Porridge

Porridge is a British situation comedy broadcast on BBC1 from 1974 to 1977, running for three series, two Christmas specials and a feature film also titled Porridge. Written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, it stars Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale as two inmates at the fictional HMP Slade in Cumberland. "Doing porridge" is British slang for serving a prison sentence, porridge once being the traditional breakfast in UK prisons. The series was followed by a 1978 sequel, Going Straight, which established that Fletcher would not be going back to prison again. Porridge was voted number seven in a 2004 BBC poll of the 100 greatest British sitcoms.

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.

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

• Fawlty Towersworkplace-style institutional comedy with a sardonic lead and rigid authority figures
• Only Fools and Horsesbritish sitcom built on a cynical veteran and a naive sidekick under institutional routine
• Yes Ministerconfined institutional setting with bureaucratic absurdity and character-driven comedy

Created by

Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais

Release Date

1974-09-05

Episode runtime

30 min

Rating

8.3 / 10 (57)

What is Porridge about?

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.

What is Porridge like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Porridge as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is Porridge violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Porridge.

What did critics think of Porridge?

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

Which shows are like Porridge?

Shows with a similar feel include Fawlty Towers, Only Fools and Horses, and Yes Minister.

How long is Porridge?

Porridge: 3 seasons, 18 episodes.

Is Porridge still running?

No, Porridge has ended.