Ep 1. The Lodgers

The television show Rising Damp was a British sitcom that aired from 1974 to 1978. The show was created by Eric Chappell and starred Leonard Rossiter, Frances de la Tour, Richard Beckinsale, and Don Warrington. The show was set in a decrepit boarding house and followed the daily lives of its eccentric residents. Each episode focused on the tenants and their interactions with one another.

Season one, episode one of Rising Damp is titled "The Lodgers." The episode begins with the introduction of Rigsby, the landlord of the boarding house. Rigsby is an aging and discontented man who is always in search of companionship. He is particularly eager to find a suitable female companion who can offer him the romance and affection that he so badly desires. His tenants, however, do not share this enthusiasm for social interaction, preferring to keep to themselves and avoid Rigsby's relentless invitations to socialize.

The focus of the episode is on the arrival of two new lodgers to the boarding house, Miss Jones and Philip Smith. Miss Jones is a middle-aged spinster who works as a librarian, while Philip Smith is a young, handsome African postgraduate student. Rigsby is immediately taken with Miss Jones and eagerly begins to court her. However, she is uninterested in his advances and is more focused on settling into her new living arrangements. Smith, on the other hand, manages to quickly find common ground with the other tenants, particularly Alan, a medical student, and together they bond over their shared love of jazz music.

As the episode progresses, tensions begin to build in the boarding house. Rigsby becomes increasingly desperate in his attempts to win over Miss Jones, which only serves to alienate her further. Meanwhile, Smith's presence in the house begins to cause problems for Rigsby. Rigsby becomes obsessed with the idea that Smith is secretly having a romantic relationship with his neighbor, Miss Jones. This causes him to become increasingly hostile toward Smith and leads to several confrontations between the two.

The tension between Rigsby and Smith comes to a head when the two men wind up in a heated argument in the common room. The other tenants are forced to intervene, but the situation only serves to further divide the house. Smith decides that he has had enough of the boarding house and decides to leave. This prompts Rigsby to realize the error of his ways and he decides to reconcile with Miss Jones. However, she is not interested in his apologies and makes it clear that she and Smith have become good friends and that she would prefer that he stays in the house.

"The Lodgers" serves as a strong introduction to the characters and setting of Rising Damp. The episode introduces the central conflict of the series, which is the tension between Rigsby's desire for companionship and the tenants' desire for privacy and independence. It also sets up the ongoing conflicts between the landlord and his tenants, particularly the relationship between Rigsby and the new lodgers. Despite the tension and conflict that arises throughout the episode, "The Lodgers" retains a light-hearted and humorous tone, which sets the stage for the rest of the series. Overall, "The Lodgers" is an entertaining and engaging first episode that sets the stage for a classic British sitcom.