Eric Chappell Wiki
Eric Chappell Biography
Who was Eric Chappell ?
Eric Chappell, creator of the sitcoms Rising Damp and Home to Roost, has died at the age of 88.
Mr. Chappell, from Grantham, Lincolnshire, began his writing career with a play called The Banana Box, which debuted at the Hampstead Theater Club in 1970 before hitting the West End in 1973.
That West End play was later adapted into Rising Damp, the popular ITV sitcom that ran for four series from 1974 to 1978 and starred Leonard Rossiter, Frances de la Tour, Richard Beckinsale and Don Warrington.
Rising Damp tells the story of a miserly landlord named Rupert Rigsby who rents out a seedy Victorian house to a motley crew of tenants.
After winning a Bafta for best sitcom in 1978, Rising Damp was adapted into a film released in 1980.
Rising Damp tells the story of a miserly landlord named Rupert Rigsby who rents out a seedy Victorian house to a motley crew of tenants. In the picture: the Rising Damp characters Rupert Rigsby, played by Leonard Rossiter; and Miss Ruth Jones, played by Frances de la Tour.
Death
Rising Damp characters, from left to right: Alan Moore (played by Richard Beckinsale), Rupert Rigsby (Leonard Rossiter), Miss Ruth Jones (Frances de la Tour), and Philip Smith (Don Warrington).
Following the success of Rising Damp, Chappell went on to write Home to Roost, which ran from 1985 to 1990 and starred John Thaw, who played a divorcee whose life changes when his teenage son, played by Reece Dinsdale, moves to his bachelor’s degree. pad.
Dinsdale, 62, announced Chappell’s death in a tweet yesterday.
He wrote on the social media platform: ‘I just heard that Eric Chappell, the writer of #HomeToRoost, #RisingDamp and many other shows died on Thursday,
‘Thank you for all you did for me, sir… it was a pleasure to play his script. Good times!
“My love and deepest condolences to the friends and family of RIP Eric.”
Chappell, who died on April 21, worked for 22 years as an auditor for the East Midlands Electricity Board, writing several novels that were rejected before he got his break as a playwright.
“RIP Eric Chappell, one of the all-time greats,” tweeted Jed Mercurio, the creator of the BBC’s Line of Duty.
Mercurio continued: “His brilliant comedies of his entertained millions, week after week, for decades.”
Eric Chappell Quick and Facts
- Eric Chappell, creator of Rising Damp and Home to Roost, has died aged 88
- The sitcom writer, from Grantham, Lincolnshire, began his writing career in 1970
- Rising Damp, which ran from 1974 to 1978 on ITV, won a Bafta for best sitcom
- After his success with Rising Damp, Mr Chappell went on to pen Home to Roost
- Actor Reece Dinsdale, who starred in Home to Roost, paid tribute to the writer
