Sun, Sep 1, 1974
Landlord Rigsby shares his crumbling home with his cat Vienna and his two lodgers, amiable, shambling young medical student Alan and Miss Ruth Jones, welfare officer at Alan's college and the object of Rigsby's affection. When Ruth asks Rigsby to give her friend Philip a room, Rigsby is only too happy to please her though he is surprised to find that Philip, another student, is black and sees him - wrongly - as a rival for Ruth, who is actually pursuing Philip in vain. Consequently he tries to get rid of him but changes his mind after being told that Philip is an African prince - and not wanting to refund his deposit.
Thu, Dec 12, 1974
Alan teases Rigsby by telling him that Philip has ten wives and can work black magic. Put to the test by Rigsby, Philip bangs a tribal spear on the floor in ritualistic fashion, which results in Ruth, believing it to be a sign that Philip wants her body, running into the room in her nightie. Soon afterwards Rigsby falls down on the stairs - another apparent result of magic. Alan also bangs the spear on the floor and again Ruth comes in but when Rigsby tries it there are answering knocks, courtesy of Philip and Alan, who are hiding, and are amused by Rigsby's reaction of panic before they reveal themselves.
Thu, Dec 19, 1974
It is Ruth's birthday and Rigsby plans to take her to up-market restaurant the Grange. When Alan and Philip tell him his dapper clothes are old-fashioned he borrows a tuxedo from another lodger Spooner, a violent wrestler, without asking his permission. At the Grange Rigsby expects Philip will have trouble getting in but in fact Philip has to vouch for Rigsby, whose efforts to woo Ruth go awry when he stamps on her false eye-lash, mistaking it for a spider. As the band strikes up a waltz Rigsby prepares to dazzle Ruth with his fancy foot-work but is prevented by the appearance of Spooner, who tussles with Rigsby to get his tuxedo back and rips the sleeve off. They are ejected and, as Philip takes Ruth home, Rigsby and Alan end up with a bag of chips from the take-away.
Top-rated
Thu, Dec 26, 1974
Rigsby tries to woo Ruth with two free tickets to a wrestling match given him by Spooner but she is not keen so he turns to Alan and Philip for advice on how to capture her heart. They suggest he adopts a sophisticated persona, wear a medallion and play a romantic record. They also give him some tablets to relax him but he takes too many and falls asleep before he can declare himself to Ruth. As a second plan Philip tells him of an African love rite whereby the suitor burns a piece of wood from the 'love tree' outside his sweetheart's hut. Rigsby approaches Ruth with a smouldering piece of wood - actually part of a wardrobe - but her response is to dowse it - and Rigsby - with a soda syphon.