THAT’S MY BOY

Rehearsals: 20^th – 23^rd March 1977 at The Sulgrave Boys Club, 287 Goldhawk Road, London, W12

1:30pm – 5:30pm

Walk-Through: 24^th March 1977 at Yorkshire Television Centre, Leeds

Recorded: 25^th March 1977 at Yorkshire Television Centre, Studio 4, Leeds

Broadcast: Tuesday 8:30pm 12^th April 1977

CAST

Leonard Rossiter – Rigsby

Richard Beckinsale – Alan

Frances de la Tour – Ruth

Don Warrington – Philip

Ann Beach – Mrs Brent

David Daker – Mr James Brent

Baby Fountain – David Brent

Daphne Oxenford – Radio Announcer

TECHNICAL CREDITS

Creator/Writer – Eric Chappell

Producer/Director – Ronnie Baxter

Designer – Colin Pigott

Music – Dennis Wilson

Casting – James Ligatt

Floor Manager – Don Clayton

Stage Manager – Olive Simpson

Production Asst – Evelyn Hirschstein

Lighting – John Watt

Cameras – Colin Philpott

Sound – Chris Warner

Vision Mixer – Kay Harrington

Tech Supervisor – Mike Wilkinson

Wardrobe – Brenda Fox

Make-up – Pam Fox

Props – Andy Rae

Production Buyer – Gil Procter

Scenes – Trevor Hodgson

Call Boy – Graham Thornton

Warm-up – Felix Bowness

Episode Review

It’s back to bedsitter land for another outbreak of…..’Rising Damp’

Unscrupulous, grasping landlord Rigsby returns from Spain, where not only the food was greasy but the people were also, to find that Alan has let two of the empty rooms at the boardinghouse.

Rigsby is delighted in one instance since the tenant in question turns out to be his bloved Miss Jones, who has returned to the fold after an unsuccessful romance. But another unexpected arrival is a baby – and Rigsby hates babies, especially when he thinks the mother is Ruth.

Alt. Review (1982)

It’s back to battle in bed-sitter land with a lowdown landlord and his luck less lodgers, in more outbreaks of…RISING DAMP

Television’s most popular boardinghouse landlord returns to ITV screens on February 18 for seven more hilarious episodes of “RISING DAMP”, first screened on ITV in April and May 1977. In the first episode of the award-winning Yorkshire Television situation comedy series, Rigsby returns from holiday to find that Alan, one of his student lodgers, has let two of the empty rooms at the boardinghouse.

Rigsby is delighted in one instance since the tenant in question turns out to be his bloved Miss Jones, who has returned to the fold after an unsuccessful romance. But another unexpected arrival is a baby – and Rigsby hates babies

Interesting to note:

• Production# 2878
• Tuesdays at 8.30pm, opposite the penultimate series of long-running police drama Z Cars. Moving to a midweek slot improved the success of the show and it began to hit it’s stride.
• ‘That’s My Boy’ – 7.85m (5th)
• For the first time in the series the words ‘THIS WEEK’ followed by the episode title were superimposed over the opening scene of the story.

Did you know?

• Production of the third series of “RISING DAMP” was delayed by two factors; Leonard Rossiter’s commitment to his BBC Television sitcom series “THE FALL AND RISE OF REGINALD PERRIN”, and returning series regular Frances de la Tour having fallen pregnant with her son Josh. This latter occurrence may have inspired Eric Chappell to write the opening episode.
• A large doll dressed in baby’s clothes from YTV was used for most of the episode. Telecine inserts were used for close ups of the live baby.
• The baby featured was in fact a girl, the daughter of YTV technician Christine Fountain.
• Pre-recorded and ‘fed in’ lines of dialogue by the radio announcer, actress Daphne Oxenford, were used.
• A merchant navy uniform was hired for David Daker to wear as Mr Brent. The TV Times would credit him as David Baker in the program listing.
• A new anatomical skeleton was used, sporting two eyeballs.
• 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

Ann Beach #5

David Daker #9