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.
The series was based on a stage play "The Banana Box", by Eric Chappell in which the role of the landlord, called Rooksby at that time, was initially played by Wilfrid Brambell before Leonard Rossiter took over later in the play's run.