The Very Best of Rising Damp

Dom Robinson reviews

The Very Best of Rising DampDistributed by
Granada Media

• Cert:
• Cat.no: GVD 008
• Running time: 120 minutes
• Year: 1974-78
• Pressing: 2000
• Region(s): 2, PAL
• Chapters: 5
• Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Mono)
• Languages: English
• Subtitles: None
• Fullscreen: 4:3
• 16:9-Enhanced: No
• Macrovision: Yes
• Disc Format: DVD 5
• Price: £19.99
• Extras: None
  

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  Directors:

  Ronnie Baxter and Vernon Lawrence

Producers:

Ronnie Baxter and Vernon Lawrence

Screenplay:

Eric Chappell

Screenplay:

Dennis Wilson

Cast:

Rigsby: Leonard Rossiter
Ruth Jones: Frances de la Tour
Alan Moore: Richard Beckinsale
Philip Smith: Don Warrington

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Rising Dampis, as anyone with an interest in TV would know, the classic sitcom about a house offlats lorded over by the grubby, inherently racist landlord Rigsby (the late LeonardRossiter) and he’s always trying to woo the only permanent female tenant we ever see,”Miss Jones” (Frances de la Tour). Two men share the other flat we see often,namely Philip (Don Warrington), often on the wrong end of Rigsby’s tiny mind,while dim-witted student Alan (the late Richard Beckinsale) brings up the rearby completing the cast list.

According to the back of the box there were a total of 28 episodes, although I can onlyfind an episode guide online which lists 27 including a Xmas special in 1976, For the ManWho Has Everything and there’s also a feature-length film which came afterwards in 1980.

The five episodes on this disc are as follows :

• Charisma: Rigsby tries to charm Miss Jones with some Matt Monroe, a medallionand pheromone tablets which are actually tranquilisers that turn your water green.
• A Perfect Gentlemen: Rigsby behaves all posh when a dapper new tenant in theform of ex-Sugar Puffs advert actor Henry McGee appears.
• For the Man Who Has Everything: The Xmas special in which Rigsby spends thefestive period alone yet again, but is surprised when Alan and Philip return homeunexpectedly, each thinking they’ve got the place to themselves.
• Stage Struck: Alan and Ruth are set to act as two lovers in a play, writtenby new tenant Hillary (Peter Bowles), which sends Rigsby’s jealousometer throughthe roof and into acting classes.
• “Come on in, the water’s lovely”: The final episode and Rigsby finally thinkshe’s got a chance with Ruth when his decree absolute comes through in the post and heproposes.

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Originally filmed in 4:3, that’s the same way it has been presented herealthough there are artifacts if you look closely enough and the picture lookstoo soft-focused.The average bitrate is approximately 4.44Mb/s over the whole five episodes.

Yes, the sound is in mono, but then the programme is just one long dialoguepiece, although it’s a little muffled occasionally and there’s nothing in itto get excited about.

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Extras :

Er.. none at all. Just the five episodes each selectable from a static, silent menuand neither of them have any chapters within.

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Although I was too young to take it on at the time, I’ve enjoyed any repeats I’ve seenof the programme on TV. It would never get made to day in the current climate,given, for example, the Xmas special when, after endlessly hassling Philip abouthis “African roots” in previous episodes, Rigsby goes to work on Philip’sgirlfriend, assuming she’s a washer woman from the same country, tells herthere’s no need to put “that pot on your head” because… (turns on tap),“Look, water!”.

However, rather than placing five random episodes on a DVD 5 for £19.99,why haven’t Granada Media made it into a 3-DVD boxset containing all the episodes and thefilm that followed? Now that would be quite a treat.

FILM CONTENT
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS


0OVERALLReview copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2000.