'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. 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 there have been no real attempts to revive 'Porridge' or 'Going Straight' since.

- Paul Rance.

Porridge - Series 2 [1975]

Porridge: Series 3 [1976]

Porridge Movie [1979]

Going Straight - The Complete Series
BBC Worldwide Publishing
DVD - October 4, 2004
Usually dispatched within 24 hours