Rising Damp – Christmas Special

Rising Damp – For The Man Who Has Everything – Christmas Special – 1975

Despite running for 4 series Rising Damp only ever had one Christmas episode.  It came at the end of series two while Frances De La Tour was temporarily not part of the regular cast, in her place was Gabrielle Rose’s Glenda character.

Summary

Rigsby is spending Christmas alone, with just Vienna the cat for company.

However solitude is not always a good thing.  Rigsby receives visits from Fred the milkman  who instead of spreading festive cheer has come for his milk money.  There’s a visit from Gwen the post woman delivering a card (sent to himself).  A vane attempt to kiss her under the mistletoe results in rejection.  Could things get any worse?

Perhaps, as one by one his tenants begin to return.  First it’s Alan and Brenda fresh from spending Christmas with Alan’s parents.  They come bearing gifts as they each give him his present – bath salts.  then it’s the return of Philip with his girlfriend Lucy.

Philip tells Rigsby he has a present for him in his room.  In true Rigsby style he gets the wrong end of the stick believing  that Lucy is the present.

As Lucy is black he imagines she has just arrived from Africa – rather than Northampton.   Rigsby takes his chance to teach her the British custom of kissing under the mistletoe.  However his plan is thwarted when Philip comes in to do that and gives Rigsby his actual present, a bottle of wine so strong it takes his power of speech away.

Gwen and Fred return – she is now prepared to kiss Rigsby under the mistletoe but Fred gets in first!

Clip

 

Cast

Leonard Rossiter
Don Warrington
Richard Beckinsale
Gabrielle Rose

Details

Written By:  Eric Chappell
Channel: ITV
Produced By: Ronnie Baxter
Original Transmission Date: 26th December 1975