Caribbean
for the cold river Tyne.

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I was a bit disappointed,
I have to say.

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It was very dark and it was damp,

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and I expected
something much shinier.

175
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And I was also very struck
by the fact

176
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that the houses were stuck together.

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I wasn't used to that.

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Everything was smaller
than I thought it would be.

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The family made their home in the
backstreets of Newcastle's West End,

180
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where Don and his brother found
themselves very much in the minority.

181
00:09:55,100 --> 00:09:58,220
There were elements of racism.

182
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There was one where a teacher,

183
00:10:00,700 --> 00:10:04,780
because I was left-handed I used
to write sort of upside-down,

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00:10:04,780 --> 00:10:08,700
and the teacher said, "Where did you
learn to write? Up a tree?"

185
00:10:08,700 --> 00:10:13,020
And that was painful,
that was difficult.

186
00:10:14,140 --> 00:10:19,340
It was tough going to begin with,
but it was also enjoyable.

187
00:10:19,340 --> 00:10:22,380
Kids are very resilient
and we made friends.

188
00:10:22,380 --> 00:10:27,820
I became a Geordie, as you do,
and that was that!

189
00:10:27,820 --> 00:10:32,500
But Don had ambitions that would soon
take him away from his new home.

190
00:10:32,500 --> 00:10:37,580
I always wanted to escape.
I wanted to get away from reality.

191
00:10:37,580 --> 00:10:42,060
I remember watching On The
Waterfront with Marlon Brando,

192
00:10:42,060 --> 00:10:44,940
and I just thought,
"I want to feel all that,

193
00:10:44,940 --> 00:10:48,180
but I want to feel it
all the time for a living".

194
00:10:49,740 --> 00:10:53,340
Aged 17, Don got his first job
as an assistant stage manager

195
00:10:53,340 --> 00:10:57,860
at a Newcastle Theatre before heading
south to London to train as an actor,

196
00:10:57,860 --> 00:11:01,380
a role which required a new identity.

197
00:11:01,380 --> 00:11:03,300
I had to change my name

198
00:11:03,300 --> 00:11:07,180
because there was somebody else
with my name.

199
00:11:07,180 --> 00:11:09,700
And I said to my mother,
"But I don't know what to do."

200
00:11:09,700 --> 00:11:13,540
She said, "Why not call yourself
after the road you grew up in?"

201
00:11:13,540 --> 00:11:18,220
So I did. Warrington Road.
So I became Don Warrington.

202
00:11:19,380 --> 00:11:22,380
But Don Warrington didn't have to
wait long for his lucky break.

203
00:11:22,380 --> 00:11:24,340
After leaving drama school,

204
00:11:24,340 --> 00:11:27,340
he was immediately cast as Philip
Smith in The Banana Box,

205
00:11:27,340 --> 00:11:30,380
a part that would prove
the role of a lifetime.

206
00:11:30,380 --> 00:11:35,620
I thought, "I think I can do this.

207
00:11:35,620 --> 00:11:40,980
I think I can do this because
I think I can pretend to be posh

208
00:11:40,980 --> 00:11:43,980
because Philip pretends to be posh."

209
00:11:43,980 --> 00:11:46,020
That was the thing
about that character.

210
00:11:46,020 --> 00:11:52,420
He was a new invention, as it were,
in terms of black people, anyway.

211
00:11:52,420 --> 00:11:54,420
Philip, at last.

212
00:11:54,420 --> 00:11:57,260
I've been so impatient,
waiting for the others to go.

213
00:11:57,260 --> 00:11:59,420
I wanted to give you
a proper welcome.

214
00:11:59,420 --> 00:12:01,660
(LAUGHTER)

215
00:12:02,620 --> 00:12:04,420
Are you all right for butter?

216
00:12:04,420 --> 00:12:07,060
Donald was absolutely amazing.

217
00:12:07,060 --> 00:12:11,740
He had this wonderful ability
to be telling people things,

218
00:12:11,740 --> 00:12:16,460
and at the same time finding them
quite amusing himself.

219
00:12:16,460 --> 00:12:21,500
It would be just absolutely a tiny
hint of a smile just sort of there

220
00:12:22,580 --> 00:12:24,980
and you weren't sure you'd seen it.

221
00:12:27,340 --> 00:12:31,180
Despite poor audiences, The Banana
Box went down well with the critics

222
00:12:31,180 --> 00:12:35,420
and the tour continued to include Don
Warrington's hometown of Newcastle,

223
00:12:35,420 --> 00:12:38,500
where a simple twist of fate
would play a key role

224
00:12:38,500 --> 00:12:40,980
in bringing Rising Damp
to our screens.

225
00:12:49,460 --> 00:12:53,460
In the early '70s, Eric Chappell's
play about a cantankerous landlord

226
00:12:53,460 --> 00:12:56,100
and his three lodgers
was on a nationwide tour

227
00:12:56,100 --> 00:12:58,620
when it arrived at the Theatre Royal,
Newcastle.

228
00:13:01,820 --> 00:13:05,500
43 years have passed since Don
Warrington returned home to Tyneside

229
00:13:05,500 --> 00:13:07,460
with the starring role
as Philip Smith.

230
00:13:10,620 --> 00:13:13,740
Today, he's back at the Theatre Royal
to remember the play

231
00:13:13,740 --> 00:13:15,700
that would change his life.

232
00:13:15,700 --> 00:13:18,300
This is Mr Smith. He's from Africa.

233
00:13:19,460 --> 00:13:21,700
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

234
00:13:23,340 --> 00:13:26,980
I've not been in this theatre
since 1973.

235
00:13:28,020 --> 00:13:30,220
Yeah, it's a long time.

236
00:13:30,220 --> 00:13:32,980
There's something I don't understand
about you, sunshine.

237
00:13:32,980 --> 00:13:35,460
If you're the son of a chief,
why are you called Smith?

238
00:13:35,460 --> 00:13:37,700
That's not my real name.

239
00:13:43,100 --> 00:13:47,740
I suppose what I feel is a sort
of...just a slight kind of...

240
00:13:47,740 --> 00:13:53,820
my heart just does a quick kind of,
you know...a tightening happens,

241
00:13:53,820 --> 00:13:56,700
and I was just thinking about
just being onstage, really.

242
00:13:56,700 --> 00:13:59,860
You said you could get me a flat.
I didn't know you'd be next door.

243
00:13:59,860 --> 00:14:03,140
I didn't know I was gonna come
to Newcastle or this theatre.

244
00:14:03,140 --> 00:14:06,700
This is where I grew up.
It was coming home,

245
00:14:06,700 --> 00:14:09,420
which was exciting, but frightening.

246
00:14:13,740 --> 00:14:18,860
It gave my family, anyway, a chance
to see what I'd been doing in London

247
00:14:18,860 --> 00:14:20,700
for the last 4 years.

248
00:14:22,020 --> 00:14:24,900
And so in that sense
it was really nice,

249
00:14:24,900 --> 00:14:27,700
but in another sense you think,
"They're gonna come

250
00:14:27,700 --> 00:14:30,540
and they're going to go,
"Well, how good is he?"

251
00:14:30,540 --> 00:14:34,420
But they were generous.
They came and they liked it.

252
00:14:34,420 --> 00:14:38,940
My biggest fan was my auntie,
my Auntie Lena.

253
00:14:38,940 --> 00:14:41,900
She was just so, so proud.

254
00:14:41,900 --> 00:14:46,740
I think she came every night
and she brought all her friends,

255
00:14:46,740 --> 00:14:50,540
anybody she knew, anybody who she
could corral into coming,

256
00:14:50,540 --> 00:14:53,460
they came to see it. It was lovely!

257
00:14:57,540 --> 00:15:00,620
Fresh out of drama school,
Don Warrington found himself

258
00:15:00,620 --> 00:15:03,980
working with two big names from
the worlds of pop and the stage.

259
00:15:07,380 --> 00:15:10,420
Paul played Noel
when I first met him.

260
00:15:10,420 --> 00:15:13,620
I was very struck
by how nice he was.

261
00:15:15,620 --> 00:15:18,300
He was a great harmonica player.

262
00:15:18,300 --> 00:15:20,620
And we used to play harmonica
together.

263
00:15:22,300 --> 00:15:24,220
There's me and Leonard.

264
00:15:26,180 --> 00:15:28,700
Wow! I've never seen this!

265
00:15:28,700 --> 00:15:34,780
We all looked up to Len because
he was such a renowned performer.

266
00:15:36,580 --> 00:15:38,500
Ah, that's a lovely picture.

267
00:15:38,500 --> 00:15:41,900
Look at my hair.
It's very nice to see him,

268
00:15:41,900 --> 00:15:46,220
him being me all those years ago.

269
00:15:46,220 --> 00:15:49,100
It's... Yeah, he seemed all right.

270
00:15:49,100 --> 00:15:51,420
He seemed quite a nice boy, really.

271
00:15:51,420 --> 00:15:53,940
I-I-I quite like him.

272
00:15:53,940 --> 00:15:58,340
As the tour continued, Rosemary Leach
left the production.

273
00:15:58,340 --> 00:16:01,980
She would be replaced by an actress
millions of us would come to love,

274
00:16:01,980 --> 00:16:05,940
as the object of Rigsby's affections
- Miss Jones.

275
00:16:05,940 --> 00:16:08,540
Oh, Miss...Jones!

276
00:16:08,540 --> 00:16:11,380
Mr Rigsby!
Oh!

277
00:16:11,380 --> 00:16:13,780
Frances de la Tour!

278
00:16:15,220 --> 00:16:19,260
She was so sexy. Really sexy.

279
00:16:19,260 --> 00:16:21,580
Happy days, eh?

280
00:16:21,580 --> 00:16:23,460
Ha ha ha!

281
00:16:24,940 --> 00:16:29,300
Frances de la Tour was born
in leafy Hertfordshire in 1944.

282
00:16:29,300 --> 00:16:32,140
She was educated
at London's Lycee Francais,

283
00:16:32,140 --> 00:16:34,340
and later studied
at the Drama Centre.

284
00:16:34,340 --> 00:16:37,260
After graduating, she joined
the Royal Shakespeare Company

285
00:16:37,260 --> 00:16:39,300
and in 1970 was given a leading role

286
00:16:39,300 --> 00:16:43,940
in Peter Brook's acclaimed production
of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

287
00:16:43,940 --> 00:16:46,060
Even for that,
I do love you the more!

288
00:16:46,060 --> 00:16:48,820
I am your spaniel and, Demetrius,
the more you beat me,

289
00:16:48,820 --> 00:16:51,460
I will fawn on you,
use me but as your spaniel,

290
00:16:51,460 --> 00:16:53,860
spare me, strike me,
lose me, neglect me,

291
00:16:53,860 --> 00:16:57,180
only give me leave I'm worthy
as I am to follow you.

292
00:16:58,380 --> 00:17:02,180
In the early '70s, Frances de la Tour
worked steadily on both stage

293
00:17:02,180 --> 00:17:06,260
and screen before landing the role
that would make her famous.

294
00:17:06,260 --> 00:17:09,300
Y-Y-You know, Miss Jones,
there are some men who'd try

295
00:17:09,300 --> 00:17:12,420
to take advantage of a single woman
like you living on her own.

296
00:17:12,420 --> 00:17:14,500
Do you think so, Mr Rigsby?
Ooh, what?

297
00:17:16,020 --> 00:17:18,220
If you don't mind me saying so,
Miss Jones,

298
00:17:18,220 --> 00:17:21,540
you waste too much time on students.
You ought to think of yourself more.

299
00:17:21,540 --> 00:17:24,260
You need a companionship of someone
nearer your own age,

300
00:17:24,260 --> 00:17:27,500
someone who's seen something of the
world, who's knocked about a bit,

301
00:17:27,500 --> 00:17:31,260
who's understanding, you know,
with a sense of humour.

302
00:17:32,420 --> 00:17:34,580
I don't meet people like that,
Mr Rigsby?

303
00:17:34,580 --> 00:17:37,540
I didn't how to write for women.

304
00:17:37,540 --> 00:17:41,220
It was hard for me to get into
the psychology of a woman,

305
00:17:41,220 --> 00:17:43,540
but I gave her a few lines,

306
00:17:43,540 --> 00:17:47,740
the rest was up to her and she just
built it. She was wonderful.

307
00:17:47,740 --> 00:17:50,420
I mean, I hope the others
don't think I'm too fussy.

308
00:17:50,420 --> 00:17:52,420
I want them to accept me.

309
00:17:52,420 --> 00:17:55,260
Oh, they'll accept you, all right.
That's what worries me.

310
00:17:55,260 --> 00:18:00,180
I think Frances de la Tour
is a great actress.

311
00:18:00,180 --> 00:18:02,780
There was a vulnerability,

312
00:18:02,780 --> 00:18:10,060
there was a beauty, a gracefulness
in what she did

313
00:18:10,060 --> 00:18:14,860
and she seemed to understand
that woman so well.

314
00:18:14,860 --> 00:18:16,660
I thought she was brilliant.

315
00:18:17,780 --> 00:18:19,980
Philip.

316
00:18:19,980 --> 00:18:23,340
You promised to come down last
night. What happened? I couldn't.

317
00:18:23,340 --> 00:18:25,020
Rigsby was painting your door.

318
00:18:25,020 --> 00:18:27,060
I know, that was the fifth coat!

319
00:18:27,060 --> 00:18:31,020
I think he suspects.
He even paints the doorknob.

320
00:18:31,020 --> 00:18:34,180
You see, we must be careful. There's
only one answer, I must come to you.

321
00:18:34,180 --> 00:18:36,660
No. I mean, what about Alan?

322
00:18:36,660 --> 00:18:38,700
Well,
he always goes home on Fridays.

323
00:18:38,700 --> 00:18:41,060
I know, I'll bring
a nice bottle of wine

324
00:18:41,060 --> 00:18:43,020
and we can have
one of our long talks.

325
00:18:43,020 --> 00:18:45,420
Oh, no. I mean, what about?

326
00:18:45,420 --> 00:18:48,100
About us, Philip. We've got
to see if we can make it work.

327
00:18:48,100 --> 00:18:51,940
Make what work?
Black and white, Philip!

328
00:18:51,940 --> 00:18:57,940
She had a strange ability
to be extremely intelligent

329
00:18:57,940 --> 00:19:03,020
and somewhat vacant, pretty vacant!

330
00:19:03,020 --> 00:19:07,140
And it was...it was just amazing.

331
00:19:11,140 --> 00:19:13,060
Oh, goodness me, Frances de la Tour.

332
00:19:13,060 --> 00:19:15,180
My girl crush.

333
00:19:16,460 --> 00:19:19,820
And I have to say, she is fabulous.

334
00:19:19,820 --> 00:19:22,420
She is just iconic.

335
00:19:23,980 --> 00:19:26,340
In May 1973,
and now with three-quarters

336
00:19:26,340 --> 00:19:29,260
of the classic cast
we would come to know in place,

337
00:19:29,260 --> 00:19:32,340
The Banana Box finally made it
to the West End.

338
00:19:32,340 --> 00:19:35,780
But its run at The Apollo Theatre
in London would be brief.

339
00:19:35,780 --> 00:19:39,940
What did we do in the West End?
Five weeks or six weeks?

340
00:19:39,940 --> 00:19:42,580
When the notice finally went up,
Leonard said,

341
00:19:42,580 --> 00:19:47,140
"Well, we mustn't grumble, we've had
almost a year's employment".

342
00:19:47,140 --> 00:19:49,500
I picked up the phone
and my agent said,

343
00:19:49,500 --> 00:19:51,420
"You're going into the West End".

344
00:19:51,420 --> 00:19:53,460
I felt even then that they were
taking a risk.

345
00:19:53,460 --> 00:19:55,220
I never thought it would run

346
00:19:55,220 --> 00:20:01,060
because I think it was that
the names weren't pulling them in,

347
00:20:01,060 --> 00:20:05,420
and I just didn't think it would
pull them in in enough numbers

348
00:20:05,420 --> 00:20:07,460
and it didn't.

349
00:20:07,460 --> 00:20:10,580
It was the final curtain
for The Banana Box,

350
00:20:10,580 --> 00:20:14,580
but Eric Chappell's script was about
to be given a new lease of life.

351
00:20:14,580 --> 00:20:16,780
A TV executive had been
in the audience

352
00:20:16,780 --> 00:20:19,340
in Don Warrington's hometown
of Newcastle,

353
00:20:19,340 --> 00:20:22,500
a night that would be remembered
when, in 1974,

354
00:20:22,500 --> 00:20:25,940
ITV began looking
for a new hit sitcom.

355
00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:35,680
In 1973, we faced a winter
of discontent

356
00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:38,640
with the three-day week,
strikes and power cuts

357
00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:43,000
all making Britain a rather cold,
dark place in which to live.

358
00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:44,720
The lights had also gone down

359
00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:46,920
on the damp, domestic capers
of The Banana Box

360
00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:49,520
which had come to the end
of its nationwide tour.

361
00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:51,480
It could have been
the last we'd ever hear

362
00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:54,160
of Eric Chappell's seedy landlord
and put-upon tenants,

363
00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:55,880
but fate was on our side.

364
00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:57,320
Stand by, telecine one.

365
00:20:57,320 --> 00:20:59,840
In the early '70s, Yorkshire
Television was keen to add

366
00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,760
to its already impressive list
of light entertainment shows,

367
00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:06,240
featuring stars like Les Dawson
and Frankie Howard.

368
00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:10,000
A small company with big ambitions,

369
00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,280
Yorkshire TV's reputation for quality
programmes was growing quickly

370
00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:16,880
with ex-BBC man Paul Fox at the helm.

371
00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:22,480
He tried to make it a mini BBC in
so much that we had documentaries,

372
00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:24,480
we had current affairs
and we had drama,

373
00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:26,440
we had entertainment,
we had children's.

374
00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:28,720
It was a very exciting place
to work.

375
00:21:30,360 --> 00:21:33,560
Fox brought in comedy producer
Duncan Wood from the BBC,

376
00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:36,800
where he'd been responsible for hit
shows like Steptoe And Son.

377
00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,480
Could he create the same magic
in Yorkshire?

378
00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:42,760
At the time, it was the golden
fleece of television.

379
00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:46,360
If you can get a winning sitcom,
you were made.

380
00:21:46,360 --> 00:21:50,320
That and a good quiz show
plus a good documentary,

381
00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:52,200
and you were halfway there,
you know.

382
00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:54,360
And the big thing was the sitcom.

383
00:21:54,360 --> 00:21:56,200
We were the infantry.

384
00:21:56,200 --> 00:22:01,000
Duncan Wood was about to receive
the best tip-off of his life -

385
00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,600
a colleague had been
to see The Banana Box
at the Theatre Royal Newcastle

386
00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:06,480
and told him of its potential.

387
00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:10,040
Could this be the hit comedy series
that everyone was looking for?

388
00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:13,440
They said to me, "Write a sitcom."

389
00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:15,760
I said, "I haven't got the stamina."

390
00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:18,840
They said, "No, do what you can,
write a show."

391
00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:21,520
And after that they said,
"Could you write another one?"

392
00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:25,000
So I said, "I'll write another one."
"Could you write a third?

393
00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,680
I wrote a third.
"Why don't you write two more?"

394
00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:32,000
In search of a better title
for the sitcom,

395
00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:33,880
Eric Chappell picked Rising Damp

396
00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:36,880
as the perfect description
of Rigsby's grotty boarding house.

397
00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:39,960
For the cast,
Duncan Wood went straight

398
00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:41,800
to the stars
of the theatre production.

399
00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:43,840
Well, I'd forgotten about it.

400
00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:47,000
I'd done it, it was over
and I was looking forward

401
00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,480
to moving on
to do lots of other things.

402
00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:53,680
Then out of the blue came this phone
call from my agent saying

403
00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:58,800
that they were hoping to turn it
into a television series

404
00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:01,400
and that they wanted me in it.

405
00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:03,400
And I said yes to it.

406
00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:06,280
You'll try and surprise me,
but I will surprise you by the -

407
00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:08,480
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

408
00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:12,000
Leonard Rossiter was persuaded
to reprise his role as Rooksby

409
00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:13,960
who by now had become Rigsby,

410
00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:18,040
following an objection by a real-life
landlord with the same name!

411
00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:20,360
And once teenage heart-throb
pop star Paul Jones

412
00:23:20,360 --> 00:23:22,120
was approached for the role of Alan.

413
00:23:22,120 --> 00:23:23,960
My agent rang me and he said,

414
00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,600
"They're going to make it into
a television serial."

415
00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:30,560
So I said,
"Richard, it was never a success.

416
00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:32,560
I don't think I want to do it."

417
00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:35,520
So they got Richard Beckinsale.

418
00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:41,240
Jones' decision had left the door
open for an emerging name in comedy,

419
00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:44,040
and the final piece
of the Rising Damp jigsaw

420
00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:45,960
was about to fall into place.

421
00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:49,520
Richard Beckinsale was born
in Nottingham in 1947.

422
00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,640
Leaving school at 16 with no
qualifications,

423
00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:54,880
his real ambition was to act.

424
00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:59,400
He would go on to win a place at
the prestigious Rada drama school

425
00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:02,320
before becoming a professional actor
in 1968.

426
00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:07,920
His television debut would follow one
year later in Coronation Street.

427
00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:11,120
Now, then, Missus...
Sharples.

428
00:24:11,120 --> 00:24:14,560
We can't have this, Mrs Sharples.
You're in breach of all the bylaws.

429
00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:17,200
'Ey, this young lad says
we're breaching his bylaws.

430
00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:21,600
The 23-year-old would win his first
starring role a year later

431
00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:25,120
alongside Paula Wilcox
in the ITV sitcom The Lovers,

432
00:24:25,120 --> 00:24:29,600
the series that first made Richard
Beckinsale a household name.

433
00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:31,240
Me mam.

434
00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:33,640
Has she taken up morris dancing?

435
00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:36,000
To remind to be a good girl.

436
00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:39,720
She's not going to need the Red Army
ensemble, then, is she?

437
00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:42,240
Jeffrey, sex isn't the only thing
in life.

438
00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:44,280
It isn't even ONE of the things
in mine.

439
00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:48,320
There's a gentleness, both in sort
of real life and onscreen.

440
00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:53,040
What comes across is a slight
sort of bumblingness.

441
00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:57,880
He just couldn't help but being
funny. It was just in his nature.

442
00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:03,400
He had this this universal appeal.

443
00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:06,560
There was just, like, nobody
who didn't love him,

444
00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:11,000
and he managed to sort of make
everybody of all ages and types...

445
00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:13,160
Remember, there is not
that many actors

446
00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:15,440
that appeal to absolutely everyone.

447
00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:17,120
Ahh!

448
00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:21,680
Cut the rope! Cut the rope!
No! Grab him!

449
00:25:24,360 --> 00:25:27,320
In 1974, Richard Beckinsale
would make an entrance

450
00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,160
in two of the most significant roles
of his career:

451
00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:33,320
on the BBC as Lennie Godber
in Porridge...

452
00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:35,320
Hello, Fletch.

453
00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:38,720
..and over on ITV as Alan
in Rising Damp.

454
00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:40,480
Hello!

455
00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:42,720
Welcome to Bleak House!

456
00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:46,080
Mind if I come in for a warm?

457
00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:48,400
I'm Alan Moore, live upstairs.

458
00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:50,120
Philip Smith.
How do you do!

459
00:25:50,120 --> 00:25:52,560
Leonard had worked with Richard

460
00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:55,840
and I think he thought
he had such a natural charm,

461
00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:59,000
and it was a brilliant,
brilliant piece of casting

462
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:04,400
because I suppose Alan was in a way
the hardest character to play.

463
00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:07,400
He was less defined than the other
three characters,

464
00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:09,920
and it needed somebody with
Richard's skill

465
00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:12,000
to make it live, which it did.

466
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:14,360
# Them bones, them bones,
them dry bones

467
00:26:14,360 --> 00:26:17,440
# Them bones, them bones,
them dry bones # That's not funny!

468
00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:20,880
Richard, in a sense,
had all the experience.

469
00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:23,680
Richard had done The Lovers.
He'd done three or four series,

470
00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:27,520
so Richard was the authority
on situation comedy

471
00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:30,520
and the others weren't.
Where is he? Where is he?

472
00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:32,200
Where do you think you're going?

473
00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:34,000
What's the matter, Rigsby?

474
00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:36,880
"What's the matter," you're saying,
after nearly poisoning me?

475
00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:38,520
You're exaggerating.

476
00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:40,440
I was drugged to the eyeballs.

477
00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:43,600
I slept for 24 hours.
I still can't feel my teeth.

478
00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:47,160
And the first time I met Richard,
I was delighted.

479
00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:50,000
I admired him, but I felt he was
within reach.

480
00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:53,000
Whereas, with Leonard,
I mean he was stratospheric,

481
00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:55,080
as far as I was concerned.

482
00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:57,720
Richard was the most approachable.

483
00:26:57,720 --> 00:26:59,920
What time are we meeting them?
About nine.

484
00:26:59,920 --> 00:27:02,480
It's nice of you to ask me, Philip.
I do appreciate it.

485
00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:04,520
That's all right!
What's mine like?

486
00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:06,600
She's a very sweet, sensitive girl.

487
00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:10,560
You mean she's ugly? She's not
ugly, she's very attractive.

488
00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:12,520
Why am I getting her, then?

489
00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:14,880
Because he's a friend
of the girl I'm seeing.

490
00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:18,600
They wanted a foursome, said if I
knew someone reasonably presentable

491
00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:21,280
with a pleasing personality
to bring him along.

492
00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:24,120
And you thought of me?
No, he couldn't come!

493
00:27:26,120 --> 00:27:28,760
At 8pm on the 2nd of September 1974,

494
00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:32,200
millions of us got our first view
of what would prove to be one

495
00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:35,360
of the nation's favourite comedies
and casts.

496
00:27:35,360 --> 00:27:41,920
Once you put those talents, Leonard
and Becky and Don on top of that,

497
00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:45,360
and Frances de la Tour, and you put
that on top of that platform,

498
00:27:45,360 --> 00:27:47,720
and say
"Right, take it away, you lot",

499
00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:51,000
I mean, it's going to be a massive
success, isn't it?

500
00:27:52,120 --> 00:27:54,760
It remained to be seen
whether Rising Damp would rise

501
00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:58,000
to the top of the TV charts,
but for a young black actor

502
00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,920
the series had already
proved a breakthrough.

503
00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:04,080
At the time, people had a view
of black people,

504
00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:10,640
which was people who were outsiders,
people who didn't belong here.

505
00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:15,920
And the thing about Philip was he
was more English than the English,

506
00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:18,960
and I think that was very startling.

507
00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:21,640
And where do you think
you're going, sir?

508
00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:24,200
I'm just going in.
Oh, no, you're not. Outside.

509
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:27,440
I've got a table. Tables are all
taken. I know, I've booked one!

510
00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:29,240
Hello, Charles.

511
00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:32,080
Why, good evening, Mr Smith.
Is there some difficulty?

512
00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:34,200
Oh, is this gentlemen with you?
Yes.

513
00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:37,320
Oh, I'm sorry about that, sir. One
can't be too careful these days.

514
00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:39,920
Your usual table, this way!

515
00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:44,640
There were certain aspects of it
that were politically incorrect.

516
00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:51,920
On the other, you can see how
it held up a mirror

517
00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:54,920
to the way we were living.

518
00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:57,440
Do you know what I plan to do
with the jungle, Rigsby?

519
00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:59,240
What?
I'm going to tarmac it.

520
00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:00,960
No, I-I-I suppose it is an idea,
yes.

521
00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:04,840
Picture it, where there was once
only the mosquito,

522
00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:09,720
there'll be trees growing
out of black velvet tarmac.

523
00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:12,600
Oh, yes, I suppose so.

524
00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:15,440
They'll be fluorescent street
lights, white lines,

525
00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:19,160
bus shelters, litter baskets,
car parks.

526
00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:21,880
Can you see it, Rigsby?
Oh, yes. It should look very nice.

527
00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,280
And, of course, zebra crossings.

528
00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:29,000
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

529
00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:30,960
Oh, very funny!

530
00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:34,720
Despite its less than glamorous
setting,

531
00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:37,480
Rising Damp was a comedy that
received a warm reception

532
00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:39,480
from millions of viewers.

533
00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:42,000
ITV had a new hit comedy
on their hands,

534
00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:45,040
and it seemed Leonard Rossiter
had at last found the part

535
00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:47,160
he was born to play.

536
00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:49,360
Hey, what happened to the old
traditions, eh?

537
00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:51,520
What happened
to good old British grit?

538
00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:54,800
I think you're sweeping most of it
under the carpet, Rigsby.

539
00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:57,600
Leonard said to me
about playing Rigsby,

540
00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:02,000
"It's the easiest thing
I've ever had to do."

541
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:06,840
He said,
"I know that man inside out".

542
00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:11,280
While Rossiter fitted perfectly into
the now famous green cardigan,

543
00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:14,000
Richard Beckinsale
wasn't quite so lucky.

544
00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:16,440
He'd had his long hair
recently cut short

545
00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:18,440
for the character of Godber
in Porridge

546
00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:22,200
and was forced to wear a wig to play
the part of medical student Alan.

547
00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:24,120
Richard hated that wig.

548
00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:26,840
He couldn't wait
to get rid of that wig.

549
00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:31,440
Every week he'd go,
"Can we get rid of the wig?" "No."

550
00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:35,920
But, you know, that was the look
they wanted at the time.

551
00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:40,040
He out-acted the wig.
That was his greatest triumph.

552
00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:44,160
He'd beaten the wig into submission
till they got rid of it.

553
00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:47,960
But Richard Beckinsale looked set

554
00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:50,760
to be stuck with his hairpiece
for a while longer.

555
00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:53,560
The comedy antics from this charmless
boarding house

556
00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:55,520
had somehow charmed us all.

557
00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:58,880
Was this a sitcom
that was still on the rise?

558
00:31:08,340 --> 00:31:10,940
What on earth's that?

559
00:31:12,100 --> 00:31:14,060
This is a piece of wood.

560
00:31:14,060 --> 00:31:16,820
Well, I can see that, Mr Rigsby.

561
00:31:16,820 --> 00:31:19,700
Stop wafting it around,
you'll start a fire.

562
00:31:19,700 --> 00:31:22,020
I will start a fire, all right,
Miss Jones.

563
00:31:22,020 --> 00:31:24,300
Please extinguish your stick.

564
00:31:25,420 --> 00:31:28,940
Sorry, but this is one fire you
can't put out, Miss Jones.

565
00:31:28,940 --> 00:31:30,940
We'll soon see about that!

566
00:31:30,940 --> 00:31:33,780
In 1974, as a generation
of much-loved comedy shows

567
00:31:33,780 --> 00:31:37,500
like Steptoe And Son and The Likely
Lads came to the end of the line,

568
00:31:37,500 --> 00:31:39,860
Britain had a new favourite
over on ITV.

569
00:31:41,580 --> 00:31:44,660
What happened?
Nothing! Nothing happened.

570
00:31:44,660 --> 00:31:47,460
But while the shows we saw
were full of laughs,

571
00:31:47,460 --> 00:31:50,740
the atmosphere on set
was often much more serious.

572
00:31:50,740 --> 00:31:53,660
Len wasn't a bunch of fun
all the time.

573
00:31:53,660 --> 00:31:56,740
He was very intense
and he had tremendous energy.

574
00:31:56,740 --> 00:32:00,020
I'm going to show you what clean
living and a balanced diet can do!

575
00:32:00,020 --> 00:32:03,260
I'm going to raise this chair aloft
by one leg. Eh?

576
00:32:03,260 --> 00:32:05,100
You ought to be careful, Mr Rigsby.

577
00:32:05,100 --> 00:32:08,100
It's all right. I used to do this 20
years ago, I can still do it today.

578
00:32:08,100 --> 00:32:09,820
Now, then, here were go.

579
00:32:11,580 --> 00:32:16,380
If you watch Leonard
you can see how high he was

580
00:32:16,380 --> 00:32:19,340
because of the adrenaline,
because of the audience,

581
00:32:19,340 --> 00:32:24,220
because of his desire to get it
right that first time.

582
00:32:24,220 --> 00:32:27,460
That's it! What? Oh, God,
I wish you'd stop doing that!

583
00:32:27,460 --> 00:32:30,500
It's the grey lady, she's trying
to get in touch with you.

584
00:32:30,500 --> 00:32:33,100
I wish she'd ring me
instead of jumping out like that.

585
00:32:33,100 --> 00:32:35,940
Len would be thinking several
sentences ahead

586
00:32:35,940 --> 00:32:37,860
and the pace of the delivery
was such.

587
00:32:37,860 --> 00:32:39,980
And they'd run it,
something would go wrong.

588
00:32:39,980 --> 00:32:43,660
Anything could go wrong. It could be
any fault and you have to stop.

589
00:32:43,660 --> 00:32:46,140
But I hated having to stop Len.

590
00:32:46,140 --> 00:32:48,580
Yeah, you'll break hearts like,
like, like this

591
00:32:48,580 --> 00:32:50,500
and this and this and this and this!

592
00:32:50,500 --> 00:32:52,980
Do you realise
what you leave behind, Miss Jones?

593
00:32:52,980 --> 00:32:55,140
It looks like half a pound
of broken biscuits.

594
00:32:55,140 --> 00:32:59,100
It would take ten seconds for him to
actually stop the speech, you know.

595
00:32:59,100 --> 00:33:03,020
You take a man's finest feelings and
you leave them crushed and mangled

596
00:33:03,020 --> 00:33:05,580
like this and this!
Not the flowers, no, Mr Rigsby!

597
00:33:05,580 --> 00:33:09,540
I felt guilty actually, having to go
in and stop it, and he hated it.

598
00:33:12,140 --> 00:33:14,540
Playing opposite
the frenetic Leonard Rossiter,

599
00:33:14,540 --> 00:33:18,020
Richard Beckinsale proved
a calming influence on set.

600
00:33:18,020 --> 00:33:20,860
I just don't want you spying on me,
that's all. I'm not spying.

601
00:33:20,860 --> 00:33:22,580
If you want to be bloody secretive.

602
00:33:22,580 --> 00:33:24,620
I'm not secretive.
Where have you been?

603
00:33:24,620 --> 00:33:27,940
As a matter of fact,
I have been to see Dr Zhivago.

604
00:33:27,940 --> 00:33:30,540
Ah. What did he say?

605
00:33:30,540 --> 00:33:35,140
Richard was great in the show
because he absorbed Len's energy.

606
00:33:35,140 --> 00:33:38,260
You know what's in this bottle?
Micro-organisms. Millions of them.

607
00:33:38,260 --> 00:33:40,860
Enough to wipe out a city.
I just remove the stopper.

608
00:33:40,860 --> 00:33:44,340
I don't believe you.
There are millions and not one of
them overlapping.

609
00:33:44,340 --> 00:33:46,700
I can't see anything.
No, you won't see anything,

610
00:33:46,700 --> 00:33:49,380
but they're there and they'll come
slopping out at you.

611
00:33:49,380 --> 00:33:51,900
In 10 minutes you'll be foaming
at the mouth,

612
00:33:51,900 --> 00:33:54,020
in 20 minutes
you'll praying for death.

613
00:33:54,020 --> 00:33:56,860
Don't you come near me with that
thing? Here, catch.

614
00:33:56,860 --> 00:33:59,620
Oh, God.

615
00:33:59,620 --> 00:34:02,940
(SOBS)

616
00:34:02,940 --> 00:34:05,180
(SNIFFS)

617
00:34:06,260 --> 00:34:10,980
Salad cream, I might have known!
You...get out of here.

618
00:34:10,980 --> 00:34:14,060
If he'd competed with Len on that
frenetic scale,

619
00:34:14,060 --> 00:34:16,900
it would have been disaster,
but he absorbed it

620
00:34:16,900 --> 00:34:18,740
and was calm and relaxed.

621
00:34:18,740 --> 00:34:20,620
Rigsby, do you have to creep up
like that?

622
00:34:20,620 --> 00:34:23,020
You never get tired of looking
at yourself, do you?

623
00:34:23,020 --> 00:34:25,620
You'll wear that mirror out.
I was just combing it.

624
00:34:25,620 --> 00:34:28,420
You were making your eyebrows
go up and down, weren't you?

625
00:34:28,420 --> 00:34:31,700
No, I wasn't. Yes, you were.
You look as if you're having a fit.

626
00:34:31,700 --> 00:34:36,860
Len had a real affection
for Richard.

627
00:34:36,860 --> 00:34:38,980
You won't get a woman that way,
you know.

628
00:34:38,980 --> 00:34:41,420
This detached cynical expression
pulls the birds.

629
00:34:41,420 --> 00:34:43,780
I get quite a few looks.
Yeah, I'm not surprised.

630
00:34:43,780 --> 00:34:46,340
Richard never once fell
for Len's reputation.

631
00:34:46,340 --> 00:34:48,460
Richard just cut right through it.

632
00:34:48,460 --> 00:34:50,580
It was another human being

633
00:34:50,580 --> 00:34:53,060
who he would just talk to
in an ordinary way,

634
00:34:53,060 --> 00:34:57,460
and I think Len really appreciated
being treated in that way.

635
00:34:57,460 --> 00:35:01,820
Although the comedy chemistry seemed
like a match made in TV heaven,

636
00:35:01,820 --> 00:35:03,860
in real life, Leonard Rossiter

637
00:35:03,860 --> 00:35:06,460
and Frances de la Tour
were frequently at odds.

638
00:35:06,460 --> 00:35:09,780
Everybody got on very well apart
from Frances and Len.

639
00:35:09,780 --> 00:35:11,660
They were poles apart.

640
00:35:11,660 --> 00:35:13,540
This was really based on politics.

641
00:35:13,540 --> 00:35:16,500
I mean Len
was far away Genghis Khan,

642
00:35:16,500 --> 00:35:19,980
and she was far away
the other end, Tony Benn,

643
00:35:19,980 --> 00:35:22,780
so they would never, ever mix

644
00:35:22,780 --> 00:35:26,500
and they had no respect
for each other off screen.

645
00:35:26,500 --> 00:35:29,740
Onscreen and at rehearsals they were
just magic together

646
00:35:29,740 --> 00:35:32,660
because they were both
very, very clever people.

647
00:35:35,460 --> 00:35:38,260
Frances de la Tour aside,
there was one other cast member

648
00:35:38,260 --> 00:35:40,420
that Rossiter brushed
up the wrong way;

649
00:35:40,420 --> 00:35:43,460
the cat that played Rigsby's
beloved Vienna.

650
00:35:43,460 --> 00:35:46,020
Len hated the cat!

651
00:35:46,020 --> 00:35:48,500
(VIENNA SCREECHES)

652
00:35:48,500 --> 00:35:51,260
Vienna was an absolute anathema
to him.

653
00:35:51,260 --> 00:35:56,060
That cat, its hairs would get
everywhere.

654
00:35:56,060 --> 00:35:57,860
It never liked being in the show.

655
00:35:57,860 --> 00:36:01,300
I mean, Len held it
in a vice-like grip.

656
00:36:01,300 --> 00:36:04,260
I'll just show you something.
Gather round. Now, look, look!

657
00:36:04,260 --> 00:36:07,060
It was kind of splayed out
like that, you know,

658
00:36:07,060 --> 00:36:09,420
and he couldn't wait
to get rid of it.

659
00:36:09,420 --> 00:36:12,060
If I let him go,
what do you think will happen?

660
00:36:12,060 --> 00:36:13,980
He'll go through the floorboards.

661
00:36:15,340 --> 00:36:18,220
No, he won't. He'll land on his feet
and do you know why?

662
00:36:18,220 --> 00:36:21,140
Because he's got perfect reflexes.
It's a scientific fact.

663
00:36:21,140 --> 00:36:22,900
You'll have to watch carefully

664
00:36:22,900 --> 00:36:24,740
because it'll be all over
in a flash.

665
00:36:24,740 --> 00:36:27,020
Ready, steady, one, two, three!

666
00:36:27,020 --> 00:36:28,620
(THUD AND MEOWING)

667
00:36:28,620 --> 00:36:32,300
He used to scurry under the staging
and they couldn't get it out again

668
00:36:32,300 --> 00:36:36,140
because it hated working with Len.
It was no actor, this cat wasn't.

669
00:36:36,140 --> 00:36:38,500
He usually lands on his feet!

670
00:36:40,260 --> 00:36:44,580
I meet ladies now even today who
say, "I've called my cat Vienna."

671
00:36:45,940 --> 00:36:48,580
Why do you call him Vienna?
Ah, well, you take this cat

672
00:36:48,580 --> 00:36:50,700
to the door on the coldest night
of the year...

673
00:36:50,700 --> 00:36:53,460
when you'd have to kick a polar
bear out, never mind a cat...

674
00:36:53,460 --> 00:36:55,180
You show him the front door,

675
00:36:55,180 --> 00:36:58,580
and if he sees another pairs of eyes
out there, it's goodnight, Vienna!

676
00:37:00,300 --> 00:37:03,460
But among the cast, it was Richard
Beckinsale and Don Warrington

677
00:37:03,460 --> 00:37:07,220
who would develop the firmest of
friendships both on and off set.

678
00:37:09,980 --> 00:37:13,140
It's stopped. Don't let him get me,
Philip, don't let him get me.

679
00:37:13,140 --> 00:37:16,340
Richard and I would hang out
together...

680
00:37:19,580 --> 00:37:21,900
..and we had a merry time.

681
00:37:23,860 --> 00:37:26,180
Not only did they share
a house onscreen,

682
00:37:26,180 --> 00:37:29,260
off set the two young actors also
found themselves together

683
00:37:29,260 --> 00:37:32,100
in a lodging house near the
television studios in Leeds.

684
00:37:33,220 --> 00:37:35,780
I think we got banned
from the guest house.

685
00:37:35,780 --> 00:37:42,380
I think our behaviour was not what
was required at the time.

686
00:37:42,380 --> 00:37:47,700
We were a bit noisy,
so we got kicked out en masse.

687
00:37:47,700 --> 00:37:49,220
Ha ha ha!

688
00:37:49,220 --> 00:37:51,540
And then we moved to the Queens,

689
00:37:51,540 --> 00:37:56,020
where we could do what we wanted,
and we did!

690
00:37:56,020 --> 00:37:58,820
We can't get the lid down.
Course you can get the lid down.

691
00:37:58,820 --> 00:38:01,620
It will squash your nose.
You wouldn't squash...

692
00:38:01,620 --> 00:38:03,500
Turn his head sideways.

693
00:38:03,500 --> 00:38:06,100
There you are, see like that.
Its easy. Try it now.

694
00:38:06,100 --> 00:38:08,580
Yeah, go on, and try it now.
There you are!

695
00:38:08,580 --> 00:38:10,820
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

696
00:38:16,140 --> 00:38:19,740
Today, Don Warrington
is back at the Queens Hotel...

697
00:38:19,740 --> 00:38:23,940
42 years since he first travelled
from London to record the sitcom

698
00:38:23,940 --> 00:38:27,580
that would become a classic
and make him a household name.

699
00:38:27,580 --> 00:38:30,820
Do you like England, Philip?
It's all right.

700
00:38:30,820 --> 00:38:32,580
What do you like best?

701
00:38:34,700 --> 00:38:38,860
I think the telephone boxes,
they're rather nice.

702
00:38:40,380 --> 00:38:43,100
Is that all?
I like the swimming pools,

703
00:38:43,100 --> 00:38:45,580
but I suppose that's because
there are no crocodiles.

704
00:38:45,580 --> 00:38:47,460
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

705
00:38:50,700 --> 00:38:54,220
In the early days, when we first
started to do the series,

706
00:38:54,220 --> 00:38:56,140
we travelled by train.

707
00:38:56,140 --> 00:39:04,060
We'd all meet at Kings Cross
and get some wine or beer.

708
00:39:04,060 --> 00:39:08,700
There would be Leonard, Richard,
myself and the guest artists.

709
00:39:11,060 --> 00:39:13,100
Wahey.
Yes!

710
00:39:13,100 --> 00:39:15,780
Could I have a double portion
of mother's ruin

711
00:39:15,780 --> 00:39:18,060
and a bottle
of your very best slimline?

712
00:39:19,580 --> 00:39:22,180
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

713
00:39:22,180 --> 00:39:24,900
In later series, Len took to driving
up to Leeds.

714
00:39:24,900 --> 00:39:28,900
We would meet at Swiss Cottage

715
00:39:28,900 --> 00:39:32,380
and he would pull up,
and I would jump in,

716
00:39:32,380 --> 00:39:38,340
and sometimes we would drive
all the way in absolute silence.

717
00:39:38,340 --> 00:39:41,180
I don't know why!

718
00:39:41,180 --> 00:39:44,220
This will be the first time
in four decades

719
00:39:44,220 --> 00:39:47,900
that Don Warrington and writer Eric
Chappell have met at the studios

720
00:39:47,900 --> 00:39:49,860
where Rising Damp was recorded.

721
00:39:51,260 --> 00:39:53,860
It looks like it's still very damp
in Leeds!

722
00:39:55,580 --> 00:39:59,580
Apart from the logo
at the top of the building,

723
00:39:59,580 --> 00:40:03,620
it looks exactly the same.

724
00:40:07,740 --> 00:40:09,260
Don.
Eric.

725
00:40:09,260 --> 00:40:12,540
Nice to see you again. Lovely to see
you. It's been too long!

726
00:40:12,540 --> 00:40:15,900
If I remember correctly. It's
getting on for 40 years, isn't it?

727
00:40:15,900 --> 00:40:17,660
It seems that way, Eric.

728
00:40:22,860 --> 00:40:24,820
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

729
00:40:30,460 --> 00:40:32,740
So you've made yourself at home,
then?

730
00:40:32,740 --> 00:40:34,540
Yes.
What do you think of it?

731
00:40:34,540 --> 00:40:36,380
It seems very nice.

732
00:40:36,380 --> 00:40:39,500
It seems nice, yes. That's the
wallpaper, very good quality.

733
00:40:39,500 --> 00:40:42,940
But it has to be to hold these
bricks together, eh?

734
00:40:42,940 --> 00:40:48,060
It is amazing to think that all
those years ago we were here.

735
00:40:48,060 --> 00:40:51,700
I mean, the thing about coming here
was it was very homely.

736
00:40:51,700 --> 00:40:54,620
We went into the canteen
and you knew everybody.

737
00:40:54,620 --> 00:40:58,260
I felt completely welcomed here.
Yeah, so did I.

738
00:40:58,260 --> 00:41:03,100
And it was good because I think that
gave us the freedom to do the show

739
00:41:03,100 --> 00:41:05,020
to the best of our ability.

740
00:41:05,020 --> 00:41:06,820
Do I look all right, Mr Rigsby?

741
00:41:06,820 --> 00:41:08,500
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

742
00:41:08,500 --> 00:41:12,220
All right, Miss Jones?
You look ravishing.

743
00:41:12,220 --> 00:41:15,420
I was wondering about this.
You don't think it looks a bit odd?

744
00:41:15,420 --> 00:41:17,420
Why should it look odd, Miss Jones?

745
00:41:17,420 --> 00:41:19,980
Well, I think it's a bit
old-fashioned now.

746
00:41:19,980 --> 00:41:21,780
I think it's the head.

747
00:41:21,780 --> 00:41:24,700
I keep thinking something's leapt
on me from behind!

748
00:41:24,700 --> 00:41:27,380
You shouldn't give it a moment's
thought. It suits you.

749
00:41:27,380 --> 00:41:29,180
What do you think, Philip?

750
00:41:29,180 --> 00:41:32,580
What do I think of it? I think it's
just another example of the way

751
00:41:32,580 --> 00:41:36,060
so called civilised countries are
decimating the animal kingdom

752
00:41:36,060 --> 00:41:38,380
just to satisfy the whims of fashion

753
00:41:38,380 --> 00:41:42,100
to grace the idle, pampered
shoulders of western women.

754
00:41:42,100 --> 00:41:44,500
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

755
00:41:44,500 --> 00:41:46,820
You don't like it?

756
00:41:48,820 --> 00:41:51,140
While the first series
was being recorded,

757
00:41:51,140 --> 00:41:53,820
a buzz about this new comedy
on the block spread quickly

758
00:41:53,820 --> 00:41:56,020
among the workers
at Yorkshire Television.

759
00:41:56,020 --> 00:42:00,620
Well, I just know that when we
started making it,

760
00:42:00,620 --> 00:42:05,020
the staff would come in at the dress
and start to watch,

761
00:42:05,020 --> 00:42:07,860
and those numbers grew
during that period.

762
00:42:07,860 --> 00:42:09,700
And I thought it must be good

763
00:42:09,700 --> 00:42:12,060
because the pros are coming in
to watch it, you know,

764
00:42:12,060 --> 00:42:13,620
and they'd seen it all.

765
00:42:16,620 --> 00:42:18,820
Right! I want a good clean fight.

766
00:42:18,820 --> 00:42:21,820
No biting, no scratching,
no kicking, no gouging,

767
00:42:21,820 --> 00:42:25,020
no punching with the inside of the
glove and no punching on the break.

768
00:42:25,020 --> 00:42:27,740
My God, you're enjoying this,
aren't you?

769
00:42:27,740 --> 00:42:29,780
After an afternoon rehearsal on set,

770
00:42:29,780 --> 00:42:33,580
Rising Damp was recorded on Friday
nights in front of a studio audience

771
00:42:33,580 --> 00:42:36,380
with as few breaks in filming
as possible,

772
00:42:36,380 --> 00:42:40,100
a method that kept TV newcomer
Don Warrington on his toes.

773
00:42:40,100 --> 00:42:45,060
Coming to the studio for the first
time to do a sitcom,

774
00:42:45,060 --> 00:42:48,060
I remember the reaction
of the audience,

775
00:42:48,060 --> 00:42:50,900
and I had no experience
of studio audiences.

776
00:42:50,900 --> 00:42:53,700
But it seemed to me at the time
that the laughter

777
00:42:53,700 --> 00:42:57,100
that was coming
was absolutely genuine. Yeah!

778
00:42:57,100 --> 00:43:00,100
Because I remember several times
we had to stop and do it again

779
00:43:00,100 --> 00:43:02,500
because they laughed too much.

780
00:43:06,620 --> 00:43:09,180
Philip! Philip!
Got him.

781
00:43:09,180 --> 00:43:12,220
How about that, then, eh?
No, no, no, no, no, no!

782
00:43:12,220 --> 00:43:14,100
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

783
00:43:14,100 --> 00:43:16,420
It was a theatrical event.

784
00:43:16,420 --> 00:43:19,020
We were doing television,
but it was a theatrical event

785
00:43:19,020 --> 00:43:21,620
with the audience
and the whole thing. Yes, yeah.

786
00:43:21,620 --> 00:43:24,460
And the cameramen loved me
because I wrote long scenes.

787
00:43:24,460 --> 00:43:27,380
Probably the actors didn't want them
as much,

788
00:43:27,380 --> 00:43:29,740
but the scenes were quite long
themselves?

789
00:43:29,740 --> 00:43:31,940
And that's my complaint
to you today.

790
00:43:31,940 --> 00:43:35,260
Nearly 40 years I've waited, so,
Eric, those scenes were too long.

791
00:43:35,260 --> 00:43:37,980
But, no, no, they were great,
they were great.

792
00:43:37,980 --> 00:43:40,420
Because the writing was so good.

793
00:43:41,900 --> 00:43:43,980
Rigsby, about that favour.

794
00:43:43,980 --> 00:43:46,740
Oh, yes.
Yes, I have a girl outside.

795
00:43:46,740 --> 00:43:48,500
Have you?
Yes.

796
00:43:48,500 --> 00:43:51,260
She's very cold out there.
She must be, it's bitter, isn't it?

797
00:43:51,260 --> 00:43:53,300
Yeah. I wondered if I could possibly

798
00:43:53,300 --> 00:43:55,660
you know, bring her up, you know?
Did you?

799
00:43:55,660 --> 00:43:58,220
Yes. Yes, well, let me
put your mind at rest.

800
00:43:58,220 --> 00:44:00,580
You cannot bring her up.
She can stay out there

801
00:44:00,580 --> 00:44:02,940
and bloody well freeze,
that's what she can do.

802
00:44:02,940 --> 00:44:06,500
As if Miss Jones would fall
for that ordinary fireman.

803
00:44:06,500 --> 00:44:08,460
All he did was make her eyes water.

804
00:44:08,460 --> 00:44:10,780
Is it any wonder? Hey, smell that.

805
00:44:10,780 --> 00:44:14,020
By God, what a stink. You can tell
that comes from Africa, all right.

806
00:44:14,020 --> 00:44:15,820
It doesn't come from Africa.
What?

807
00:44:15,820 --> 00:44:17,460
It came off the wardrobe.

808
00:44:17,460 --> 00:44:19,780
Wardrobe!

809
00:44:21,140 --> 00:44:23,780
Next time on Rising Damp Forever,

810
00:44:23,780 --> 00:44:27,580
what happened when one of Britain's
greatest sitcoms went to the movies.

811
00:44:27,580 --> 00:44:31,500
We were at loggerheads, it's fair
to say, throughout the film.

812
00:44:31,500 --> 00:44:33,940
Tragedy strikes
the Rising Damp family.

813
00:44:33,940 --> 00:44:36,820
I'm really happy and grateful that
people sort of remember him

814
00:44:36,820 --> 00:44:40,300
and that I get to enjoy
how loved he was.

815
00:44:40,300 --> 00:44:44,740
And there's an emotional reunion
back on the studio floor.

816
00:44:44,740 --> 00:44:47,220
Here's to Rising Damp.

817
00:44:47,220 --> 00:44:49,380
Rising Damp.
Cheers. Cheers.

818
00:44:49,380 --> 00:44:51,380
subtitles by Deluxe

819
00:45:23,720 --> 00:45:26,440
It's one of the greatest comedy
series of all time.

820
00:45:26,440 --> 00:45:28,760
You what?

821
00:45:28,760 --> 00:45:32,560
And an extraordinary tale that went
from the stage to our screens.

822
00:45:32,560 --> 00:45:37,600
The fact that it lives in people's
imaginations is fantastic.

823
00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:40,320
This is the story of the fab four
of sitcom.

824
00:45:40,320 --> 00:45:42,320
It is very well written,

825
00:45:42,320 --> 00:45:45,720
but they've really kind of made
the character leap off the page.

826
00:45:45,720 --> 00:45:49,200
That's my trouble, I'm too modest.
Don't forget me exceptional looks.

827
00:45:49,200 --> 00:45:52,040
But what really went on
between these walls?

828
00:45:52,040 --> 00:45:55,600
Frances leaned over to me and said,
"He doesn't want to kiss me".

829
00:45:55,600 --> 00:45:57,160
Right.

830
00:45:57,160 --> 00:45:58,960
Tonight, in Rising Damp Forever...

831
00:45:58,960 --> 00:46:00,160
Crumpet, anyone?

832
00:46:00,160 --> 00:46:01,840
..the secrets of life on set.

833
00:46:01,840 --> 00:46:04,160
One, two, three.

834
00:46:04,160 --> 00:46:06,080
He had her sacked
and somebody had to come in

835
00:46:06,080 --> 00:46:08,640
and learn the role in a day
and a half and appear on screen.

836
00:46:08,640 --> 00:46:12,520
I didn't know you were looking for
that sort of a affinity in a woman.
Of course, I am.

837
00:46:12,520 --> 00:46:14,440
That and a decent pair of knockers.

838
00:46:14,440 --> 00:46:18,200
We'll reunite the people who brought
it to our screens.

839
00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:20,200
Cheers!

840
00:46:20,200 --> 00:46:23,680
And we'll find out what happened when
Rigsby and co went to The Movies...

841
00:46:23,680 --> 00:46:26,360
He said, "If it doesn't work now,
it's gonna be your fault."

842
00:46:26,360 --> 00:46:29,960
..as we chart the incredible rise
and rise of a series

843
00:46:29,960 --> 00:46:31,760
that just got better and better.

844
00:46:31,760 --> 00:46:33,760
Every single time I see it, I howl,

845
00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:36,120
proper, proper, proper howl
with laughter.

846
00:46:36,120 --> 00:46:38,880
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

847
00:46:38,880 --> 00:46:41,480
I love it. Just thinking about it
makes me smile.

848
00:46:52,520 --> 00:46:56,760
After giving ITV its breakthrough
comedy hit of 1974...

849
00:46:56,760 --> 00:46:59,000
Oh, God!
Ahh!

850
00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:00,520
Ohh!

851
00:47:00,520 --> 00:47:03,680
..a year later the cast of Rising
Damp were brought back together

852
00:47:03,680 --> 00:47:05,480
to do it all over again.

853
00:47:05,480 --> 00:47:08,080
Bloody hell!
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

854
00:47:08,080 --> 00:47:10,240
There will be more adventures
in store

855
00:47:10,240 --> 00:47:12,280
for tight-fisted landlord Rigsby...

856
00:47:12,280 --> 00:47:13,800
Watch your tongue.

857
00:47:13,800 --> 00:47:17,200
..and his three tenants,
students Alan and Philip...

858
00:47:17,200 --> 00:47:20,080
How old were you when you er...
when you first...?

859
00:47:20,080 --> 00:47:21,720
On my 14th birthday.

860
00:47:21,720 --> 00:47:24,680
Pphh... All I got was a bike.

861
00:47:24,680 --> 00:47:29,320
..and lovelorn spinster and
university administrator Miss Jones.

862
00:47:31,360 --> 00:47:34,160
Are you all right for butter?
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

863
00:47:37,040 --> 00:47:38,960
Oh.
Excuse me.

864
00:47:38,960 --> 00:47:41,880
M-M-My name's Platt.
I'm your Liberal candidate.

865
00:47:43,720 --> 00:47:46,320
But alongside its regular cast
of four,

866
00:47:46,320 --> 00:47:49,600
Rising Damp also welcomed
a host of other actors.

867
00:47:49,600 --> 00:47:53,480
Those characters would soon become
embroiled in the domestic dramas.

868
00:47:53,480 --> 00:47:56,360
When you have people working
together all the time,

869
00:47:56,360 --> 00:47:59,080
they have their own rhythms,
their own understanding,

870
00:47:59,080 --> 00:48:01,840
so it's very good
to have somebody fresh coming in

871
00:48:01,840 --> 00:48:04,880
cos they have to think how their
gonna react to this character etc,

872
00:48:04,880 --> 00:48:06,600
so it worked very well.

873
00:48:06,600 --> 00:48:08,200
(KNOCK ON DOOR)

874
00:48:11,240 --> 00:48:13,880
Hello, I was looking for Philip.

875
00:48:13,880 --> 00:48:17,760
Also, the show was so enormous
that a lot of people thought

876
00:48:17,760 --> 00:48:21,880
it was a great tribute to be
invited onto Rising Damp.

877
00:48:21,880 --> 00:48:25,080
Indeed, some of televisions best
loved comedy actors were attracted

878
00:48:25,080 --> 00:48:27,840
by a part in the show,
including Andrew Sachs,

879
00:48:27,840 --> 00:48:30,920
by then famous in Fawlty Towers.

880
00:48:30,920 --> 00:48:33,200
Excuse me, my name is Snell.

881
00:48:33,200 --> 00:48:34,880
Well, we've all got problems.

882
00:48:36,120 --> 00:48:39,760
Comedian Les Dawson's sidekick
Roy Barrowclough.

883
00:48:41,520 --> 00:48:43,200
Do we hear the tinkle of ice cubes?

884
00:48:44,680 --> 00:48:47,320
Perhaps a slice of lemon.

885
00:48:47,320 --> 00:48:51,000
You wouldn't like a cherry as well,
would you? Yes, I would.

886
00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:53,320
And Peter Bowles who would soon get

887
00:48:53,320 --> 00:48:55,760
his own starring role
in To The Manor Born.

888
00:48:55,760 --> 00:48:58,840
I'm going to kiss you in a way that
you've never been kissed before.

889
00:49:04,440 --> 00:49:06,800
But not every actor invited
to join the gang

890
00:49:06,800 --> 00:49:09,840
would make it past Leonard Rossiter
into the final cut.

891
00:49:09,840 --> 00:49:14,200
Len could sniff out a duff actor
with no trouble at all.

892
00:49:14,200 --> 00:49:16,160
I mean on one show, not mine,

893
00:49:16,160 --> 00:49:18,520
I think they rehearsed
for about three days,

894
00:49:18,520 --> 00:49:21,520
and he just realised that this
woman, whoever the poor thing was,

895
00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:23,720
wasn't gonna come up
to his standards

896
00:49:23,720 --> 00:49:26,760
and what he wanted on the show,
and he had her sacked.

897
00:49:26,760 --> 00:49:29,840
And somebody else had to come in and
learn the role in a day and a half

898
00:49:29,840 --> 00:49:34,240
and appear on screen, so he knew
exactly what he wanted

899
00:49:34,240 --> 00:49:39,120
and 99 times out of 100
he was exactly right.

900
00:49:39,120 --> 00:49:40,840
Hello, Darling.
Hello, pet.

901
00:49:41,960 --> 00:49:45,440
One actress who did meet with
Rossiter's approval was Helen Fraser.

902
00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:48,040
Sometimes I think you're avoiding
me, you know, Billy.

903
00:49:48,040 --> 00:49:52,120
The pair both had roles
in the 1963 movie Billy Liar.

904
00:49:52,120 --> 00:49:54,120
Too much laxity.
Far too much laxity.

905
00:49:54,120 --> 00:49:57,760
I knew him from the film
It's Mr Shadrack.

906
00:49:57,760 --> 00:50:00,480
And then I heard that this Rising
Damp had got sort of started

907
00:50:00,480 --> 00:50:02,520
and I thought,
"Perhaps I'll be in it',

908
00:50:02,520 --> 00:50:06,040
but it was nothing to do with Len,
it came through agents and casting,

909
00:50:06,040 --> 00:50:08,040
but he was so pleased to see me.

910
00:50:08,040 --> 00:50:10,560
(KNOCK ON DOOR)

911
00:50:10,560 --> 00:50:13,040
Mr Rigsby.
Yes, that's right, yes.

912
00:50:13,040 --> 00:50:16,480
I'm so glad to pop in with this.
I think it's a Christmas card.

913
00:50:16,480 --> 00:50:18,480
I watched it the other night.

914
00:50:18,480 --> 00:50:22,680
Somebody found it for me on
YouTube. Who's that little girl?

915
00:50:22,680 --> 00:50:26,880
I loved my uniform, my post
mistress's uniform - I loved that.

916
00:50:26,880 --> 00:50:29,240
Oh. Oh, goodness me.
What?

917
00:50:29,240 --> 00:50:31,960
We appear to be standing under
the mistletoe, look. Are we?

918
00:50:31,960 --> 00:50:33,840
You can't quarrel with fate, eh?

919
00:50:33,840 --> 00:50:36,480
Oh, Mr Rigsby, I'm in uniform.
It's all right, I don't mind

920
00:50:36,480 --> 00:50:38,760
Mr Rigsby, please.

921
00:50:38,760 --> 00:50:40,640
I must have watched it at the time,

922
00:50:40,640 --> 00:50:44,240
but, yes, I got more pleasure
watching it last week

923
00:50:44,240 --> 00:50:48,280
cos I said, "Did I do that?
Did I look like that? Did I?"

924
00:50:48,280 --> 00:50:51,360
It's a long time ago. (LAUGHS)

925
00:50:51,360 --> 00:50:55,040
I'm sorry. It could have been your
lucky day, that's all.

926
00:50:58,560 --> 00:51:03,200
Meanwhile, actress Judy Buxton joined
the cast of Rising Damp in 1977.

927
00:51:03,200 --> 00:51:05,600
You certainly kept this
a big secret.

928
00:51:05,600 --> 00:51:07,040
'I remember that outfit.'

929
00:51:07,040 --> 00:51:08,920
I'd begun to wonder if you got one.

930
00:51:08,920 --> 00:51:12,600
And he's snazzy. Ha ha!

931
00:51:12,600 --> 00:51:16,640
Perhaps best known for her role as
Nurse Katie Shaw in General Hospital,

932
00:51:16,640 --> 00:51:19,000
she was first cast
as Alan's girlfriend

933
00:51:19,000 --> 00:51:21,200
in an episode called Clunk Click.

934
00:51:21,200 --> 00:51:24,360
Coming into a well established
series like Rising Damp,

935
00:51:24,360 --> 00:51:28,040
it was quite scary and especially
meeting up with Leonard,

936
00:51:28,040 --> 00:51:32,120
cos he was, I found,
a bit naughty at the time.

937
00:51:35,280 --> 00:51:39,520
I remember being nervous about
this bit, starting a car up.

938
00:51:39,520 --> 00:51:42,640
Ooh! It's scary.
(REVS ENGINE)

939
00:51:42,640 --> 00:51:44,040
Ha ha ha!

940
00:51:44,040 --> 00:51:45,880
I'll just go and ring Mummy.

941
00:51:48,920 --> 00:51:50,480
I've just remembered that now.

942
00:51:52,960 --> 00:51:56,680
Judy Buxton impressed a choosy
co-star Rossiter so much

943
00:51:56,680 --> 00:51:58,600
that he suggested she return

944
00:51:58,600 --> 00:52:01,000
to play the same character
in another episode.

945
00:52:01,000 --> 00:52:03,920
When we started
rehearsing Clunk Click,

946
00:52:03,920 --> 00:52:08,600
Leonard had obviously read the
scripts for the rest of that series,

947
00:52:08,600 --> 00:52:10,920
and he said to me, he said,

948
00:52:10,920 --> 00:52:14,160
"In two episodes time,
there's another girlfriend

949
00:52:14,160 --> 00:52:16,920
for Richard Beckinsale's
character, Alan.

950
00:52:16,920 --> 00:52:21,880
She comes in and I think it seems
silly that you don't do that."

951
00:52:21,880 --> 00:52:25,080
So I'd now got two episodes
of Rising Damp

952
00:52:25,080 --> 00:52:28,640
and it was a bigger part than the
one I played in the first one.

953
00:52:28,640 --> 00:52:30,640
Obviously, I did something right

954
00:52:30,640 --> 00:52:33,240
for him to want me to be
in the other one as well.

955
00:52:33,240 --> 00:52:34,880
Comfortable, darling?

956
00:52:34,880 --> 00:52:37,320
No, I'm sitting on a spring.

957
00:52:37,320 --> 00:52:41,160
Richard was wonderful to work
with and very, very funny.

958
00:52:41,160 --> 00:52:43,240
He made me laugh a lot.

959
00:52:43,240 --> 00:52:46,760
Well, go and sit on the bed.
No, Mummy wouldn't like it.

960
00:52:46,760 --> 00:52:48,840
I wasn't thinking of asking Mummy.

961
00:52:52,720 --> 00:52:55,120
Alan.
Oh, Karen.

962
00:52:55,120 --> 00:52:57,440
I'd forgotten
I'd had a little kiss with him.

963
00:52:57,440 --> 00:53:00,360
Mm. Oh, Alan.

964
00:53:00,360 --> 00:53:03,200
What?
I've landed on something sticky.

965
00:53:05,400 --> 00:53:08,400
Oh, dear. Oh, just look at it.

966
00:53:08,400 --> 00:53:10,560
Here we go, green knickers.

967
00:53:10,560 --> 00:53:12,880
Ha ha ha!

968
00:53:12,880 --> 00:53:14,560
Crumpet, anyone?

969
00:53:19,000 --> 00:53:21,040
Scenes like these were filmed here

970
00:53:21,040 --> 00:53:23,360
at Yorkshire Television Studios
in Leeds.

971
00:53:25,480 --> 00:53:28,360
Today, for the first time
in nearly 40 years,

972
00:53:28,360 --> 00:53:31,080
Don Warrington is back in the city
to visit the studios

973
00:53:31,080 --> 00:53:33,960
where he shot to fame as Philip.

974
00:53:33,960 --> 00:53:38,560
Five, four, three, two, one.

975
00:53:38,560 --> 00:53:40,320
In the 1970s, this was one

976
00:53:40,320 --> 00:53:42,800
of television's leading lights
in entertainment.

977
00:53:42,800 --> 00:53:46,240
And the cast of Yorkshire's new hit
sitcom shared the canteen

978
00:53:46,240 --> 00:53:49,720
with some of the biggest names
in music and comedy.

979
00:53:49,720 --> 00:53:53,800
I remember meeting Les Dawson,
a very funny man.

980
00:53:53,800 --> 00:53:57,240
We would sit with him and he'd just
tell me lots of jokes,

981
00:53:57,240 --> 00:54:01,240
which was very funny
and made me laugh.

982
00:54:01,240 --> 00:54:05,400
The kitchen was run by ferocious
Yorkshire women,

983
00:54:05,400 --> 00:54:07,960
and you weren't allowed
to get away with anything.

984
00:54:07,960 --> 00:54:09,880
It doesn't matter who you were,

985
00:54:09,880 --> 00:54:13,840
you waited in the queue
and crossed them at your peril.

986
00:54:13,840 --> 00:54:17,480
But underneath it,
they were warm and lovely people.

987
00:54:17,480 --> 00:54:22,760
And sometimes if they liked you,
you could get extra chips.

988
00:54:25,080 --> 00:54:28,640
While the days of comedy and light
entertainment here are long gone,

989
00:54:28,640 --> 00:54:31,520
today, much of the main building
remains the same.

990
00:54:31,520 --> 00:54:34,800
Now occupied by the cast
and crew of Emmerdale,

991
00:54:34,800 --> 00:54:36,680
the dressing rooms and makeup rooms

992
00:54:36,680 --> 00:54:39,320
are largely as they were
when Rising Damp was in town.

993
00:54:39,320 --> 00:54:43,280
This is where I came for them
to put on my scars.

994
00:54:43,280 --> 00:54:46,760
Hey, hey, did you hear that?
Did you see that mark on his cheek?

995
00:54:46,760 --> 00:54:48,640
Initiation ceremony.

996
00:54:48,640 --> 00:54:51,560
That's no different from the Germans
and their duelling scars.

997
00:54:51,560 --> 00:54:54,080
He didn't get that in Heidelberg!

998
00:54:54,080 --> 00:54:57,200
I think it was this cheek.
That was the nature of the scars,

999
00:54:57,200 --> 00:54:59,680
they'd move from cheek to cheek.

1000
00:55:00,920 --> 00:55:03,520
I didn't recognise him, did you?
No, it must be the suit.

1001
00:55:03,520 --> 00:55:06,720
I've never seen you in a suit before
Rigsby. Have you had a bereavement?

1002
00:55:11,960 --> 00:55:15,280
Yorkshire Television's wardrobe
department was once home

1003
00:55:15,280 --> 00:55:18,800
to Rigsby's famously threadbare
cardigan and frayed shirts.

1004
00:55:18,800 --> 00:55:22,560
But Don Warrington's costumes
were considerably more upmarket.

1005
00:55:22,560 --> 00:55:25,480
All my clothes were bought
in London,

1006
00:55:25,480 --> 00:55:27,880
and what I remember
is going shopping

1007
00:55:27,880 --> 00:55:30,280
with the wardrobe supervisor,

1008
00:55:30,280 --> 00:55:32,760
which was a very, very happy
experience, indeed,

1009
00:55:32,760 --> 00:55:37,960
because we went to a very exclusive
shop in South Molton Street,

1010
00:55:37,960 --> 00:55:41,000
a shop called Browns.

1011
00:55:41,000 --> 00:55:46,280
When we arrived, they would have
all these clothes laid out

1012
00:55:46,280 --> 00:55:48,400
for us to pick and choose from.

1013
00:55:48,400 --> 00:55:50,840
It was a delicious experience,
really.

1014
00:55:50,840 --> 00:55:53,280
I felt really really pampered.

1015
00:55:54,760 --> 00:56:00,240
And Philip wore some very beautiful
clothes, which I later claimed,

1016
00:56:00,240 --> 00:56:03,240
so his wardrobe became my wardrobe.

1017
00:56:03,240 --> 00:56:07,720
By the end of 1977, Rising Damp
had run for three series

1018
00:56:07,720 --> 00:56:09,760
and hit new comedy heights.

1019
00:56:11,800 --> 00:56:13,720
Cut the robe. Cut the robe.

1020
00:56:13,720 --> 00:56:15,720
No. Grab him.

1021
00:56:15,720 --> 00:56:18,360
Understandably,
ITV still wanted more,

1022
00:56:18,360 --> 00:56:21,280
but could it really return
without one of its stars?

1023
00:56:21,280 --> 00:56:23,760
I don't think this acting
really is my cup of tea

1024
00:56:23,760 --> 00:56:25,960
and I don't really think
I'm cut out for it.

1025
00:56:25,960 --> 00:56:29,680
Richard didn't approve of Alan
and didn't approve of the part.

1026
00:56:39,250 --> 00:56:43,090
1978 and just four years since
the start of Rising Damp,

1027
00:56:43,090 --> 00:56:45,530
a very different Britain had emerged.

1028
00:56:45,530 --> 00:56:50,050
The worlds' first IVF baby Louise
Brown was born in Oldham,

1029
00:56:50,050 --> 00:56:54,970
and Anna Ford became the first
female newscaster on News At Ten.

1030
00:56:54,970 --> 00:56:58,330
Meanwhile, Rising Damp was making
headlines of its own,

1031
00:56:58,330 --> 00:57:00,690
picking up a BAFTA
for Best Situation Comedy.

1032
00:57:00,690 --> 00:57:03,690
Oh, my God, it's got me!

1033
00:57:03,690 --> 00:57:07,490
A new series had been commissioned
by ITV,

1034
00:57:07,490 --> 00:57:09,610
but would Richard Beckinsale,

1035
00:57:09,610 --> 00:57:12,730
by now leading the way in a new
generation of sitcom stars,

1036
00:57:12,730 --> 00:57:14,530
still be part of the gang?

1037
00:57:14,530 --> 00:57:17,610
I've decided to change me image,
I've been neglecting myself.

1038
00:57:17,610 --> 00:57:20,410
He was, I think quite frustrated
by everyone thinking

1039
00:57:20,410 --> 00:57:23,450
that he was very much like
the characters he played

1040
00:57:23,450 --> 00:57:26,450
and that he played himself all the
time, which he really didn't.

1041
00:57:26,450 --> 00:57:29,970
But because he made it seemed
so effortless and so natural,

1042
00:57:29,970 --> 00:57:33,490
I think people thought that he was
turning up and being himself.

1043
00:57:33,490 --> 00:57:35,930
No, it isn't easy.
It takes a lot of practice.

1044
00:57:35,930 --> 00:57:39,690
Richard didn't approve of Alan
and didn't approve of the part.

1045
00:57:39,690 --> 00:57:43,770
He said, "I'm over 30 and I'm still
playing these virginal young men".

1046
00:57:43,770 --> 00:57:46,130
I haven't trifled
with Miss Jones's feelings.

1047
00:57:46,130 --> 00:57:48,330
I haven't trifled
with anybody's feelings.

1048
00:57:48,330 --> 00:57:51,330
What do you mean? You mean, there's
never been any coloured lights,

1049
00:57:51,330 --> 00:57:53,050
no sea crashing up
against the rocks?

1050
00:57:53,050 --> 00:57:54,850
No, never, ever, never.

1051
00:57:54,850 --> 00:57:56,810
You're a member
of the British society.

1052
00:57:56,810 --> 00:57:59,890
You're supposed to know
where the erogenous regions are.

1053
00:57:59,890 --> 00:58:02,450
I know where the Himalayas are,
but I've never been up 'em.

1054
00:58:04,210 --> 00:58:07,250
And I said, "Richard, there'll be
a day come when you'll be able

1055
00:58:07,250 --> 00:58:09,570
to play this older part
and you're lucky to be able

1056
00:58:09,570 --> 00:58:11,290
to play him as young as this."

1057
00:58:11,290 --> 00:58:13,330
Keen to broaden his range,

1058
00:58:13,330 --> 00:58:17,370
Beckinsale took on the lead role in
the West End play I Love My Wife.

1059
00:58:17,370 --> 00:58:20,570
The fourth series of Rising Damp
moved into production without him,

1060
00:58:20,570 --> 00:58:22,890
but could it retain its magic?

1061
00:58:22,890 --> 00:58:28,010
If anything, series four
was the best we'd done.

1062
00:58:28,010 --> 00:58:32,130
By that stage, we knew the
characters very, very well,

1063
00:58:32,130 --> 00:58:36,530
and we were very comfortable
working with each other.

1064
00:58:36,530 --> 00:58:41,410
And I think we achieved in that
series a kind of intimacy

1065
00:58:41,410 --> 00:58:44,410
simply because of of having
three rather than four,

1066
00:58:44,410 --> 00:58:48,010
so in that sense we didn't miss him.

1067
00:58:49,130 --> 00:58:52,290
At the helm of the latest series
with that scaled-down cast

1068
00:58:52,290 --> 00:58:55,450
was new Director, Vernon Lawrence.

1069
00:58:58,090 --> 00:59:02,810
The first three series were produced
and directed by Ronnie Baxter

1070
00:59:02,810 --> 00:59:05,290
who was an extremely
experienced director,

1071
00:59:05,290 --> 00:59:09,250
but he didn't get on particularly
well with artists.

1072
00:59:11,330 --> 00:59:14,050
So Len would not do any more shows,

1073
00:59:14,050 --> 00:59:17,290
and so it was decided that Ronnie
should move on to other things

1074
00:59:17,290 --> 00:59:20,850
and I was brought in to take over,
which was a bit breathtaking for me

1075
00:59:20,850 --> 00:59:23,650
because you don't want to inherit
somebody else's success.

1076
00:59:23,650 --> 00:59:26,050
And Ronnie had certainly
had a major success with it.

1077
00:59:28,210 --> 00:59:30,170
Eeh!

1078
00:59:30,170 --> 00:59:32,050
These cat hairs get everywhere.

1079
00:59:32,050 --> 00:59:35,650
If you don't stop moulting, I'm
going to give you a coat of varnish.

1080
00:59:35,650 --> 00:59:38,570
And don't look at me like that.
No-one's indispensable.

1081
00:59:38,570 --> 00:59:41,530
If you're not careful, you might be
replaced by a blue Persian,

1082
00:59:41,530 --> 00:59:43,490
someone more in keeping
with my status.

1083
00:59:43,490 --> 00:59:48,090
Good morning, Mr Rigsby. My, we do
look smart this morning. Thank you.

1084
00:59:48,090 --> 00:59:52,810
Eric used to have to write about
another five to ten pages

1085
00:59:52,810 --> 00:59:55,930
because of Len's speed
at which he spoke

1086
00:59:55,930 --> 01:00:00,290
and his enthusiasm
and eagerness for it all.

1087
01:00:00,290 --> 01:00:02,170
I've come to see Mr Rigsby

1088
01:00:02,170 --> 01:00:05,010
regarding the estate of his late
Uncle George Rigsby.

1089
01:00:05,010 --> 01:00:06,850
You mean he's been left something?

1090
01:00:06,850 --> 01:00:09,210
Yes, he gets the residue
of the estate.

1091
01:00:09,210 --> 01:00:12,010
Is it much?
Oh, it's a considerable sum.

1092
01:00:12,010 --> 01:00:14,930
What would you call
a considerable sum?

1093
01:00:14,930 --> 01:00:18,850
Well, a figure not un-adjacent
to £50,000.

1094
01:00:18,850 --> 01:00:20,850
Whoo-hoo-hoo!

1095
01:00:20,850 --> 01:00:23,490
Rigsby's in the money!

1096
01:00:23,490 --> 01:00:25,610
Vernon was wonderful to work with

1097
01:00:25,610 --> 01:00:28,370
because he just sat there,
watching him and laughing,

1098
01:00:28,370 --> 01:00:34,810
and he simply pointed the camera
where he saw the humour taking place

1099
01:00:34,810 --> 01:00:36,690
and that was lovely for us.

1100
01:00:36,690 --> 01:00:39,330
That's the condition, you see.
I see yes, yes.

1101
01:00:39,330 --> 01:00:42,050
You also should be happily married.

1102
01:00:43,130 --> 01:00:44,330
You what?

1103
01:00:51,250 --> 01:00:53,450
While the series was filmed in Leeds,

1104
01:00:53,450 --> 01:00:56,090
rehearsals for the actors,
who all lived in London,

1105
01:00:56,090 --> 01:00:59,730
took place here at the Sulgrave Boys'
Club in Shepherds Bush.

1106
01:00:59,730 --> 01:01:03,250
Rising Damp started with a read
through on a Sunday afternoon.

1107
01:01:03,250 --> 01:01:06,170
Rehearsals proper started
on a Monday.

1108
01:01:06,170 --> 01:01:08,610
We rehearsed Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday

1109
01:01:08,610 --> 01:01:10,650
up until lunchtime each day.

1110
01:01:11,850 --> 01:01:15,570
On Thursday afternoons, the cast
would travel up to Leeds.

1111
01:01:16,970 --> 01:01:19,850
During that day, the set had been
put in to the studio,

1112
01:01:19,850 --> 01:01:22,210
so we assembled in the studio
at seven o'clock

1113
01:01:22,210 --> 01:01:24,450
and we did a run through
for the cameras.

1114
01:01:24,450 --> 01:01:28,130
And then we started rehearsals
in the studio on Friday morning

1115
01:01:28,130 --> 01:01:31,090
culminating with a show
in front of an audience

1116
01:01:31,090 --> 01:01:33,410
at 7:30 on a Friday evening.

1117
01:01:33,410 --> 01:01:36,250
YTV, Rising Damp, part one,
take one.

1118
01:01:36,250 --> 01:01:38,330
With the recording about to start,

1119
01:01:38,330 --> 01:01:40,810
Vernon Lawrence would take his place
in the gallery

1120
01:01:40,810 --> 01:01:43,210
alongside production assistant
Ellie Hurst.

1121
01:01:43,210 --> 01:01:45,330
Lovely to see you.
Are you well?

1122
01:01:45,330 --> 01:01:47,090
I am. You look wonderful.

1123
01:01:48,530 --> 01:01:50,810
There was a tremendous buzz.

1124
01:01:50,810 --> 01:01:54,450
I joined in '69 and left in '79,

1125
01:01:54,450 --> 01:02:00,690
and that ten years was incredible
for programme making.

1126
01:02:00,690 --> 01:02:04,050
You mean, you want me to impersonate
your wife, Mr Rigsby?

1127
01:02:04,050 --> 01:02:05,890
It's only for a few hours,
Miss Jones.

1128
01:02:05,890 --> 01:02:08,330
I couldn't do it. It would be wrong
it would be illegal.

1129
01:02:08,330 --> 01:02:10,290
You're supposed
to be happily married.

1130
01:02:10,290 --> 01:02:13,650
We are. She lives in Cleethorpes,
I live here. Well, I'm sorry.

1131
01:02:13,650 --> 01:02:16,210
The biggest problem, really,
for the actors was

1132
01:02:16,210 --> 01:02:18,290
that when they went
in front of an audience,

1133
01:02:18,290 --> 01:02:20,290
they weren't guaranteed of something

1134
01:02:20,290 --> 01:02:23,090
that Ellie and I laughed like drains
at throughout the week.

1135
01:02:23,090 --> 01:02:25,450
The audience might sit there
in stone cold silence

1136
01:02:25,450 --> 01:02:27,370
and not think it's funny at all.

1137
01:02:27,370 --> 01:02:31,370
On the other hand, something that we
had just thought was mildly amusing,

1138
01:02:31,370 --> 01:02:34,730
the audience might laugh like
drains, so you never really knew.

1139
01:02:34,730 --> 01:02:36,770
What was she like?
What was she like?

1140
01:02:36,770 --> 01:02:39,410
She was erm... Well, it's difficult
to describe, really.

1141
01:02:39,410 --> 01:02:42,610
She was er...
The exact word evades me.

1142
01:02:42,610 --> 01:02:44,930
You must remember.
Now, don't be horrible.

1143
01:02:44,930 --> 01:02:46,770
Horrible, that's it.

1144
01:02:47,890 --> 01:02:51,410
The gallery was always the domain
of the Director and the PA,

1145
01:02:51,410 --> 01:02:54,930
but Don Warrington has been granted
special permission to join them.

1146
01:02:54,930 --> 01:02:58,130
Dear heart. Hello, Vernon?
Lovely to see you.

1147
01:02:58,130 --> 01:03:00,210
Lovely to see you.
Wonderful to see you.

1148
01:03:00,210 --> 01:03:02,650
Now, while you were working hard
downstairs,

1149
01:03:02,650 --> 01:03:04,610
this is where we had our parties.

1150
01:03:04,610 --> 01:03:06,690
It was incredibly relaxing.

1151
01:03:06,690 --> 01:03:08,730
Oh, good,
because it wasn't downstairs.

1152
01:03:08,730 --> 01:03:10,530
Of course it was.

1153
01:03:10,530 --> 01:03:12,730
We used to wait downstairs

1154
01:03:12,730 --> 01:03:15,530
and we'd hear the floor manager say,
"Vernon's coming down".

1155
01:03:15,530 --> 01:03:17,890
You didn't feel nervous?
Well, a little nervous.

1156
01:03:17,890 --> 01:03:20,930
You didn't feel as though your
career was threatened in any way?

1157
01:03:20,930 --> 01:03:23,690
There were moments, Vernon,
when I thought,

1158
01:03:23,690 --> 01:03:26,530
"Am I going to survive this?"

1159
01:03:28,930 --> 01:03:32,410
But while the fourth series of Rising
Damp was in production in Leeds,

1160
01:03:32,410 --> 01:03:34,890
elsewhere its former star
Richard Beckinsale

1161
01:03:34,890 --> 01:03:36,810
was embarking on new ventures.

1162
01:03:36,810 --> 01:03:39,370
(WHISTLES) Get in, sport.

1163
01:03:39,370 --> 01:03:41,410
Longing to be taken seriously
as an actor,

1164
01:03:41,410 --> 01:03:43,930
In 1977, he jumped at the chance

1165
01:03:43,930 --> 01:03:46,690
of appearing in the ITV drama
Last Summer.

1166
01:03:46,690 --> 01:03:49,850
I was making a film
about a car thief

1167
01:03:49,850 --> 01:03:53,090
and we started off with one actor
and it turned out he couldn't drive

1168
01:03:53,090 --> 01:03:55,850
and didn't have a license, you know,
all that nonsense,

1169
01:03:55,850 --> 01:03:57,970
and so he had to be replaced.

1170
01:04:01,570 --> 01:04:05,010
And Richard took over in our film
and was dazzling.

1171
01:04:05,010 --> 01:04:08,290
Yeah, I look right.
Part of the job, you know.

1172
01:04:08,290 --> 01:04:10,410
Yeah, I'm gonna get some new stuff
Saturday.

1173
01:04:10,410 --> 01:04:12,610
Don't get it around here,
it's mainly rubbish.

1174
01:04:12,610 --> 01:04:16,450
I usually go up west. Stanley
Hanley's got some nice stuff.

1175
01:04:16,450 --> 01:04:18,250
He was top of the crumpet list,

1176
01:04:18,250 --> 01:04:21,410
which meant that he was very very
talented and very, very beautiful.

1177
01:04:23,130 --> 01:04:26,930
I have had over the years quite
a considerable number of women

1178
01:04:26,930 --> 01:04:29,890
who come up to me and say,
"Oh ,I really fancied your dad.

1179
01:04:29,890 --> 01:04:31,770
I hope you don't mind me saying".

1180
01:04:31,770 --> 01:04:36,050
So, yeah, he was a big heartthrob.

1181
01:04:37,210 --> 01:04:40,370
He'd take you to one side, pull back
his cheekbones and said,

1182
01:04:40,370 --> 01:04:42,690
"Look, one-sixteenth Burmese."

1183
01:04:42,690 --> 01:04:44,850
You could see what all the fuss
was about.

1184
01:04:44,850 --> 01:04:47,530
But he was a very, very good actor.

1185
01:04:47,530 --> 01:04:50,050
Ahh!
SShh!

1186
01:04:50,050 --> 01:04:51,650
It's only me.

1187
01:04:51,650 --> 01:04:54,610
But despite his good looks
and acting ability,

1188
01:04:54,610 --> 01:04:58,370
Beckinsale was still struggling to
emerge from the shadow of the sitcom.

1189
01:04:58,370 --> 01:05:00,890
He was quietly angry.
He was angry that he'd...

1190
01:05:00,890 --> 01:05:03,890
Because he was a comic actor
they didn't take him seriously.

1191
01:05:03,890 --> 01:05:06,810
Of course, he should have been
at the National, playing leads.

1192
01:05:06,810 --> 01:05:10,050
I mean, I'd cast him in quite
straight things,

1193
01:05:10,050 --> 01:05:12,890
so that was why I think
he liked me so much.

1194
01:05:14,050 --> 01:05:18,250
Director and actor would work
together again in 1979

1195
01:05:18,250 --> 01:05:20,210
in the gritty drama Bloody Kids.

1196
01:05:21,490 --> 01:05:24,130
I hope you don't lie as badly
as that usually, constable.

1197
01:05:26,170 --> 01:05:28,850
It's the third time today
you've forgotten, Williams.

1198
01:05:28,850 --> 01:05:31,330
I will not have slackness
on my unit.

1199
01:05:31,330 --> 01:05:33,690
The former comedy star
was finally starting

1200
01:05:33,690 --> 01:05:35,690
to establish himself
as a serious actor,

1201
01:05:35,690 --> 01:05:39,210
but midway through a production
of Bloody Kids tragedy struck.

1202
01:05:39,210 --> 01:05:41,250
Oh, let's go.

1203
01:05:45,130 --> 01:05:47,970
On the 19th of March, 1979,

1204
01:05:47,970 --> 01:05:51,130
Richard Beckinsale died
of a massive heart attack.

1205
01:05:52,330 --> 01:05:54,450
He was just 31.

1206
01:05:55,610 --> 01:05:57,650
It was later discovered he'd suffered

1207
01:05:57,650 --> 01:06:00,090
from an undetected
congenital heart problem.

1208
01:06:03,410 --> 01:06:06,530
I was filming a scene
in a night club in Southend.

1209
01:06:08,050 --> 01:06:12,050
I can remember the man coming down
telling me that he'd died.

1210
01:06:14,690 --> 01:06:16,610
Richard's role was recast,

1211
01:06:16,610 --> 01:06:19,730
but to this day the director
still misses his leading man.

1212
01:06:21,010 --> 01:06:23,930
Every time I see bits of the film,
there are shots I think,

1213
01:06:23,930 --> 01:06:25,930
"Oh, Richard's behind that door,"

1214
01:06:25,930 --> 01:06:28,850
and then another actor, of course,
comes through.

1215
01:06:32,970 --> 01:06:36,090
Awful.
It shouldn't happen to anyone.

1216
01:06:36,090 --> 01:06:38,690
Hello. Welcome to Bleak House.

1217
01:06:39,970 --> 01:06:42,010
Mind if I come in for a warm?

1218
01:06:42,010 --> 01:06:44,530
I'm Alan Moore, I live upstairs.

1219
01:06:44,530 --> 01:06:47,370
Philip Smith.
How do you do?

1220
01:06:47,370 --> 01:06:52,290
I was walking home and a car went
passed me in the street,

1221
01:06:52,290 --> 01:06:57,130
and somebody shouted out,
"Oi, your mate's dead."

1222
01:06:58,250 --> 01:07:00,930
I had no idea
what they were talking about.

1223
01:07:02,010 --> 01:07:07,570
And I went home and I put on the
six o'clock news and up it came.

1224
01:07:07,570 --> 01:07:09,690
It was really, really,
really shocking.

1225
01:07:13,730 --> 01:07:16,970
Sam and Kate Beckinsale were aged
just twelve and five

1226
01:07:16,970 --> 01:07:18,810
when they lost their dad.

1227
01:07:18,810 --> 01:07:22,250
I mean, it sucks having your parent
die that young.

1228
01:07:22,250 --> 01:07:25,730
He is always the Beckinsale
that's really important

1229
01:07:25,730 --> 01:07:27,730
and I'm really happy about that.

1230
01:07:27,730 --> 01:07:30,450
Like, I love it when I'm
in Marks and Spencer's

1231
01:07:30,450 --> 01:07:32,650
and someone says "Excuse me,"

1232
01:07:32,650 --> 01:07:36,370
and I know in England it's going
to be, "I really loved your dad."

1233
01:07:36,370 --> 01:07:39,890
I know it's going to be that
and I'm really happy and grateful

1234
01:07:39,890 --> 01:07:43,570
that people remember him and that
I get to enjoy how loved he was.

1235
01:07:49,850 --> 01:07:52,290
It's a bit like sitting down
and watching home movies,

1236
01:07:52,290 --> 01:07:55,050
but it's not home movies
and it's not the real person,

1237
01:07:55,050 --> 01:07:57,490
so there's an element
of it being quite surreal.

1238
01:07:59,050 --> 01:08:01,330
But you do get glimpses
of the real person,

1239
01:08:01,330 --> 01:08:03,850
and to have anything that keeps
their spirit going,

1240
01:08:03,850 --> 01:08:06,090
that is quite special.

1241
01:08:16,140 --> 01:08:20,420
And if you have no objection,
Miss Jones, I will sit adjacent.

1242
01:08:20,420 --> 01:08:24,780
At its peak, Rising Damp had been
watched by 18 million people,

1243
01:08:24,780 --> 01:08:26,380
a third of the population.

1244
01:08:26,380 --> 01:08:28,700
My word, that's a big one.

1245
01:08:30,420 --> 01:08:34,940
But on the May 9th, 1978, the last
ever episode Damp was shown.

1246
01:08:34,940 --> 01:08:38,900
It seemed its journey from stage
to screen was finally over.

1247
01:08:38,900 --> 01:08:41,460
And we were told
that four series was enough.

1248
01:08:41,460 --> 01:08:45,060
After that you become a cliche
and I think that was true.

1249
01:08:45,060 --> 01:08:47,220
I think they felt
we made our mark with it,

1250
01:08:47,220 --> 01:08:51,700
and them wanting to move on
to other things, and so did I.

1251
01:08:53,180 --> 01:08:55,060
We all wanted it to end.

1252
01:08:55,060 --> 01:08:57,180
In those days, you didn't want
things to last,

1253
01:08:57,180 --> 01:08:59,220
you wanted to go off
and do other things

1254
01:08:59,220 --> 01:09:05,100
because I thought then
that was the way to learn.

1255
01:09:05,100 --> 01:09:07,220
It was a clear-cut decision,

1256
01:09:07,220 --> 01:09:10,020
not because we thought
the show wasn't working,

1257
01:09:10,020 --> 01:09:13,220
we were nervous that if we kept
going people would get fed up.

1258
01:09:13,220 --> 01:09:15,460
That was probably the truth.

1259
01:09:16,740 --> 01:09:20,460
Ta-da-da-dah!
Ho ho ho, it's arrived.

1260
01:09:20,460 --> 01:09:22,820
What has?
My decree absolute.

1261
01:09:22,820 --> 01:09:24,940
Ho ho ho!
Congratulations, Rigsby.

1262
01:09:24,940 --> 01:09:29,340
Over 15 million tuned in to watch
the show's final episode,

1263
01:09:29,340 --> 01:09:31,820
in which Rigsby's divorce
finally came through,

1264
01:09:31,820 --> 01:09:34,580
leaving him free to propose
to his beloved Miss Jones.

1265
01:09:34,580 --> 01:09:37,220
I'm a fee man. After all these
years, I'm free, eh? Ho ho ho.

1266
01:09:37,220 --> 01:09:39,220
Now you're free,
what are you going to do?

1267
01:09:39,220 --> 01:09:41,860
Get married.
Of course.

1268
01:09:41,860 --> 01:09:44,300
It's gonna be different.
I'm going to ask Miss Jones.

1269
01:09:44,300 --> 01:09:49,140
I wound it up by saying,
"Right, this is when she says yes."

1270
01:09:49,140 --> 01:09:51,260
I never believed that.

1271
01:09:51,260 --> 01:09:54,460
I don't think Len believed it
and I don't think Frances believed

1272
01:09:54,460 --> 01:09:56,820
that she'd ever say to him,
"Yes, I'll marry you."

1273
01:09:56,820 --> 01:09:58,980
I came this evening
with the ridiculous idea

1274
01:09:58,980 --> 01:10:00,580
of asking you to marry me.

1275
01:10:00,580 --> 01:10:04,260
I know you weren't expecting it and
it's preposterous, but that is it.

1276
01:10:04,260 --> 01:10:06,460
Will you marry me?
What is your answer to that?

1277
01:10:06,460 --> 01:10:09,900
Yes. Yes, exactly what I thought.
I knew I'd wasted my time.

1278
01:10:09,900 --> 01:10:13,420
I suppose I'm not good enough.
I don't want to see the ring again.

1279
01:10:13,420 --> 01:10:15,260
I knew you wouldn't accept me.

1280
01:10:15,260 --> 01:10:18,380
I always remember, I wrote on the
stage direction, "And they kiss."

1281
01:10:18,380 --> 01:10:20,980
What did you say, Miss Jones?
Would you say that again?

1282
01:10:20,980 --> 01:10:22,780
I said I will marry you.

1283
01:10:22,780 --> 01:10:25,220
And Len had started mucking about,

1284
01:10:25,220 --> 01:10:28,740
messing about with
the stage directions.

1285
01:10:28,740 --> 01:10:32,660
And Frances leaned over to me and
said, "He doesn't want to kiss me,"

1286
01:10:32,660 --> 01:10:35,260
and he never did.

1287
01:10:35,260 --> 01:10:38,820
Oh, Miss...Jones.

1288
01:10:38,820 --> 01:10:40,900
Mr Rigsby.
Oh!

1289
01:10:42,500 --> 01:10:44,420
The ring!
The ring.

1290
01:10:48,420 --> 01:10:53,100
But despite agreeing to tie the knot,
in true disastrous Rising Damp style,

1291
01:10:53,100 --> 01:10:55,140
the pair never did make it
down the aisle.

1292
01:10:55,140 --> 01:10:58,220
We went to the wrong church!
Just get, get, get, the car.

1293
01:11:00,780 --> 01:11:02,660
You mean, you didn't even arrive?

1294
01:11:02,660 --> 01:11:05,700
Oh, yes, we definitely arrived.
We're just a bit late, that's all.

1295
01:11:05,700 --> 01:11:08,620
You mean, I stood you up and you
weren't even standing there?

1296
01:11:08,620 --> 01:11:10,540
How could you do this to me?
No excuses.

1297
01:11:10,540 --> 01:11:13,460
It's supposed to be the best day
of my life and you've ruined it!

1298
01:11:13,460 --> 01:11:15,140
Sorry, Miss Jones.
Oh, take that.

1299
01:11:15,140 --> 01:11:16,940
The audience were going berserk.

1300
01:11:16,940 --> 01:11:20,300
It was very, very funny
and very moving as well.

1301
01:11:20,300 --> 01:11:22,940
It was just a wonderful tie-up
to a brilliant series.

1302
01:11:22,940 --> 01:11:26,300
Feel free.
I will! There!

1303
01:11:29,380 --> 01:11:32,540
But although Rising Damp's life
had ended in the small screen,

1304
01:11:32,540 --> 01:11:35,180
film producer Roy Skeggs realised

1305
01:11:35,180 --> 01:11:37,260
that the characters
still had a future.

1306
01:11:37,260 --> 01:11:40,100
He believed that the comedy
was perfect for the big screen,

1307
01:11:40,100 --> 01:11:43,580
having already had hits upsizing
other sitcoms of the '70s.

1308
01:11:43,580 --> 01:11:47,100
The offer of the film was made
and we thought why not

1309
01:11:47,100 --> 01:11:49,620
because we'd done everything else.

1310
01:11:56,220 --> 01:12:00,900
In July 1979, Rising Damp, The Movie,
went into production,

1311
01:12:00,900 --> 01:12:02,700
and, like in the TV series,

1312
01:12:02,700 --> 01:12:05,500
featured Rigsby's desperate attempts
to woo Miss Jones.

1313
01:12:05,500 --> 01:12:09,340
Indeed, many of its scenes would bear
more than a passing resemblance

1314
01:12:09,340 --> 01:12:11,980
to what we'd already enjoyed on
television.

1315
01:12:11,980 --> 01:12:16,940
I intended to cannibalise scripts
and put in a few extra moments.

1316
01:12:16,940 --> 01:12:20,020
It wasn't anything we were
particularly proud off,

1317
01:12:20,020 --> 01:12:22,820
having said that,
but nevertheless we did it.

1318
01:12:22,820 --> 01:12:25,460
What would you do in my position,
Philip? What?

1319
01:12:25,460 --> 01:12:27,820
No, I mean,
what do they do in your country?

1320
01:12:27,820 --> 01:12:30,740
In my country,
if a man was in your position,

1321
01:12:30,740 --> 01:12:32,700
he'd get the wood of the lavatory.

1322
01:12:32,700 --> 01:12:34,700
He would burn it
outside the girl's house

1323
01:12:34,700 --> 01:12:37,380
and when she smelt the smoke
she would appear at the door.

1324
01:12:37,380 --> 01:12:40,940
He'd look deep into her eyes
and she would fall in love with him.

1325
01:12:42,700 --> 01:12:45,100
Just like that?
Just like that.

1326
01:12:49,220 --> 01:12:52,980
The similarities made no difference
to The Movie's director, Joe McGrath,

1327
01:12:52,980 --> 01:12:57,900
whose career CV included working
with pop's fab four, The Beatles.

1328
01:12:57,900 --> 01:13:01,820
To tell the truth, I hadn't...
I hadn't watched Rising Damp.

1329
01:13:01,820 --> 01:13:04,340
I'd never seen Rising Damp
on television,

1330
01:13:04,340 --> 01:13:08,140
and I think that was a good thing

1331
01:13:08,140 --> 01:13:11,820
because I approached it completely
as a motion picture.

1332
01:13:13,020 --> 01:13:16,460
Leonard Rossiter, Don Warrington
and Frances de la Tour all signed up

1333
01:13:16,460 --> 01:13:18,500
for Rising Damp's
big screen adventure,

1334
01:13:18,500 --> 01:13:22,300
but all three were still recovering
from the death of Richard Beckinsale.

1335
01:13:22,300 --> 01:13:24,660
When we came to make the film,

1336
01:13:24,660 --> 01:13:31,860
it was a question of whether Len
felt he could do it without Richard.

1337
01:13:31,860 --> 01:13:34,820
Len really loved Richard

1338
01:13:34,820 --> 01:13:40,220
and I think he decided to do it
as a tribute to Richard.

1339
01:13:40,220 --> 01:13:43,980
Actor Christopher Strauli,
best known for another ITV sitcom,

1340
01:13:43,980 --> 01:13:47,540
Only When I Laugh, was brought in
to complete the foursome.

1341
01:13:48,620 --> 01:13:50,180
Crikey.

1342
01:13:51,660 --> 01:13:54,060
35 stitches in there, mate.

1343
01:13:54,060 --> 01:13:57,300
Richard Beckinsale was a friend of
mine and we were at RADA together,

1344
01:13:57,300 --> 01:14:01,460
so my first reaction was,
"Oh, dear, what a sad thought."

1345
01:14:01,460 --> 01:14:05,260
Then I thought about it and thought,
"Well, someone's got to do it,

1346
01:14:05,260 --> 01:14:08,660
so I suppose it might as well be
someone who knew Richard

1347
01:14:08,660 --> 01:14:11,020
and we were friends
and it might as well be me."

1348
01:14:11,020 --> 01:14:14,460
A bit of soul searching to find out
whether I really wanted to do it.

1349
01:14:15,660 --> 01:14:17,540
But Strauli soon found out

1350
01:14:17,540 --> 01:14:20,820
that filling Richard Beckinsale's
shoes would be no easy task.

1351
01:14:20,820 --> 01:14:24,140
They had a party the night
before the filming

1352
01:14:24,140 --> 01:14:26,980
and at this party I was introduced
to Leonard, who said,

1353
01:14:26,980 --> 01:14:30,180
"Well, we know it works
what we did before,

1354
01:14:30,180 --> 01:14:33,780
so if it doesn't work now, it's
going to be your fault, isn't it?"

1355
01:14:33,780 --> 01:14:38,180
And that was the first sentence
he said to me, bless him.

1356
01:14:38,180 --> 01:14:41,980
And it went on in that sort of tone
from thence, really.

1357
01:14:41,980 --> 01:14:45,380
A rather difficult relationship
we had.

1358
01:14:45,380 --> 01:14:48,420
Understandably, he wanted me to play
it as Richard would have done,

1359
01:14:48,420 --> 01:14:51,460
which is what his timing's were all
worked to and what he liked to do.

1360
01:14:51,460 --> 01:14:54,540
Look at this. Who is this well
dressed stranger?

1361
01:14:54,540 --> 01:14:59,100
Could it be Count Dracula, popped in
from the dead for a quick bite?

1362
01:14:59,100 --> 01:15:00,700
Why don't you give it a rest?

1363
01:15:00,700 --> 01:15:03,300
And for two reasons I couldn't do it
like Richard did it

1364
01:15:03,300 --> 01:15:05,260
cos we're different characters

1365
01:15:05,260 --> 01:15:07,460
and I wanted to try
and make it my own,

1366
01:15:07,460 --> 01:15:10,540
rather than try and do a copy
of what Richard had done.

1367
01:15:11,620 --> 01:15:14,780
Good heavens, it's Count Dracula,
dropped in for a quite bite.

1368
01:15:14,780 --> 01:15:16,900
Ah, give it a rest, why don't you?

1369
01:15:16,900 --> 01:15:19,340
So we were at loggerheads,
I think it's fair to say,

1370
01:15:19,340 --> 01:15:20,980
throughout the film.

1371
01:15:22,540 --> 01:15:24,100
Heave! Phil!

1372
01:15:25,300 --> 01:15:28,900
The film's budget,
a healthy £400,000...

1373
01:15:28,900 --> 01:15:30,540
Slip that card in your window.

1374
01:15:30,540 --> 01:15:32,860
..meant that the action could now
leave the studio

1375
01:15:32,860 --> 01:15:35,460
and take place on location.

1376
01:15:35,460 --> 01:15:38,580
Most of the movie was filmed here
in Notting Hill.

1377
01:15:38,580 --> 01:15:40,500
And today, director and actor

1378
01:15:40,500 --> 01:15:43,580
are back at the house
they took over during filming.

1379
01:15:43,580 --> 01:15:45,420
It's you.
No, it's me.

1380
01:15:45,420 --> 01:15:47,540
You're late as usual.
Charming!

1381
01:15:50,020 --> 01:15:51,980
Listen, this is the place.

1382
01:15:51,980 --> 01:15:54,940
I know. Yeah. I'd forgotten
all the steps, didn't you?

1383
01:15:55,980 --> 01:15:57,500
Hey. Hey.

1384
01:15:57,500 --> 01:15:59,580
Hey, hey, hey.

1385
01:16:01,060 --> 01:16:02,980
It all comes back to me now.

1386
01:16:02,980 --> 01:16:05,380
This was actually Rigsby's room.
Yes.

1387
01:16:05,380 --> 01:16:08,380
And you could see Rigsby appeared
in the first scene of the film

1388
01:16:08,380 --> 01:16:10,100
looking through that window.

1389
01:16:15,660 --> 01:16:18,100
My first scene was here
with the car.

1390
01:16:18,100 --> 01:16:21,220
And Leonard cleaning his car, was
it? It was exactly that, yes.

1391
01:16:21,220 --> 01:16:23,060
And it was by that tree.

1392
01:16:23,060 --> 01:16:24,980
Excuse me?
Yeah.

1393
01:16:24,980 --> 01:16:27,820
I'm looking for a Mr Rigsby.
Oh, yeah?

1394
01:16:27,820 --> 01:16:30,460
Does he live here? No, he'd be out
this time of the day.

1395
01:16:30,460 --> 01:16:33,340
Who shall I say...?
W-W-What do you want him for?

1396
01:16:33,340 --> 01:16:35,380
Well, he's advertising a room.

1397
01:16:35,380 --> 01:16:38,460
Oh, yes, that's right.
Yes, yes, I am, yeah. Come in.

1398
01:16:38,460 --> 01:16:41,100
And is that the room where
the ceiling had to come down?

1399
01:16:41,100 --> 01:16:43,620
Yes, that's the only bit of art
direction that was built.

1400
01:16:43,620 --> 01:16:45,580
We had to build a false ceiling.

1401
01:16:45,580 --> 01:16:47,940
Let's drink to amore.
A more what?

1402
01:16:47,940 --> 01:16:50,260
Love, Miss Jones.
I don't know about that, Mr Rigsby.

1403
01:16:50,260 --> 01:16:53,060
And we actually had to build two
or three false ceilings

1404
01:16:53,060 --> 01:16:55,140
in case we didn't get it
on the first take,

1405
01:16:55,140 --> 01:16:57,740
but we got it on the first take.
We did, didn't we? Yes.

1406
01:16:57,740 --> 01:17:00,100
A lot of mess, but great, yes.
It was lovely, yeah.

1407
01:17:00,100 --> 01:17:03,540
Oh, mon petite, respondez,
s'il vous plait!

1408
01:17:03,540 --> 01:17:07,100
Tonight, Miss Jones,
the earth is going to shake!

1409
01:17:14,100 --> 01:17:16,300
It wasn't an easy house
in which to work

1410
01:17:16,300 --> 01:17:18,460
because there was very little room.

1411
01:17:18,460 --> 01:17:20,940
We had a lot of climbing the stairs.
Just the two sides.

1412
01:17:22,020 --> 01:17:25,740
A lot of the scenes were played with
Rigsby running up and down stairs,

1413
01:17:25,740 --> 01:17:28,100
as he always did.
Yes, indeed.

1414
01:17:28,100 --> 01:17:30,580
So we we really shot the,
as I would say,

1415
01:17:30,580 --> 01:17:33,740
the excrement out of this house.
Ha ha ha!

1416
01:17:33,740 --> 01:17:38,220
You know, we chose this place
cos it was a slum

1417
01:17:38,220 --> 01:17:41,300
and now it's worth
two million pounds.

1418
01:17:41,300 --> 01:17:43,020
(BOTH LAUGH)

1419
01:17:43,020 --> 01:17:46,820
Released in May 1980,
despite its writer's misgivings,

1420
01:17:46,820 --> 01:17:50,580
Rising Damp, The Movie, proved
a massive hit at the box office.

1421
01:17:50,580 --> 01:17:53,980
Rising Damp actually got
Best Film Comedy Of The Year.

1422
01:17:53,980 --> 01:17:56,140
I got Best Director.

1423
01:17:56,140 --> 01:17:59,900
Leonard got a special award,
a Peter Sellers Award For Comedy,

1424
01:17:59,900 --> 01:18:02,220
and Frances de la Tour Best Actress.

1425
01:18:02,220 --> 01:18:03,980
You can't do better than that.

1426
01:18:03,980 --> 01:18:05,900
It's all in a day's work for me.

1427
01:18:15,110 --> 01:18:17,310
With the release of Rising Damp,
The Movie,

1428
01:18:17,310 --> 01:18:21,710
the story of Rupert Rigsby and his
unfortunate tenants was finally over.

1429
01:18:21,710 --> 01:18:25,310
Its stars had become some of the most
popular names in comedy,

1430
01:18:25,310 --> 01:18:28,390
but could they shake off the bedsits
and fading wallpaper

1431
01:18:28,390 --> 01:18:32,270
and find bright new
opportunities ahead?

1432
01:18:32,270 --> 01:18:34,110
Despite building a reputation

1433
01:18:34,110 --> 01:18:36,510
as one of Britain's
finest classical actresses,

1434
01:18:36,510 --> 01:18:39,870
Frances de la Tour has struggled
with the public's enduring memory

1435
01:18:39,870 --> 01:18:41,670
of her as Miss Jones.

1436
01:18:41,670 --> 01:18:45,030
Most recently, she's appeared
in the Harry Potter movies

1437
01:18:45,030 --> 01:18:47,110
and in the IT sitcom Vicious.

1438
01:18:50,630 --> 01:18:53,230
Don Warrington's career flourished
in the theatre.

1439
01:18:53,230 --> 01:18:56,270
In 2013, he returned
to his comedy roots,

1440
01:18:56,270 --> 01:18:59,830
directing the stage version
of Rising Damp.

1441
01:18:59,830 --> 01:19:01,990
Most recently, he's won plaudits

1442
01:19:01,990 --> 01:19:04,790
for his role in the BBC's series,
Death in Paradise.

1443
01:19:04,790 --> 01:19:06,510
Thank you.

1444
01:19:08,710 --> 01:19:12,030
Miss Brevin, I do apologise.
It's fine.

1445
01:19:13,430 --> 01:19:16,510
But what became
of the show's leading man?

1446
01:19:16,510 --> 01:19:19,470
As one of Britain's most popular
comedy actors,

1447
01:19:19,470 --> 01:19:23,110
Leonard Rossiter also starred in The
Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin

1448
01:19:23,110 --> 01:19:26,910
and teamed up with Joan Collins
to make millions of us laugh

1449
01:19:26,910 --> 01:19:29,990
in one of TV's best loved
ad campaigns.

1450
01:19:29,990 --> 01:19:34,150
Oh, can't you just smell those
Italian wines,

1451
01:19:34,150 --> 01:19:37,350
suffused with herbs and spices
from four continents?

1452
01:19:37,350 --> 01:19:40,270
I'm being boring.
Oops, sorry, sorry.

1453
01:19:42,030 --> 01:19:45,310
Getting your head down, sweetie?
Jolly good idea.

1454
01:19:46,670 --> 01:19:49,350
In 1984, Leonard Rossiter
took on the role

1455
01:19:49,350 --> 01:19:54,710
of supermarket boss Norman Tripper
in another sitcom, Tripper's Day.

1456
01:19:54,710 --> 01:19:56,590
It was while working on this series

1457
01:19:56,590 --> 01:19:58,870
that he met a young actor
called David John.

1458
01:20:00,990 --> 01:20:04,950
That autumn, Rossiter starred
in Joe Orton's black comedy, Loot,

1459
01:20:04,950 --> 01:20:07,470
and brought in his young co-star
to play opposite him.

1460
01:20:09,710 --> 01:20:11,630
Loot played to packed houses
every night

1461
01:20:11,630 --> 01:20:13,550
at the West End's Lyric Theatre,

1462
01:20:13,550 --> 01:20:16,470
but the play would ultimately
be remembered

1463
01:20:16,470 --> 01:20:19,590
for much more than just
Leonard Rossiter's performance.

1464
01:20:20,750 --> 01:20:24,630
Today, David John is returning
to the cast's local.

1465
01:20:26,110 --> 01:20:29,350
Hi, mate. Can I have a pint, please?
A pint of bitter?

1466
01:20:30,550 --> 01:20:32,750
You know, I've got great memories
of this pub.

1467
01:20:32,750 --> 01:20:36,310
When it's a good company and you're
good mates, this is our social.

1468
01:20:36,310 --> 01:20:38,470
It's after the show,
ten o'clock, half-ten,

1469
01:20:38,470 --> 01:20:40,430
we come in here
and have a couple of pints.

1470
01:20:40,430 --> 01:20:43,950
And it was brought to such a sudden
stop, you know,

1471
01:20:43,950 --> 01:20:47,110
so it's quite...quite sad...
sad memories as well.

1472
01:20:49,310 --> 01:20:52,550
So, the last time I was here with
Len was the night before he died.

1473
01:20:52,550 --> 01:20:54,670
And we were sat round
and he did mention

1474
01:20:54,670 --> 01:20:56,670
that he didn't feel
particularly good.

1475
01:20:58,390 --> 01:21:01,350
He felt a bit chesty and said
"I'm only having one pint tonight,

1476
01:21:01,350 --> 01:21:03,830
and I'm going to have
a little check-up tomorrow."

1477
01:21:03,830 --> 01:21:07,590
And the understudy was there, saying
"Maybe I better check the book,"

1478
01:21:07,590 --> 01:21:10,750
and Len said "No, no, I've never
been off in my career

1479
01:21:10,750 --> 01:21:13,150
and I'm not gonna start now,
don't worry."

1480
01:21:16,190 --> 01:21:18,910
The next time I saw him
was when he came off

1481
01:21:18,910 --> 01:21:21,430
after the first scene
the next night,

1482
01:21:21,430 --> 01:21:25,230
where we had our normal evening.
"How you doing?" "Yeah, fine."

1483
01:21:25,230 --> 01:21:27,590
And I said, "How was the check-up?"

1484
01:21:27,590 --> 01:21:30,390
He said, "Fine, no problems,
I'm fit as a fiddle,"

1485
01:21:30,390 --> 01:21:32,630
and walked off to his dressing room.

1486
01:21:35,830 --> 01:21:40,230
I played my scene and then had
to get back for a quick change,

1487
01:21:40,230 --> 01:21:42,310
so I ran back to my dressing room

1488
01:21:42,310 --> 01:21:45,190
and heard immediately
that there was a problem

1489
01:21:45,190 --> 01:21:47,030
because Leonard hadn't appeared.

1490
01:21:49,510 --> 01:21:51,790
It was unheard of, you know.
It wouldn't happen;

1491
01:21:51,790 --> 01:21:53,750
there must be a problem
if he's not there.

1492
01:21:53,750 --> 01:21:55,870
And I could hear the stage manager
calling him:

1493
01:21:55,870 --> 01:21:58,390
"To the stage immediately,
Mr Rossiter. To the stage."

1494
01:21:58,390 --> 01:22:00,270
And there was no response.

1495
01:22:00,270 --> 01:22:04,750
So I kind of dropped everything
and ran down to his dressing room

1496
01:22:04,750 --> 01:22:10,790
and found him in his chair, just sat
still not breathing, just there.

1497
01:22:16,150 --> 01:22:21,470
And after maybe ten minutes,
an ambulance took him off.

1498
01:22:21,470 --> 01:22:24,510
And I do remember seeing one
of the doctors shake his head

1499
01:22:24,510 --> 01:22:26,910
and just think, "That's it."

1500
01:22:26,910 --> 01:22:30,190
Of all nights, Frances de la Tour
was in the audience.

1501
01:22:30,190 --> 01:22:31,950
Now, when you think that she

1502
01:22:31,950 --> 01:22:34,790
and Leonard were
not by any means friends

1503
01:22:34,790 --> 01:22:37,670
and she was actually there
when it happened.

1504
01:22:37,670 --> 01:22:40,110
Life is very, very strange,
you know.

1505
01:22:40,110 --> 01:22:44,270
Those are the two people you'd think
would never be together,

1506
01:22:44,270 --> 01:22:47,630
you know, at any function,
and, indeed, she was there.

1507
01:22:47,630 --> 01:22:50,830
'The actor Leonard Rossiter
who died after collapsing

1508
01:22:50,830 --> 01:22:53,510
during a performance
in the West End last night

1509
01:22:53,510 --> 01:22:56,790
is thought to have had
a heart attack. He was 57.'

1510
01:22:56,790 --> 01:23:00,030
'"Leonard Rossiter," his friend
said, "would appreciate the irony.

1511
01:23:00,030 --> 01:23:02,630
He died, playing the lead in a black
comedy about death."'

1512
01:23:04,030 --> 01:23:07,350
'During last night's sell out
performance he missed an entrance.

1513
01:23:07,350 --> 01:23:10,030
Staff found him slumped
in his dressing room.

1514
01:23:10,030 --> 01:23:13,230
He was rushed to hospital,
but doctors couldn't save him.'

1515
01:23:14,910 --> 01:23:18,630
It was utterly shocking
because Len was so fit,

1516
01:23:18,630 --> 01:23:20,350
so on top of his game.

1517
01:23:22,430 --> 01:23:24,310
It was just a bolt from the blue.

1518
01:23:33,550 --> 01:23:36,670
He was a difficult man,
I understand,

1519
01:23:36,670 --> 01:23:38,590
you know,
for certain actors and stuff,

1520
01:23:38,590 --> 01:23:41,870
but I never found him difficult
to work with.

1521
01:23:41,870 --> 01:23:46,470
But I knew how he felt
about doing things.

1522
01:23:46,470 --> 01:23:48,830
Put them on, hit me on the chin
as hard as you like.

1523
01:23:48,830 --> 01:23:52,270
I don't want too. Come on. I know
what it is; I'm too likeable.

1524
01:23:52,270 --> 01:23:55,590
I respect him and he was
a very good friend of mine,

1525
01:23:55,590 --> 01:23:59,670
and also a great actor, great actor.

1526
01:23:59,670 --> 01:24:03,190
You're gonna try and surprise me,
but I'll surprise you at the speed -

1527
01:24:09,670 --> 01:24:13,670
No, I won't hear a word against him.
I loved him. I just loved him.

1528
01:24:16,510 --> 01:24:20,510
And there is a lesson in timing.
I just watched it the other night,

1529
01:24:20,510 --> 01:24:23,070
all those head turns,
its just brilliant.

1530
01:24:23,070 --> 01:24:25,350
(LAUGHS)

1531
01:24:25,350 --> 01:24:26,990
You know.

1532
01:24:26,990 --> 01:24:31,630
You don't see acting like that
much now. No.

1533
01:24:38,270 --> 01:24:41,230
My word, you're early.
I couldn't wait.

1534
01:24:41,230 --> 01:24:43,430
Oh, thank you.

1535
01:24:43,430 --> 01:24:46,190
Oh, good heavens, how did you guess
my favourite aperitif,

1536
01:24:46,190 --> 01:24:48,310
a dry martini, shaken not stirred?

1537
01:24:48,310 --> 01:24:50,710
Actually, it's a vodka and lemon.
Is it?

1538
01:24:50,710 --> 01:24:55,110
He was a demanding man, but then
again the rewards were so great.

1539
01:24:55,110 --> 01:24:58,710
There were one or two moments
when he was magic,

1540
01:25:00,230 --> 01:25:06,270
and then when he was...
showing Richard

1541
01:25:06,270 --> 01:25:09,230
how to behave in front
of polite society

1542
01:25:09,230 --> 01:25:12,150
and how to enter a room, wonderful.

1543
01:25:12,150 --> 01:25:13,910
You enter a room, you're in.

1544
01:25:13,910 --> 01:25:17,230
You close the door, you wait for
the conversation to die down,

1545
01:25:17,230 --> 01:25:20,070
you shoot your cuffs like that,
you adjust them and leave it,

1546
01:25:20,070 --> 01:25:21,950
just visible, the diamond cufflinks,

1547
01:25:21,950 --> 01:25:24,150
that's when your beckoned to sit.
Shall I sit?

1548
01:25:24,150 --> 01:25:26,710
You come over,
its fingers on the trousers,

1549
01:25:26,710 --> 01:25:28,590
up, down to avoid any stiffness.

1550
01:25:28,590 --> 01:25:31,470
Just a casual throw of the leg over,
like that,

1551
01:25:31,470 --> 01:25:33,830
with nonchalant ease
and there you go.

1552
01:25:33,830 --> 01:25:39,830
And even to this day when I'm
writing a show, a play,

1553
01:25:39,830 --> 01:25:42,270
I think what we need here
is Leonard Rossiter.

1554
01:25:47,470 --> 01:25:50,830
Stay away, Mr Rigsby!
Heh heh heh!

1555
01:25:50,830 --> 01:25:54,750
What are you going to do with that
gateau? Push it in my face.

1556
01:25:54,750 --> 01:25:59,150
Over 28 classic episodes
from 1974 to 1978,

1557
01:25:59,150 --> 01:26:02,150
Rising Damp served up the best
of British comedy

1558
01:26:02,150 --> 01:26:04,030
into millions of our homes.

1559
01:26:04,030 --> 01:26:05,950
Push it in my face.

1560
01:26:07,790 --> 01:26:12,390
The series would be remade less
successfully in America and Portugal.

1561
01:26:14,430 --> 01:26:17,830
Perhaps there was something about
the world of the grotty bedsit

1562
01:26:17,830 --> 01:26:19,590
that just seemed too British.

1563
01:26:22,790 --> 01:26:24,470
Ahh!

1564
01:26:28,070 --> 01:26:29,950
Four decades on the studios

1565
01:26:29,950 --> 01:26:32,550
where the laughter once rang out
from Rigsby and Co

1566
01:26:32,550 --> 01:26:36,190
is now home to another
classic ITV series, Emmerdale.

1567
01:26:38,950 --> 01:26:42,190
But today they're playing host
to a grand Rising Damp reunion.

1568
01:26:42,190 --> 01:26:46,790
Joining writer Eric Chappell,
Actor Don Warrington,

1569
01:26:46,790 --> 01:26:51,430
Director Vernon Lawrence and
Production Assistant Ellie Hurst,

1570
01:26:51,430 --> 01:26:56,470
are former runner John Heaton
and floor manager Don Clayton.

1571
01:26:56,470 --> 01:26:58,910
There are a few ghosts in here now,
aren't there?

1572
01:26:58,910 --> 01:27:01,270
It was that long wall, wasn't it,
where...?

1573
01:27:01,270 --> 01:27:04,350
We're standing at the foot of the
audience seating, really. Yeah.

1574
01:27:04,350 --> 01:27:06,790
You remember where the audience was,
do you? Yeah.

1575
01:27:06,790 --> 01:27:08,870
I can't forget it. it was there.

1576
01:27:08,870 --> 01:27:10,670
Ah, there it was.

1577
01:27:10,670 --> 01:27:14,030
Because I had to do all those
warm-ups, you know, terrifying.

1578
01:27:14,030 --> 01:27:16,350
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

1579
01:27:16,350 --> 01:27:18,710
You're not a company director,
you're not early 40s,

1580
01:27:18,710 --> 01:27:21,310
you're not an accountant
and you're not sophisticated.

1581
01:27:21,310 --> 01:27:23,350
Well, nobody's perfect.

1582
01:27:23,350 --> 01:27:26,990
It was a happy show, but it wasn't
a happy rehearsal room

1583
01:27:26,990 --> 01:27:30,150
because we were all
so serious about things.

1584
01:27:30,150 --> 01:27:33,510
I would wonder whether there was
any jokes in the script at all.

1585
01:27:33,510 --> 01:27:35,470
Comedy is a very serious business.

1586
01:27:35,470 --> 01:27:38,390
The important thing
is the end product. Yes.

1587
01:27:38,390 --> 01:27:41,150
I think it's also a question
of who leads the line

1588
01:27:41,150 --> 01:27:43,630
and in this case
it was Len Rossiter. Yes.

1589
01:27:43,630 --> 01:27:47,790
And Len was a very serious man
about his comedy.

1590
01:27:47,790 --> 01:27:49,870
You must admit,
this place has been lived in.

1591
01:27:49,870 --> 01:27:51,830
It looks as if it's been slept in.

1592
01:27:55,470 --> 01:27:57,670
Oh, that was Pink Carnations,
was it?

1593
01:27:57,670 --> 01:28:00,870
Yeah, that's great.
Well, I'm blowed.

1594
01:28:00,870 --> 01:28:04,110
It is Pink Carnations.
This is in the bar where they met.

1595
01:28:06,230 --> 01:28:08,030
Yeah, well, there we are.
Mr Rigsby.

1596
01:28:08,030 --> 01:28:11,070
Oh... Oh, Miss Jones.

1597
01:28:11,070 --> 01:28:14,790
Oh, you're not single, attractive,
mid-20s, roguish smile, by chance?

1598
01:28:14,790 --> 01:28:18,350
You're not a company director,
early 40s...?

1599
01:28:18,350 --> 01:28:21,070
Roguish smile? You've been reading
Women's Own again.

1600
01:28:21,070 --> 01:28:25,750
And it ended up with Joan Sanderson,
the wonderful Joan Sanderson. Yes.

1601
01:28:25,750 --> 01:28:30,790
And Len stepped back and said,
"My God, you're ugly."

1602
01:28:30,790 --> 01:28:34,750
I'd like a word with you.
Oh, there you are. About time, yeah.

1603
01:28:34,750 --> 01:28:37,070
Oh, cor blimey!

1604
01:28:37,070 --> 01:28:41,110
And he insulted her. She said, "I've
never been so assaulted in my life."

1605
01:28:41,110 --> 01:28:44,190
Vulgar little man! I've never been
so insulted in my life.

1606
01:28:44,190 --> 01:28:46,270
And he said...
You should get out more.

1607
01:28:46,270 --> 01:28:48,350
Boom-boom! Thank you very much.

1608
01:28:48,350 --> 01:28:51,110
Oh, Miss Jones.
That's him, the beast.

1609
01:28:53,590 --> 01:28:56,190
To Len. There we go.

1610
01:28:57,590 --> 01:28:59,390
It's been over 40 years

1611
01:28:59,390 --> 01:29:02,790
since Eric Chappell took The Banana
Box from the stage to the screen.

1612
01:29:02,790 --> 01:29:06,470
What's going on? This is my room.
I beg your pardon, this is my room.

1613
01:29:06,470 --> 01:29:07,990
(SNIGGERING)

1614
01:29:07,990 --> 01:29:10,870
You can be brothers. Or sisters, eh?

1615
01:29:12,230 --> 01:29:14,390
Is that all?
Ooh, that's enough for you.

1616
01:29:16,750 --> 01:29:19,150
Despite the decades that have passed,

1617
01:29:19,150 --> 01:29:23,030
the characters and storylines
remain as hilarious as ever.

1618
01:29:23,030 --> 01:29:25,470
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

1619
01:29:27,390 --> 01:29:31,190
And when the comedy worked,
you just couldn't stop laughing.

1620
01:29:31,190 --> 01:29:33,190
You just couldn't get
through the scene

1621
01:29:33,190 --> 01:29:35,470
because it was just...
cos it was funny.

1622
01:29:36,950 --> 01:29:38,910
(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

1623
01:29:41,390 --> 01:29:43,950
I remember being visited by a critic

1624
01:29:43,950 --> 01:29:46,630
and she said, "Do you know
this is going to be a classic?"

1625
01:29:47,790 --> 01:29:51,990
And once you get that classic thing,
no-one knocks you anymore.

1626
01:29:53,150 --> 01:29:55,630
"Oh, it's a classic, you know.
Oh, it's a classic."

1627
01:29:55,630 --> 01:29:57,590
"He's all right, he's a classic."

1628
01:29:57,590 --> 01:29:59,550
So the critics
put away their vitriol.

1629
01:30:01,070 --> 01:30:03,590
Fire. I think you need to cool off,
Mr Rigsby.

1630
01:30:05,590 --> 01:30:07,670
And here's to Rising Damp.

1631
01:30:07,670 --> 01:30:10,590
Rising Damp. Cheers, cheers, cheers,
cheers, cheers, cheers.

1632
01:30:10,590 --> 01:30:13,150
Do you reckon we've given Miss Jones
a night to remember?

1633
01:30:13,150 --> 01:30:15,230
Do you know what?
I still feel hungry.

1634
01:30:15,230 --> 01:30:17,790
So am I am.
Do you fancy a bag of chips?

1635
01:30:17,790 --> 01:30:19,750
Plenty of vinegar?
Lots of scallops?

1636
01:30:19,750 --> 01:30:21,710
Mushy peas. You're on.

1637
01:30:21,710 --> 01:30:24,310
It's your turn to pay. Go on.

1638
01:30:24,310 --> 01:30:26,310
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDS)

1639
01:30:31,150 --> 01:30:33,750
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