The series was recorded entirely in the Yorkshire Television studios, in front of an audience, and featured no scenes on location.
As he was also starring in Porridge (1974) during the same period, Richard Beckinsale wore a rather obvious wig for most of the series, to make him look more like a student and different from Porridge's Lennie Godber. The Rising Damp pilot aired on ITV just three days before New Faces, Old Hands (1974), the first episode of the BBC1sitcom, where Godber first appeared.
Eric Chappell often had to write additional dialogue during recordings for Rigsby, as Leonard Rossiter's delivery was so fast, episodes were finishing under time.
The series was based on Eric Chappell's 1971 stage play "The Banana Box", in which the rôle of the landlord, called Rooksby at that time, was initially played by Wilfrid Brambell. Leonard Rossiter took over later in the run.
The original name of Leonard Rossiter's character was Rooksby. This was changed to Rigsby after complaints and threats of legal action from a real-life Mr. Rooksby who objected to the unflattering portrayal of a character with the same name as him.