PORRIDGE
'Porridge' was one of a whole raft of
outstanding BBC situation comedies from the 1970s. With
writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, producer Sydney
Lotterby, and starring Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale,
Fulton Mackay, and Brian Wilde, and a superb supporting
cast, including a young David Jason playing an old lag,
'Porridge' could hardly fail.
Barker's Norman Stanley Fletcher, popularly known as
'Fletch', was one of the great comedy creations. Fletch
was an avuncular figure, who tried to keep his young
cellmate Lennie Godber (Beckinsale) on the straight and
narrow. Fletch was a wily old cove, who always tried to
keep one step ahead of the ever suspicious Mr Mackay (Fulton
Mackay), and easily had the gullible, innocent Mr
Barrowclough (Brian Wilde) in his pocket.
Set at the H.M. Prison Slade, with its foreboding
edifice, 'Porridge' came out of a half hour comedy play,
'Prisoner And Escort', which was one of seven half hour
comedy plays, all starring Ronnie Barker, in 1973. 'Open
All Hours' also came out of one of these plays.
The first-ever episode of 'Porridge' was screened by the
BBC on September 5th, 1974, and was last screened (repeats
apart!) on March 5th, 1977. Though there was the 1978 spin-off,
'Going Straight', which featured a very young Nicholas
Lyndhurst as Fletch's son. The 1979 feature film was also
one of the best examples of British sitcoms working in an
expanded format. 1979 also saw the untimely death of
Richard Beckinsale, and any future 'Porridge' projects died with him.
- Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.
Porridge Regular Cast
List (actors listed first) |
Ronnie Barker |
Norman Stanley
Fletcher |
Fulton Mackay |
Mr. Mackay |
Richard
Beckinsale |
Lennie Godber |
Brian Wilde |
Mr.
Barrowclough |
Peter Vaughan |
Harry Grout |
Sam Kelly |
'Bunny' Warren |
Tony Osoba |
Jim MacClaren |
Christopher
Biggins |
Lukewarm |
David Jason |
Blanco |
Ken Jones |
Ives |
Brian Glover |
Heslop |
Ronald Lacey |
Harris |
Michael
Barrington |
The Governor |
Felix Bowness |
'Gay' Gordon |
Patricia Brake |
Ingrid
Fletcher |
| Porridge DVDs available from
booksmusicfilmstv.com - in association with Amazon.co.uk
 Porridge - Series One [1974] ~ Ronnie Barker, Brian Wilde |
 Porridge - Series Two [1975] ~ Ronnie Barker, Brian Wilde |
 Porridge - Series Three [1974] ~ Ronnie Barker, Brian Wilde |
 Porridge - The Christmas Specials [1975] [1976] ~ Ronnie Barker, Brian Wilde |
 The Ultimate Ronnie Barker Collection : Seven Of One / Porridge / Going Straight / Open All Hours / Clarence / The Magnificent Evans (12 Disc BBC Box Set) ~ Ronnie Barker, David Jason |
 Porridge [1979] ~ Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale |
 The British Comedy Collection (12 Discs) ~ Ronnie Barker, Sid James |
 Porridge- The Complete - Series 1-3 & The Christmas Specials [1979] ~ Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale |
 Porridge - A Day Out / Ways And Means / Disturbing The Peace [1974] ~ Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale |
 Porridge - A Night In / The Harder They Fall / A Storm In A Teacup [1974] ~ Ronnie Barker, Fulton Mackay
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Watch 'Porridge' videos free at classicbritishsitcomvideos
Porridge Videos available from
booksmusicfilmstv.com - in association with Amazon.co.uk
Porridge
- A Day Out / Ways And Means / Disturbing The Peace Porridge - A Night In / The Harder They
Fall / A Storm In A Teacup Porridge
- No Way Out [1975] Porridge [1979] Porridge,
Series 1-3
Porridge/Going
Straight Episode List |
Porridge,
Series 1
September 5th-October 10th, 1974
New Faces, Old Hands
The Hustler
A Night In
A Day Out
Ways And Means
Men Without Women
Porridge,
Series 2
October 24th-November 28th, 1975
Just Desserts
Heartbreak Hotel
Disturbing The Peace
No Peace For The Wicked
Happy Release
The Harder They Fall
Porridge,
Series 3
February 18th-March 5th, 1977
A Storm In A Teacup
Poetic Justice
Rough Justice
Pardon Me
A Test Of Character
Final Stretch
Going
Straight, Series 1
February 24th-10th April, 1978
Going Home
Going To Be Alright
Going Sour
Going To Work
Going, Going, Gone
Going Off The Rails
More
Porridge Transmission Details
Number of episodes: 21
Length: 19 x
30 mins; 1 x 45 mins; 1 x 40 mins
Pilot: Prisoner And Escort 1st April, 1973 - BBC2 Sunday,
8.15pm
Series One - BBC1 Thursdays, 8.30pm
Series Two - BBC1 Fridays, 8.30pm
Special (45 mins) 24th December, 1975 - BBC1 Wednesday, 8.25pm
Special (40 mins) 24th December, 1976 - BBC1 Friday, 8pm
Series Three - BBC1 Fridays, 8.30pm |
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