The barred windows approximated a prison. All episodes had a running time of 30 minutes. The final episode of Porridge, "Final Stretch", was broadcast on 25 March 1977. Porridge is a British sitcom, starring Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale, written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and broadcast on BBC1 from 1974 to 1977. [7] Two further series were commissioned, as well as two Christmas special episodes. The special was written by the original creators and writers of Porridge, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Fletcher, described as a "habitual criminal" by the judge who sentences him (and whose words, voiced by Barker, are repeated in the show's opening titles), is sent to HMP Slade, a fictional Category C prison in Cumberland, to serve a jail sentence for his latest crime. This article is about the 1974 British TV series. Porridge was critically acclaimed and is widely considered to be one of the greatest British sitcoms of all time. The other is Mr Barrowclough, Mackay's empathetic, progressively minded subordinate, who is prone to manipulation by his charges because of his well-meaning character and principles. The opening credits consist of outside shots of Slade prison and of several doors and gates being closed and locked, which was intended to set the scene for the programme. The sitcom focuses on prison inmate, Nigel Norman Fletcher (played by Bishop), the grandson of Norman Stanley Fletcher, who is sent to Wakeley Prison to serve a five year sentence for cyber crimes. I'm not sure how, but writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais ... grasped the notion that it is the minor victories against the naturally oppressive prison system that makes prison life bearable. The main storylines of the sitcom focus on its central character, Norman Stanley Fletcher, a man from Muswell Hill, London. The programme's creation came about when the BBC decided to air a one-off special of Porridge as part of its Landmark Sitcom Season in 2016, which later proved popular with viewers[citation needed] and led to a series being commissioned, with Clement and La Frenais recruited into the show's production team. In the episode "Pardon Me" Fletcher speaks to Blanco (David Jason) in the prison gardens: this was filmed in the grounds of an old brewery outside Baldock on the A505 to Royston. [11] In the first series, there were also shots of St Pancras railway station, which was changed in subsequent series to shots of Fletcher walking around Slade prison. In 2009 Porridge was adapted into a stage show, also written by Clement and La Frenais, starring former EastEnders actor Shaun Williamson as Fletcher and Daniel West as Godber. Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of Porridge episodes § Porridge (2016), "Kevin Bishop to star in brand new Porridge for BBC One", "BBC commissions more Porridge and Motherland and a series of A Brief History Of Tim", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Porridge_(2016_TV_series)&oldid=979001017, 2010s British crime comedy television series, Articles needing additional references from December 2017, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 18 September 2020, at 05:10. [5] Scenes within cells and offices were filmed at the BBC's London studios. [3], In their research, Clement and La Frenais spoke to Jonathan Marshall, a former prisoner who had written a book, How to Survive in the Nick, and he advised them about prison slang, dress and routines. Like his grandfather, Fletcher shares a cell with another prisoner named Joe Lotterby, a senior but veteran old-time criminal who knew his grandfather and his old cell-mate Lennie Godber, and has a somewhat cynical view on life as a result of his previous sentences in prison, while he often comes into conflict with prison officer Mr Meekie, whose character is similar to that of Mr Mackay from the original series, in that he firmly dislikes Fletcher and often suspects him of being up to something, and who often mocks him in return as a result. Each episode's story focuses on their time in prison and the various issues they endure while serving their prison sentences. [2] Despite Barker's initial preference for another of the pilots, a sitcom about a Welsh gambling addict, "Prisoner and Escort" was selected. The first episode premiered on 6 October 2017. On Sunday 28 August 2016, a one-off sequel to the original series, also titled Porridge, was broadcast on BBC One. Porridge. Following the pilot episode broadcast on 1 April 1973, the sitcom ran for three series between 5 September 1974 (1974-09-05) and 25 March 1977 (1977-03-25), with 20 episodes in total. A feature-length version of the show was made in 1979 and in 2003 a follow-up mockumentary, Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher, was aired.[10]. The programme ran for three series, and included two Christmas specials and a feature film of the same name. Seven episodes of Porridge, all written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, were produced for the BBC. TV Guide; My Programmes; Comedy. It was broadcast on 1 April 1973 on BBC2. In March 2016, it was announced that a sequel pilot to Porridge would air as part of the BBC's Landmark Sitcom Season, starring Kevin Bishop as Norman Stanley Fletcher's grandson and written by the original writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.[1]. Ronnie Barker was the author of Fletcher's Book of Rhyming Slang (Pan, 1979), which includes an introduction by 'Fletch'. [1] One of the episodes was "Prisoner and Escort", written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais (who appear in one episode) about a newly sentenced habitual criminal, Norman Stanley Fletcher (Barker), being escorted to prison by two warders: the timid Mr. Barrowclough (Brian Wilde) and the stern Mr. Mackay (Fulton Mackay). Warren is now a sign painter, Lukewarm is married to Trevor, McLaren is an MSP, Grouty has become a celebrity gangster, Horrible Ives collects money for non-existent charities, Godber is now a lorry driver and still married to Ingrid, and Fletcher runs a pub with his childhood sweetheart, Gloria. The sitcom also follows his cellmate Lennie Godber, a naïve inmate from Birmingham serving his first sentence, whom Fletcher takes under his wing. It was renamed Porridge, a slang term for prison; Barker, Clement and La Frenais actually came up with the same title independently of each other. 21 Episodes Available. The sitcom focuses on prison inmate, Nigel Norman Fletcher (played by Bishop), the grandson of Norman Stanley Fletcher, who is sent to Wakeley Prison to serve a five year sentence for cyber crimes. The series lasted six episodes, and generally was not as well received as its predecessor, although it did win two BAFTAs, for Best Situation Comedy and Best Light Entertainment Performance (jointly with The Two Ronnies) for Ronnie Barker.[14][15]. Barker again starred as Fletcher, and most of the supporting cast also returned. The show is a sequel to the original 1974 series of the same name, which both Clement and La Frenais wrote. It opened in September 2009 to positive reviews.[19]. Much like in the original series, the narration given in the opening titles, is voiced by McFarlane. In addition to Fletcher, the series also features an array of supporting characters. It starred Kevin Bishop as Nigel Norman Fletcher, Norman Stanley Fletcher's grandson, who is serving five years in prison for computer hacking. Porridge is a British sitcom, starring Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale, written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and broadcast on BBC1 from 1974 to 1977. On 29 December 2003, a mockumentary follow-up to Porridge was broadcast on BBC Two. The first is Mr Mackay, a tough and austere Scotsman with a clear dislike of Fletcher, with whom he often comes into conflict (and by whom is often surreptitiously mocked). Instead the main gatehouse of the disused St Albans Prison (in the town's Victoria Street) was used in the opening credits. Each episode's plot usually focuses on events that Fletcher becomes involved in. Although Fletcher has a firm dislike of the prison guards, he has some respect for other prison officer Mr Braithwaite, whose character is similar to that of Mr Barrowclough in the original series, in that he is more gentle and trusting of the prisoners and thus quite gullible, although he is quite meek when fights break out and slightly dim on some areas, such as jokes.
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