Anyone remember Rising Damp with Leonard Rossiter.

[ArseInTheCoOpWindow]

Spent the usual hours finding nothing to watch. Dh put YouTube on and we watched Rising Damp.

Vienna the cat and Miss Jones

Hated it, it made me feel uneasy.

@pickingdaisies

Oh the wonderful Frances de la Tour. In one episode Rigsby has a boxing match with Philip. Cue Miss Jones - "KILL HIM, Philip!"

I’m going to have to watch that now!

[quote dingledanglewoowoo]Not sure if anyone else has posted this

www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/jan/25/how-we-made-rising-damp-miss-jones-rigsby[/quote]
That’s a great article! Thank you!

Don W (Phillip) says what many posters have said on here:

In terms of the programme’s handling of racism, it’s important to remember the nature of this country at the time. Parts of society seemed very frightened of change, and I think Eric’s writing reflected that. The strength of the show was that Rigsby’s xenophobia came less from prejudice, more from a crippling self-doubt. Eric caught something of each tenant that allowed them to say things that, if said by somebody else in different circumstances, would be deeply offensive. Also, the arguments put forward by Rigsby never prevailed. And I think that’s very important. It meant that you were immediately aware of the ignorance of the character who was making those comments, as well as the ignorance of the comments themselves.

Love it - Leonard Rossiter played Rigsby so well, he's a bundle of nervous energy.

Libby Purves column in the Times today is perhaps pertinent to this thread - though she's talking more about the casual racist etc attitudes of the past rather than something like Perrin which was deliberate satire.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sneaky-censors-leave-our-radio-treasures-be-tf2m3rsdt?shareToken=ea3a0698671780989485290a6c94929f

I was partially struck by the idea of censoring Julian and Sandy for being 'othering' ... broadcast at a time when male homosexuality was illegal. It wasn't the show which was 'othering' ffs.

@SirSidneyRuffDiamond

I remember it so well and I think we were supposed to cringe at his bigotry and sexism. He was a prism used to highlight the appalling attitudes still held by some of society.

I also remember The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin which was several shades darker and a deal more complex.

I recently watched The King's Man at the cinema and was struck by how much Ralph Fiennes looks like Reggie Perrin when wearing a bowler hat. It was rather disconcerting...

m.youtube.com/watch?v=O-hHGL0q23M

You’re not the only one who noticed a resemblance!

@Hyenaormeercat

If I remember correctly Warren Mitchell was mortified that a sizeable portion of the public didn't understand the humour of Alf Garnett, they took his 'views' as real opinions not that he was a bigotted idiot and that it was poking fun at bigots. yes, mother and your idiot husband, I'm thinking of you

Stewart Lee has a bit where he jokes about modern "irony" in comedy allowing you to play both sides of a room simultaneously, citing "The Pub Landlord" as an example ....

I was partially struck by the idea of censoring Julian and Sandy for being 'othering' ... broadcast at a time when male homosexuality was illegal. confusedIt wasn't the show which was 'othering' ffs

Two gay actors playing gay characters speaking polari at a time when male homosexuality was illegal - how can that be othering. Society was othering gay men, the radio was representing them.
Does the BBC not understand context anymore.
FFS indeed.

Does the BBC not understand context anymore.

The BBC Sounds app is one of the worst I have seen in a while. I'm sorry for people that have to use it.

If they can't be bothered with something that easy, it's hard to see them being any better with the trickier stuff.

Phillip was everything Rigsby wanted to be, charming, cultured, handsome and educated.

Loved that programme. My husband looked like Richard Beckinsale when he was young - lovely thick, wavy, long hair and a baby face......he's now 63 and his hair is thick and wavy - but he's lost the babyish looks haha

There is a difference between programmes which are racist and those which portray racism but negatively.