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Highly Overrated But Still Good

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

For a sitcom, 'Porridge' was a brave move. After all, a prison setting is not one in which you would expect to find laughs. However, as it turned out, 'Porridge' has had more than its fair share of that. Quite simply, it is an absolute gem of a show.'Porridge' first started as an episode of Ronnie Barker's seven part pilot series 'Seven Of One' entitled 'Prisoner & Escort', broadcast on April 1st, 1973, written by Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais and starring alongside Barker Fulton MacKay as obnoxious Principal officer McKay and Brian Wilde as kindly prison officer Barrowclough. 'Prisoner & Escort' featured Barker as Cockney criminal Norman Stanley Fletcher, who is sentenced to five years imprisonment at Slade Prison for theft. The pilot was so successful that it was later turned into a series, with the title being changed to 'Porridge'. Both Fulton MacKay and Brian Wilde returned to their posts. Richard Beckinsale was brought in to play Fletcher's naive cell mate Lennie Godber. Beckinsale gelled with Barker. In the first episode, 'New Faces, Old Hands', Fletcher showed Godber the ropes regarding prison survival. Over the course of the three series, Fletcher became a father figure to the lad.Other regular characters included the effeminate prison chef Lukewarm ( Christoper Biggins ), Scots born West Indian McLaren ( Tony Osaba ), slimy 'Orrible Ives ( Ken Jones from 'The Squirrels' ) and dim-witted Warren ( the late Sam Kelly ). Michael Barrington made occasional appearances as prison Governor Mr. Venables, as did sexy Patricia Brake as Fletcher's busty daughter Ingrid.My favourite episodes included 'A Storm In A Teacup' in which Fletcher tries to replace drugs that have gone missing from the Medical Officer's room. In 'No Peace For The Wicked', Fletcher finds it impossible to get peace and quiet from his fellow inmates, 'Men Without Women' saw Fletcher try to help out his inmates with their marital problems but the best one of all was 'Just Desserts' in which a tin of pineapple chunks goes missing from Fletcher's cell. Clement and La Frenais had wrote sitcom before in the '60's with 'The Likely Lads' but here their talent really shines through. Ronnie was born to play hardened lag Fletcher. Richard Beckinsale made a brilliant sidekick for Fletcher. When Beckinsale died of a heart attack in 1979, aged only 31, the country was shocked. Max Harris supplied the show's bouncy theme tune.In 1978, a short lived sequel was made - 'Going Straight' - which saw Fletcher try to adapt to life on the outside again after being released from prison. Although gaining respectable viewing figures, many found it hard to take to Fletcher no longer behind bars and after one series was brought to an end. In 1979, a successful feature film was made which alas turned out to be one of Richard Beckinsale's last acting roles.'Porridge' was, by turns, funny, sad and moving. A true television classic. Fortunately, it has not diminished at all with the passage of time.

This is a stellar sitcom par excellence!! The late Barker was never better and was more than ably supported by a brilliant cast of supporting actors. Worthy of special mention is the late, great Richard Beckinsale and Fulton Mackay also sadly deceased. Clement and LeFrenais have rarely been bettered as writers and the quality never drops over 3 series. I don't know whether America ever saw this but it rates alongside the best of their best.I love American series like Frasier, Friends, King of Queens and Ellen but Porridge is the best to come out of Britain - only "Only Fools and Horses" comes close. How sad that so many of the wonderful cast are now no longer with us. Ronnie Barker was/is the best comic actor I have ever seen, with timing so immaculate that the jokes make me roar even when I know what's coming. That , dear readers, is real talent and great writing. USA viewers should beg, borrow or steal the DVDs for joyful consumption.

This show is without a doubt one of the funniest comedies ever made and it easily passes the test of time because the jokes do not date. The funniest line has to be this sequence between McKay (the head guard) and Fletcher. McKay: "Just don't let me catch you cheating" Fletcher: "I won't" McKay: "You won't what?" Fletcher: "I won't let you catch me!"

I don't like this sitcom. It seems everybody else does, though. I find the gags are too obvious and I hardly laughed at all when watching it on T.V. It's a very old-fashioned style sitcom that probably only older folk will enjoy. The best comedy of all time is Only Fools And Horses. Without doubt! Oh and by the way, David Jason is in this series as Blanco. Check out the make-up! 4/10