Tue, Apr 19, 1977
A very camp actor called Hilary moves into the house. He has written a play which he wants Ruth and Alan to perform. Rigsby is less than pleased to think that this will allow the long-haired student to share intimate moments with his beloved Miss Jones, so he appeals to Alan's homophobia and tells him that Hilary is gay, scaring Alan off which leads to Hilary asking Rigsby to replace him. Aware of what has gone on Hilary sits very near to Rigsby on the sofa and appears to make a pass at him, scaring Rigsby off from appearing in the play. however, when Hilary assumes the lead it is clear from his behaviour with Ruth that he is definitely not gay.
Tue, Apr 25, 1978
By coincidence Rigsby and Ruth answer the personal ad each has placed in the local paper and meet at the same hotel, both wearing pink carnations for identification purposes. Then a bridal party arrives for a reception and, as both bride and groom are also sporting a pink carnation, this leads to confusion as both get mistaken for the blind date. When the bride's mother comes to sort things out Rigsby is horrified to think that she might be the person he has arranged to meet and insults her before getting thrown out, still unaware that Ruth was his real blind date.
Fri, Dec 19, 1975
After scaring the gullible Alan with a joke werewolf hand, Rigsby tries to spook him even more by telling him about the house ghost, the Grey Lady. Philip persuades Alan to put on a long dress and a bonnet to impersonate the ghost, to scare Rigsby, which he does on several occasions, including at a séance Philip has stage managed. Rigsby then calls in the vicar to exorcise the ghost but the vicar only catches Alan and Brenda kissing on the sofa. By this time Rigsby has found the dress and bonnet so that the Grey Lady makes one final appearance.
Fri, Nov 7, 1975
Having failed again to get a date with Philip, Ruth is unhappy so Rigsby, to arouse her, blows in her ear but she just thinks there's a draught. Alan and Philip have been on a double date and Philip is annoyed that Alan is so inexperienced with women that they only ended up playing scrabble. Philip lost his virginity on his fourteenth birthday. Alan only got a bike for his. To prove he is not afraid of women Alan enters Ruth's room in his dressing-gown but hides in the wardrobe when Rigsby also goes in and, on discovery, pretends he was sleep-walking. Alan's girl-friend's father comes round to accuse Alan of upsetting his daughter and mistakes Rigsby for the lad's father. Rigsby and Alan see him off but lock the door when he returns with his muscle-bound sons.
Fri, Nov 14, 1975
Following an argument in which the tenants accuse him of being uncharitable for not wanting to contribute to Ruth's charity tin, Rigsby lectures Philip on the white man's bounties to Africa and explains how he fasted for a week in the desert in the war. Philip then challenges him to fast for forty-eight hours and confiscates his food. Rigsby attempts to cheat by stealing the cat's food and eating an apple from Ruth's room, which turns out to be wax. He gets Alan to put out leftovers for him, but Philip substitutes food that has gone off. Eventually Rigsby wins his bet but the fiver gets put into Ruth's tin after it is discovered that his previous contribution was a button from his cardigan.
Fri, Dec 5, 1975
Alan and Philip do not share the fawning Rigsby's high opinion of the new tenant, suave, ex-Colonial, Seymour, who borrows money from them and owes rent. Seymour appeals to Rigsby's snobbery by promising him golf club membership and tries to turn him against Alan by planting Philip's wallet on him. When Rigsby is also robbed, Philip sets a trap and exposes Seymour as a thief and a con man.
Sun, Dec 21, 1975
Following a lonely Christmas spent with only Vienna as company, Rigsby is visited by the milkman, Fred, wanting his money, and post woman Gwen, who delivers a card - sent by himself - but declines to kiss him under the mistletoe. Alan and Brenda return from spending Christmas with his parents and both, separately, give him bath salts as a present. Philip comes back with a girl-friend Lucy, assuming they would be alone in the house. He tells Rigsby he has a present for him in his room and Rigsby wrongly believes this is Lucy. As she is black he imagines she has just arrived from Africa - rather than Northampton - and tries to teach her the British custom of kissing under the mistletoe. However Philip comes in to do that and gives Rigsby his actual present, a bottle of wine so strong it takes his power of speech away. Gwen and Fred return - she is now prepared to kiss Rigsby under the mistletoe but Fred gets in first!
Tue, Apr 26, 1977
Rigsby invests in a white sports car to impress Ruth and takes her to the country club in it. On their return the car is severely dented and carrying part of another car with it. When Rigsby learns that the other driver, Mr. French, is a magistrate and will be calling at the house in the evening, he panics and tells Alan he can have the car. Mr. French duly arrives and, on learning that Alan owns the car, gives him ten pounds as it was actually Mr. French who caused the damage.
Fri, Dec 27, 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.
Fri, Nov 21, 1975
Rigsby is cynical when both Ruth and Alan get into physical fitness regimes but, having failed to open a pickle jar, which Philip does with ease, he is persuaded to take exercise to impress Ruth. This leads to a boxing match with Philip, Ruth promising to date the winner. Not being keen on this idea Philip throws the fight but Rigsby does his back in before he can take Ruth out so she whisks Philip away in his place.