This Week FAWCETT’S PYTHON

Rehearsals: 24^th – 27^th April 1977 at The Sulgrave Boys Club, 287 Goldhawk Road, London, W12

1:30pm – 5:30pm

Walk-Through: 28^th April 1977 at Yorkshire Television Centre, Leeds

Recorded: 29^th April 1977 at Yorkshire Television Centre, Studio 4, Leeds

Broadcast: Tuesday 8:30pm 10^th May 1977

CAST

Leonard Rossiter – Rigsby

Richard Beckinsale – Alan

Frances de la Tour – Ruth

Don Warrington – Philip

Andonia Katsaros – Marilyn

Jonathan Elsom – Douglas

CREW

Creator/Writer – Eric Chappell

Producer/Director – Ronnie Baxter

Designer – Colin Pigott

Music – Dennis Wilson

Casting – Malcolm Drury

Floor Manager – Don Clayton

Stage Manager – Olive Simpson

Production Asst – Evelyn Hirschstein

Lighting – Peter Hardman

Cameras – Gerry Lord

Sound – Chris Warner

Vision Mixer – Kay Harrington

Tech Supervisor – Mike Wilkinson

Wardrobe – Brenda Fox

Make-up – Pearl Rashbash

Asst Stage Manager – Vanessa Ford

Props – Tony O’Toole

Production Buyer – Gil Procter

Scenes – Bill Donnelly

Call Boy – Martin Dean

Warm-up – Felix Bowness

Episode Review

There are mysteries about Marilyn, in another outbreak of….RISING DAMP

Marilyn, the latest tenant, has impressed some, if not all, of the other occupants. It isn’t surprising that Rigsby and student lodger Alan are showing keen interest – she is a very attractive girl. Risgby’s other female tenant, however, is far less enamoured. In fact, Miss Jones complains about her to Rigsby. She is convinced Marilyn is a ‘fallen woman’. Her nocturnal working hours soon arouse suspicion – and a great deal of interest from Rigsby!

When Rigsby confronts Marilyn, however, he discovers that there is a snake in the grass, so to speak, and the question arises, which biter is going to get bit.

Interesting to note:

• Production# 2882
• Tuesdays at 8.30pm, opposite the penultimate series of long-running police drama Z Cars.
• ‘Fawcett’s Python’ – 8.40m (3rd)
• The inspiration for Philip’s fictitious account of the Fawcett’s Python was th renowned real-life explorer Colonel Percy Fawcett, who disappeared in the Amazon jungles in 1925 whilst searching for a legendary lost city of gold. He was reported to have show a sixty-two-foot-long giant anaconda.
• Although unnamed in the televised episode, in the rehearsal script Rigsby refers to his next door neighbour as Mr Robinson.

Did you know?

• Normally a live trained python would have been used on the show. But a snake once gave producer Ronnie Baxter such a shock that this time he insisted on hiring two stuffed snakes. From a past experience, noted in The Sun newspaper from May 1977, Ronnie notes, “It happened when we had to use a python in one of my shows. During a break I leaned against what I thought was a drainpipe…until it suddenly moved. Now I just can’t face a live snake around me any more.”
• Two stuffed snakes were obtained for this episode, since Producer/Director Ronnie Baxter was averse to using a live reptile owing to an unpleasant past experience (see series 3 special??).
• The snake belonging to Philip was a simple, static prop. Marilyn’s snake Charlie had thin wires attached to it’s head which gave it limited movement.
• The close up of Charlie in his basked was pre recorded on a telecine insert.
• A curtain rail was fitted across the entrance to Rigsby’s bedroom for him to throw Philip’s snake behind. A partitioning curtain rail was also fitted on the set of Miss Jones’s flat, over which Leonard was meant to throw Charlie during the final scene.
• The recorder music for Frances de la Tour was ‘fed in’, along with Charlie’s hissing during the same scene.
• Clerical attire was provided for guest artist Jonathan Elsom.
• The end credits were superimposed over the “RISING DAMP” caption slide.

Dressing Rooms:-

Leonard Rossiter #12

Richard Beckinsale #11

Frances de la Tour #6

Don Warrington #8

Andonia Katsaros #9

Jonathan Elsom #7