# Porridge (1974)

> Two inmates at a northern English prison navigate the petty rules and rivalries of their sentence, led by a cunning old lag and his naive cellmate.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2173

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 18
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais
- Network: BBC One
- Cast: Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale, Fulton Mackay, Brian Wilde, Peter Vaughan, Tony Osoba, David Jason, Sam Kelly
- TMDB rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071036/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: sardonic, witty, warm, wry, comforting

## What critics say

Critics and audiences regard Porridge as a classic British sitcom, prized for Ronnie Barker's lead performance and sharp writing around prison life.

## Synopsis

Porridge (1974-1977) is a British situation comedy created by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais for BBC One. Ronnie Barker plays Norman Stanley Fletcher, a seasoned habitual criminal serving a five-year sentence at the fictional HMP Slade, a northern English prison, while Richard Beckinsale plays Lennie Godber, his honest and supremely naive cellmate. Their scheming and day-to-day survival are played against the authoritarian routines of Mr. Mackay, played by Fulton Mackay, and the menacing Harry Grout, played by Peter Vaughan. The engine of each episode is Fletcher's constant effort to win small freedoms, ease his days and outmaneuver warders, while Godber stumbles into trouble. The show runs for three series of six episodes each, with two Christmas specials, making it a compact, self-contained sitcom built around recurring characters rather than a continuing plot. Set in 1970s Cumberland, it is a wry, character-driven workplace-style comedy with a warm, sardonic tone and a deep affection for its inmates. Fans of Fawlty Towers, Only Fools and Horses and Yes Minister will find resonance in its institutional satire and sharp dialogue.

## Shows like Porridge

- [The Brittas Empire (1991)](https://ember.film/tv/227)
- [dinnerladies (1998)](https://ember.film/tv/692)
- [Open All Hours (1976)](https://ember.film/tv/2068)
- [Last of the Summer Wine (1973)](https://ember.film/tv/4037)
- [Mr. Bean (1990)](https://ember.film/tv/4112)
- [Are You Being Served? (1972)](https://ember.film/tv/153)
- [Blackadder (1983)](https://ember.film/tv/6746)
- [Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973)](https://ember.film/tv/5635)
- [Fawlty Towers (1975)](https://ember.film/tv/2092)
- [Bad Girls (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/2709)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt