Porridge (1974 TV series)

2022-08-18T00:04:45Z

86.112.73.41: /* Porridge (2016) */ Clarified wording

{{short description|British 1970s TV sitcom}}
{{About|the 1974 British TV series|the 2016 series|Porridge (2016 TV series)|the movie version|Porridge (film)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2010}}
{{Infobox television
| name = Porridge
| image = Porridge title.jpg
| caption = ''Porridge'' main title, showing the main entrance to Slade prison.
| director = [[Sydney Lotterby]]
| producer = Sydney Lotterby
| runtime = 19 × 30 mins 1 × 40 mins 1 × 45 mins
| creator = [[Dick Clement]] [[Ian La Frenais]]
| writer = Dick Clement Ian La Frenais
| starring = [[Ronnie Barker]] [[Richard Beckinsale]] [[Fulton Mackay]] [[Brian Wilde]] [[Sam Kelly]] [[Tony Osoba]] [[Michael Barrington]] [[Christopher Biggins]] [[David Jason]] [[Ronald Lacey]] [[Peter Vaughan]] [[Ken Jones (actor)|Ken Jones]] [[Brian Glover]] [[Patricia Brake]]
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| location = [[BBC Television Centre]]
| num_series = 3
| num_episodes = 21
| list_episodes = List of Porridge episodes
| company = [[BBC]]
| distributor = BBC
| network = [[BBC1]]
| first_aired = 1 April 1973 (pilot)
{{Start date|1974|9|5|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1977|3|25|df=y}}
| followed_by = ''[[Going Straight]]'' (1978)
}}
'''''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. The programme ran for three series and two Christmas specials. A feature film of the [[Porridge (film)|same name]] based on the series was released in 1979.

The sitcom focuses on two prison inmates, Norman Fletcher (played by Barker) and Lennie Godber (played by Beckinsale), who are serving time at the fictional [[HM Prison|HMP]] Slade in [[Cumberland]]. The show's title is a reference to both the traditional breakfast that used to be served in British prisons, and a 1950s British slang term for a prison sentence.<ref name=Term>[https://oxbridgeapplications.com/kyc/prison-porridge/ Prisoners no longer do porridge] ''oxbridgeapplications.com'', retrieved 11 November 2020</ref>

''Porridge'' was critically acclaimed and is widely considered to be one of the greatest British sitcoms of all time. It is ranked No. 35 on the [[BFI TV 100|100 Greatest British Television Programmes]] compiled by the [[British Film Institute]] in 2000. In 2004, ''Porridge'' placed seventh in a poll to find [[Britain's Best Sitcom]].

The series was followed by a 1978 sequel, ''[[Going Straight]]'', which saw Barker reprise his character as he tries to avoid going back to prison. ''Porridge'' was revived in 2016 [[Porridge (2016 TV series)|under the same name]], with Fletcher's grandson beginning a prison sentence.

==Premise==
The main storylines of the sitcom focus on its central character, [[Norman Stanley Fletcher]], a man from [[Muswell Hill]], London. 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 [[Prisoner security categories in the United Kingdom|Category C]] prison in [[Cumberland]], to serve a prison sentence for his latest crime. The sitcom also follows his cellmate [[Characters of Porridge (TV series)#Lennie Godber|Lennie Godber]], a naïve inmate from [[Birmingham]] serving his first sentence, whom Fletcher takes under his wing. Each episode's story focuses on their time in prison and the various issues they endure while serving their prison sentences.

While both Fletcher and Godber are the show's main characters, the series features two major supporting characters, both [[prison officer]]s. The first is [[Characters of Porridge (TV series)#Mr Mackay|Mr Mackay]], a tough and austere Scotsman with a clear dislike of Fletcher, with whom he often comes into conflict (and by whom he is often surreptitiously mocked). 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.

==Cast==
{{See also|List of Porridge characters}}

===Main cast===
{{div col}}
* [[Ronnie Barker]] as [[Norman Stanley Fletcher]]
* [[Fulton Mackay]] as [[Principal officer]] Mr MacKay
* [[Richard Beckinsale]] as Lennie Godber
* [[Brian Wilde]] as [[Prison officer]] Mr Henry Barrowclough
* [[Peter Vaughan]] as "Genial" [[Characters of Porridge (TV series)#Harry Grout|Harry Grout]]
* [[Sam Kelly]] as "Bunny" Warren
* [[Tony Osoba]] as [[Characters of Porridge (TV series)#Jim McClaren|Jim McLaren]]
* [[Michael Barrington]] as Geoffrey Venables (the Governor)
* [[Christopher Biggins]] as [[Characters of Porridge (TV series)#Lukewarm|Lukewarm]]

{{div col end}}

===Recurring cast===
{{div col}}
* [[David Jason]] as [[Blanco Webb]]
* [[Ken Jones (actor)|Ken Jones]] as [[Characters of Porridge (TV series)#'Horrible' Ives|Bernard "Horrible" Ives]]
* [[Patricia Brake]] as [[Ingrid Fletcher]]
* [[Maurice Denham]] as [[the Honourable Mr Justice Stephen Rawley]]
* [[Brian Glover]] as [[Cyril Heslop]]
* [[Ronald Lacey]] as [[Characters of Porridge (TV series)#Harris|Harris]]
* [[Paul McDowell (actor)|Paul McDowell]] as Mr Collinson
* [[Ray Dunbobbin]] as Evans
* [[Dudley Sutton]] as Reg Urwin
* [[Philip Madoc]] as Williams
* [[Alun Armstrong]] as Spraggon
* [[David Daker]] as Jarvis
* [[Eric Dodson]] as Banyard
* [[Peter Jeffrey]] as Napper Wainwright
* [[John Dair]] as Crusher
* [[Paul Angelis]] as Navy Rum
* [[Philip Jackson (actor)|Philip Jackson]] as Melvin 'Dylan' Bottomley
* [[Jane Wenham (actress)|Jane Wenham]] as Mrs Dorothy Jamieson
* [[Madge Hindle]] as Mrs Hesketh
* [[Cyril Shaps]] as Jackdaw

{{div col end}}

The programme's scriptwriters appear, uncredited, outside Fletch and Godber's cell in the episode "No Peace for the Wicked". Ronnie Barker had suggested the part of Lennie Godber for [[Paul Henry (actor)|Paul Henry]], but the decision to cast Richard Beckinsale was taken by the production team.

==Production==
===Development===
[[File:St-albans-prison-gatehouse.jpg|thumb|The frontage of the former [[St Albans]] Prison was used as the fictitious H.M. Prison Slade in Cumberland. The building is now a [[register office]].]]
''Porridge'' originated with a 1973 project commissioned by the BBC ''[[Seven of One]]'', which would see [[Ronnie Barker]] star in seven different [[Sitcom|situation comedy]] pilot episodes. The most successful would then be made into a full series.<ref>Webber, pp. 3–4.</ref> One of the episodes was "Prisoner and Escort", written by [[Dick Clement]] and [[Ian La Frenais]] about a newly sentenced habitual criminal, [[Norman Stanley Fletcher]] (Barker), being escorted to prison by two warders: the timid Barrowclough ([[Brian Wilde]]) and the stern Mackay ([[Fulton Mackay]]). It was broadcast on 1 April 1973 on [[BBC2]].<ref>Webber, p. 10.</ref> Despite Barker's initial preference for another of the pilots, a sitcom about a Welsh [[Problem gambling|gambling addict]], "Prisoner and Escort" was selected. It was renamed ''Porridge'', a British slang term for a prison sentence from the 1950s;<ref name=Term/> Barker, Clement and La Frenais actually came up with the same title independently of each other.<ref>Webber, pp. 8, 19.</ref>

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. Struggling to think up plots and humour for such a downbeat, confined environment, a particular phrase used by Marshall – "little victories" – struck a chord and convinced them to base the series on an inmate who made his daily life in prison more bearable by beating [[The Establishment|the system]], even in trivial ways.<ref>Webber, pp. 13–14.</ref>

The BBC was forced to look around for locations because the [[Home Office]] refused permission for any production filming inside or outside a real prison. Instead the main gatehouse of the disused [[St Albans]] prison (in the town's Victoria Street) was used in the opening credits. Exteriors were first filmed at a [[psychiatric hospital]] near [[Watford]]. However, after the completion of the second series, the hospital withdrew permission for more filming following complaints from patients' families. Another institution near [[Ealing]] was then used for the third series.<ref>Webber, pp. 30–32.</ref> Scenes within cells and offices were filmed at the BBC's London studios, but for shots of the wider prison interior, series production designer Tim Gleeson converted an old water tank, used at [[Ealing Studios]] for underwater filming, into a multi-storey set.<ref>Webber, pp. 26–27.</ref>

The first episode, "New Faces, Old Hands", was aired on [[BBC1]] on 5 September 1974, attracting a television audience of over 16 million, and receiving positive reviews from critics.<ref>Webber, p. 40.</ref> Two further series were commissioned, as well as two [[Christmas special]] episodes. The final episode of ''Porridge'', "Final Stretch", was broadcast on 25 March 1977.<ref>Webber, p. 123.</ref> The producers and the writers were keen to make more episodes, but Barker was wary of being "stuck with a character" and also wanted to move on to other projects, so the series came to a close.<ref>Webber, pp. 45, 67.</ref> Barker did, however, reprise his role as Fletcher in a sequel, ''[[Going Straight]]'', which ran for one series in 1978. A [[Porridge (film)|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.<ref>{{cite news |
date=17 October 2003 |
title=Porridge star back for TV special |
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/3200404.stm |
publisher=BBC |
access-date=22 March 2011}}</ref>

===Locations===
The prison exterior in the title sequence is the old St Albans prison gatehouse and [[HM Prison Maidstone]], which was also featured in the BBC comedy series ''[[Birds of a Feather (TV series)|Birds of a Feather]]'' (HMP Slade is referred to in ''Birds of a Feather'' when the protagonists' husbands are imprisoned there after reoffending in Series 7). The interior shots of doors being locked were filmed in Shepherds Bush police station – the BBC had a good relationship with officers there. 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 road|A505]] to [[Royston, Hertfordshire|Royston]]. The barred windows approximated a prison. The building has since been demolished.

The 1974 episode "A Day Out", which features a prison work party, was filmed in and around the Welsh village of [[Penderyn, Rhondda Cynon Taf|Penderyn]], the prisoners' ditch being excavated by a [[Backhoe|JCB]]. [[Loftus Road]], the home of [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers Football Club]], was briefly featured in "Happy Release", standing in for [[Elland Road]] in Leeds.

In the episode "No Way Out", Fletcher tries to get MacKay to fall into a tunnel in a tarmac area, these outside shots were filmed at [[St Bernard's Hospital, Hanwell|St Bernard's Hospital]] in West London, the barred windows in this case being those of the hospital pharmacy. The interior shots for the 1979 film were shot entirely at [[HM Prison Chelmsford]], [[Essex]].

===Titles and music===
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.<ref>Webber, pp. 27–28.</ref> 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. Title music was thought unsuitable for a show set in prison, so instead there is a booming narration (voiced by Barker himself) given by the presiding judge passing sentence on Fletcher:

{{Cquote|Norman Stanley Fletcher, you have pleaded guilty to the charges brought by this court, and it is now my duty to pass sentence. You are an habitual criminal, who accepts arrest as an occupational hazard, and presumably accepts imprisonment in the same casual manner. We therefore feel constrained to commit you to the maximum term allowed for these offences; you will go to prison for five years.}}

For series 1, the narration is 'clean' (i.e. no effects) and plays in one complete piece. For series 2 and 3, it is broken down by sentence into three sections and has an echo effect added to increase the gravity of the 'judge's' words, with each of the three sentences followed by shots of locking various doors around the 'prison' with key locking sound effects.

Subsequently, Barker is reported to have said that he regretted recording himself as the judge,{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}} a role subsequently played by [[Maurice Denham]] in two episodes of the third series.

The theme music for the closing credits was written by [[Max Harris (composer)|Max Harris]], who had also written the theme music for numerous other TV shows, including ''[[The Strange World of Gurney Slade]], The Gold Robbers'' and ''[[Doomwatch]]'', and would go on to arrange the theme for ''[[Open All Hours]]'' (which was written by Joseph Ascher), another of the [[Seven of One]] pilots. The cheery theme was "deliberately at variance with the dour comedy"<ref>{{cite news |
date=25 March 2004 |
title=Max Harris |
url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/max-harris-755496.html |
publisher=BBC |
access-date=22 March 2011
|location=London}}</ref> and given a [[music hall]] feel by Harris because of the lead character's [[Cockney]] origins.<ref>Webber, p. 45.</ref>

==Episodes==
{{Main|List of Porridge episodes}}
Following the pilot episode broadcast on 1 April 1973, the sitcom ran for three series between {{Start date|1974|9|5|df=y}} and {{End date|1977|3|25|df=y}}, with 20 episodes in total. Each episode was 30 minutes except for the two Christmas specials in 1975 and 1976.

==Sequels==

===''Going Straight''===
{{main|Going Straight}}
A sequel to ''Porridge'', ''Going Straight'', was aired between 24 February and 7 April 1978. Beginning with Fletcher's release from prison on [[parole]], it follows his attempts to "go straight" and readjust to a law-abiding life. Richard Beckinsale reprised his role as Godber, now the fiancé of Fletcher's daughter Ingrid (Patricia Brake), and the couple married in the final episode. [[Nicholas Lyndhurst]] also featured as Fletcher's gormless son, Raymond. The series lasted six episodes, and generally was not as well received as its predecessor, although it did win two [[British Academy Television Awards|BAFTAs]], for Best Situation Comedy and Best Light Entertainment Performance (jointly with ''[[The Two Ronnies]]'') for Ronnie Barker.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bafta.org/awards-database.html?year=1978&category=Television&award=Situation+Comedy | title=Situation Comedy 1978| work=Bafta.org | access-date=23 March 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bafta.org/awards-database.html?year=1978&category=Television&award=Light+Entertainment+Performance | title=Light Entertainment Performance 1978| work=Bafta.org | access-date=23 March 2011}}</ref>

===''Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher''===
{{main|Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher}}
On 29 December 2003, a [[mockumentary]] follow-up to ''Porridge'' was broadcast on [[BBC Two]]. It looked back on Fletcher's life and how the various inmates of Slade had fared 25 years after Fletcher's release from prison. Warren is now a sign painter, Lukewarm is married to Trevor, McLaren is an [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|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.

===''Porridge'' (2016)===
{{main|Porridge (2016 TV series)}}
On Sunday 28 August 2016, a one-off sequel to the original series, also titled ''Porridge'', was broadcast on BBC One. It starred [[Kevin Bishop]] as Nigel Norman Fletcher, Norman Stanley Fletcher's grandson, serving five years in prison for computer-hacking.

The special was written by the original creators and writers of ''Porridge'', Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. It gained praise from both viewers and TV critics, with many calling for a full series to be made.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/porridge-fans-ask-more-servings-8730040 |title=Porridge fans ask for more servings |last1=Watts |first1=Halina |date=29 August 2016 |website=Daily Mirror |access-date=6 October 2016 }}</ref> The overnight ratings showed an estimated 4.4 million people had watched it.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37213042 |title=ITV's Victoria reigns over BBC's Are You Being Served? and Porridge revivals
|author= |date=5 September 2016 |website=BBC News |access-date=6 October 2016 }}</ref> Following the success of the initial episode, in October 2016 the BBC announced that a full series of six episodes had been commissioned, with production to start in January 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37573364 |title=Porridge and Motherland earn full series on BBC
|author= |date=6 October 2016 |website=BBC News |access-date=6 October 2016 }}</ref> The full series was released online on 6 October 2017 on the [[BBC iPlayer]] as well as starting a six-week run on prime-time BBC1 on Fridays.

==International adaptations==
An American version entitled ''[[On the Rocks (U.S. TV series)|On the Rocks]]'' (1975–76) ran for a season, while a Dutch version ''Laat maar zitten'' (a pun: the title has several meanings, like "Don't mention it" and "Let it be", but in this case it can also be interpreted as "Let them do time") ran from 1988 to 1991; later episodes of the Netherlands version were original scripts, the series also had a very successful Portuguese remake entitled ''Camilo na Prisão'' ("Camilo in Prison").

==In other media==
===Film adaptation===
{{main|Porridge (film)}}
Following the example of other sitcom crossovers, such as ''[[Dad's Army]]'', ''[[Steptoe and Son]]'' and ''[[The Likely Lads]]'', a feature-length version of ''Porridge'' was made in 1979. Barker again starred as Fletcher, and most of the supporting cast also returned. Unlike the television series, it was actually filmed at a real prison as HMP Chelmsford was temporarily vacant following a fire.

===Novelisations and audio===
Novelisations of the three series of ''Porridge'' and the film were issued by BBC Books, as well as an adaptation of ''Going Straight''. BBC Enterprises released an LP record featuring two ''Porridge'' episodes, "A Night In" and "Heartbreak Hotel" in 1977.(REB 270) Two volumes of audio cassette releases ('Porridge' and 'More Porridge') comprising four episodes each, including the two episodes from the vinyl release, were issued in the mid-1990s, and later re-released on CD. A third volume of four episodes ('A Third Helping') was released on cassette in 2002.

===Stage show===
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. [[Peter Kay]], a fan of the show, was previously offered the role but turned it down. It opened in September 2009 to positive reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/25526/porridge|title=Porridge |publisher=The Stage|access-date=22 October 2011}}</ref>

===Related publications===
Ronnie Barker was the author of ''Fletcher's Book of Rhyming Slang'' (Pan, 1979), which includes an introduction by 'Fletch'.

==Home releases==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Title
!rowspan="2"|Year
!colspan="2"|Release date
|-
!Region 2
!Region 4
|-
|Complete Series 1
|1974
|1 October 2001
|27 February 2003
|-
|Complete Series 2
|1975
|30 September 2002
|9 March 2004
|-
|''[[Porridge (film)|Porridge: Film]]''
|1979
|14 April 2003
|13 May 2002
|-
|Complete Series 3
|1977
|29 September 2003
|8 July 2004
|-
|Complete Specials
|1975–1976
|4 October 2004
|10 November 2004
|-
|Complete Series
|1974–1977
|19 October 2009
|5 March 2008
|-
|The Complete Collection (HMV Exclusive)
|1974–1977
|4 November 2013
|N/A
|-
|}

==Reception==
===Popularity with prisoners===
''Porridge'' was immensely popular with British prisoners. [[Erwin James]], an ex-prisoner who writes a bi-weekly column for ''[[The Guardian]]'' newspaper, stated that:

{{cquote|What fans could never know, however, unless they had been subjected to a stint of Her Majesty's Pleasure, was that the conflict between Fletcher and Officer Mackay was about the most authentic depiction ever of the true relationship that exists between prisoners and prison officers in British jails up and down the country. 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.}}

He also noted:

{{cquote|When I was inside, ''Porridge'' was a staple of our TV diet. In one high-security prison, a video orderly would be dispatched to tape the programme each week. If they missed it, they were in trouble.}}

===Contributions to the English language===
The script allowed the prisoners to swear without offending viewers by using the word "[[wikt:naff|naff]]" in place of ruder words ("Naff off!", "Darn your own naffing socks", "Doing next to naff all"), thereby popularising a word that had been virtually unknown and the first recorded use of which was in 1966.<ref>naff. ''a'', Oxford English Dictionary, Draft Revision June 2003</ref> Ronnie Barker did not claim to have invented it and in a television interview in 2003 it was explained to him on camera what the word meant, as he did not have a clue.

A genuine [[neologism]] was "nerk", which was used in place of the more offensive "[[wikt:berk|berk]]". "Berk" has changed meaning since its inception and is generally used now to mean "fool" while the original rhyming slang meaning refers to [[female genitalia]] (via 'Berkshire Hunt'). Another term was "scrote" (presumably derived from [[scrotum]]), meaning a nasty, unpleasant person.

==See also==
* ''[[Birds of a Feather (TV series)|Birds of a Feather]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Women in Prison (TV series)|Women in Prison]]'' (1987)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Webber, Richard (2005). ''Porridge: The Complete Scripts and Series Guide''. London: Headline Book Publishing. {{ISBN|0-7553-1535-9}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|Porridge}}
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/p/porridge_66600460.shtml BBC Comedy Guide]
* {{BBC programme}}
* [http://www.ronniebarker.com/porridge/ RonnieBarker.com on Porridge]
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sitcom/advocate_porridge.shtml 100 Greatest Sitcoms: ''Porridge'']
* {{IMDb title|0071036|Porridge}}
* {{Screenonline TV title|462748|Porridge}}
* [http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/porridge/index.html ''Porridge''] at British TV Comedy
* [http://www.porridge.org.uk/ ''Porridge'': The Unofficial Homepage]
* {{British Comedy Guide|tv|porridge|Porridge}}
* [http://media.guardian.co.uk/bbc/story/0,,1585220,00.html Erwin James (prisoner) article on ''Porridge'' in ''The Guardian'']

{{Porridge}}
{{BAFTA TV Award for Best Situation Comedy 1973–1980}}
{{Clement and La Frenais}}

[[Category:1974 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:1977 British television series endings]]
[[Category:1970s British sitcoms]]
[[Category:1970s prison television series]]
[[Category:BBC prison television shows]]
[[Category:BBC television sitcoms]]
[[Category:Television series by BBC Studios]]
[[Category:British crime comedy television series]]
[[Category:English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Television shows adapted into films]]
[[Category:Television shows adapted into novels]]
[[Category:Television shows adapted into plays]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Cumbria]]

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Porridge (1974 TV series)