This reviewer's fondness for the series has grown steadily with each new series. The first season/series, just six episodes that aired in 1974-75, were extremely well-acted but the next, eight more half-hour shows produced late in 1975, were even funnier, this despite the absence of co-star Frances de la Tour in most of the episodes. She's back for Rising Damp - Series 3 (1977), and thanks to creator David Chappell's well-established characters, inspired teleplays and his cast's confident performances, this latest set of seven shows is frequently laugh-out loud funny.

As before, the tenants unfortunate enough to stay at Rigsby's decaying boarding house include naive, university student Alan Moore (Richard Beckinsale); articulate, politically/socially progressive Philip Smith (Don Warrington), who inexplicably shares a room with Alan, despite being (supposedly) African royalty; and eccentric, man-hungry Ruth Jones (Frances de la Tour, late of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). Now divorced, Rigsby has a crush on Ruth, though she acts oblivious of his crudely-expressed desires.

Early episodes of Rising Damp play rather like the classic '50s sitcom The Honeymooners, which likewise stuck close to its drab, rundown apartment building, rarely leaving the Ralph and Alice Kramdem's tiny kitchen. For the third series, Rising Damp offers viewers a look at more of cheapskate Rigsby's dilapidated building, including even its roof in one show where Rigsby tries to rescue a crazed, suicidal tenant from leaping to death. (This episode features a curious bit of comedy writing hindsight: everyone laughs at Rigsby's then-wild predictions of a new Ice Age due to aerosol can usage and a depletion of the ozone layer. Maybe he wasn't such a silly sod after all.)

Of the seven shows, "Clunk Click" is probably the highlight (and, reportedly, was Rossiter's personal favorite), in which Rigsby, a hopelessly reckless driver, buys a sports car to impress Miss Jones. What follows is screamingly funny and, like The Honeymooners the show's very vocal audience seems to agree.

The cast play their roles to perfection, especially Rossiter, an equally fine dramatic actor that American viewers will remember from such films as Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (as the Russian scientist pumping Heywood Floyd for information) and Barry Lyndon (as the British officer who engages star Ryan O'Neal in a classic 18th century duel). His scenes with de la Tour are consistent gems.

Guest stars visiting the boarding house in these shows include Peter Bowles (Rumpole of the Bailey) as a (possibly) gay playwright/director, Derek Francis, John Clive, David Swift, and Judy Buxton.

Video & Audio

Rising Damp's full-frame transfers are fine, considering the shows were produced on videotape. The single-sided disc contains all seven episodes from series three, running a total of 174 minutes. The mono audio is fine; there are no subtitle or alternate audio options.

Extra Features

The only supplements are the same Series Background and Cast Filmographies from before. No other extras. (Those wanting to learn more about the show are advised to check out Rigsby Online, an excellent site.

Parting Thoughts

Rising Damp - Series 3 find the show at its peak and those who've passed on it up to now might want to sample a few shows from this set rather than the first two series. Highly Recommended.

Stuart Galbraith IV is a Kyoto-based film historian whose work includes The Emperor and the Wolf - The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune and Taschen's forthcoming Cinema Nippon.