Norman Stanley Fletcher, a career criminal, and his escorts – soft-hearted Mr Barrowclough and authoritarian Mr Mackay – make the journey on New Years Eve from London up to Slade Prison in Cumberland. One of seven different sitcom pilots commissioned by the BBC in 1973 ("Seven of One") starring Ronnie Barker. The plan was that the most successful would then be made into a full series. One of the episodes, "Prisoner and Escort", written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, is this. Despite Barker's initial preference for another of the pilots, a sitcom about a Welsh gambling addict, "Prisoner and Escort" was selected. It was renamed Porridge, a slang term for prison; Barker and Clement and La Frenais actually came up with the same title independently of each other.
“Twenty-three and you want to go straight? What kind of talk is that? You've got your whole life in front of you!” It's Godber's first time in prison, and Fletch is going to teach him the ways.
Ives is such a loser that if Elizabeth Taylor had triplets, he'd be the one in the middle on the bottle. But there's no way he's going to be left out of Fletch's gambling enterprise.
Fletch explains to Godber that the best way to cope with his first night in prison, is to see it as just a "quiet night in". Trouble is, Godber's got another 698 to go.
The rest of the working party are thrilled to have a day out, but Fletch is masking indifference - what's so exciting about digging a ditch anyway?
Who would want to spend eight hours a day sewing fishing nets? Not Fletch, who is hell-bent on a cushy job in the library.
Fletch fancies himself as a bit of an agony aunt and is called upon by his fellow inmates to help out with affairs of the heart.
There's an outbreak of petty pilfering from the inmates in Slade prison. Fletcher is disgusted - after all, stealing may be a job on the 'outside', but it's despicable when it happens 'inside'.
Godber gets bad news from his girlfriend. Fletcher tries to provide help and advice, but perhaps daughter Ingrid might provide a more suitable solution to Godber's problems
When Mr Mackay leaves Slade Prison, Fletcher thinks that "happy days are here again". Until, that is, he meets Mr Mackay's replacement.
It's Saturday afternoon and Fletcher looks forward to a quiet read. Everyone else seems to have other ideas about how Fletcher should be spending his time.
Fletcher is having a spell in the prison hospital with a broken ankle. He's sharing a ward with old Blanco, who tells him that another inmate has swindled him out of his belongings in a crooked card game. Fletcher hatches a plan to recover Blanco's belongings and to take revenge on the culprit.
Godber takes up boxing and wins a place in the prison championship, so Fletcher sees a chance for a bit of a flutter. Then Harry Grout takes an interest and insists that the fight is 'fixed'. When one of Grout's rivals takes a similar interest in Godber's opponent, it looks as if nobody can win. Fletcher, however, has other ideas.
In his innocence, Godber is looking forward to Christmas, but Fletch just wants a quiet sojourn in the prison hospital. As he says: "there's one big event round here, it's not the coming of the Lord - it's the tunnelling of Tommy Slocombe". Just as Fletcher's 'old knee injury' wins him a trip to the local civilian hospital for a full check up and x-ray, genial Harry Grout decides to call in a favour.
Christmas behind bars might not be so bad. Fletcher and Godber have spent months fermenting their illicit cell-brew liquor "Chateau Slade" and it is ready for tasting. But things are about to take a turn for the worse - Mackay has discovered the brew and then they find themselves caught up in psychotic Reg Unwin's attempt to take Mr Barraowclough hostage. Will Fletch be the hero of the day - even if it means helping out a 'screw'?
When a bottle of pills goes missing from the Doctor's surgery, Harry Grout is worried that investigation of the theft by the prison authorities will jeopardise some of his activities. Grout insists that Fletcher must find the pills and return them before the warders can take action.
Fletcher's new cellmate turns out to be the judge who sentenced him to five years in Slade Prison.
Fletcher is worried that Judge Rawley might rob him of his main source of income - writing letters for illiterate inmates.
Old Blanco is doing time for the murder of his wife. He still swears he wasn't guilty. Now he's up before the Parole Board and it looks as if he's sure to be released. Blanco surprises everyone by turning down parole when it's offered to him. He explains that, if he accepts parole, he'll also be admitting that he was guilty of a crime for which he was wrongly convicted. He insists that he'll only leave prison if he's offered a full pardon. Fletcher comes up with a plan to help him.
Godber is working hard for an extra O-level. Fletcher tries to persuade him that cheating would be a good way of ensuring success in the examination. Godber isn't convinced.
Godber is due to appear before the parole board, but a fight with another inmate puts his parole in jeopardy. It's up to Fletcher to save the day.
This prison comedy is based on the popular British televison series of the same name. Long time Slade prison inmate Fletcher (Ronnie Barker) is ordered by Grouty (Peter Vaughan) to arrange a football match between the prisoners and an all-star celebrity team. Fletcher is unaware that the match is only a diversion so that an escape can take place. When Fletcher and his cell mate Lennie (Richard Beckinsale) stumble on the escape, they are taken along, and find themselves having to break back into prison to avoid getting into trouble.
Johnny Vaughan argues the case for Porridge in BBC Britian's Best Sitcom: "'Porridge' is set in the grimmest place imaginable - a prison. And yet still manages to be both gritty and witty". "Why? The scripts of course… and it doesn't hurt that Fletcher - the most brilliant sitcom creation of all time - is played by the comedy guvnor himself Ronnie Barker". "Fletch laid down the template for comedy rogues which Del Boy and 'Fools and Horses' followed shamelessly. David Jason even studied Ronnie Barker on the set of 'Porridge'". "And who could be a better comedy foil for Barker than doe-eyed innocent Richard Beckinsale. The pair made episode 'A Night In' the best ever two-hander to ever appear in a British sitcom". "'Porridge' is rich, satisfying, and packed with goodness. Never past its sell-by date, and guaranteed no artificial additives like labyrinthine plots, rubbish title music and stereotypical nagging wives."
Cast and crew look back at the classic 1970s BBC sitcom Porridge (1974), which starred Ronnie Barker as a wily Cockney prisoner
Spoof documentary looking at the life of Normal Stanley Fletcher, the star of 1970s sitcom Porridge played by Ronnie Barker. Featuring fictional footage and interviews with the character's family, friends and associates, the film documents Fletcher's chequered career.
Forty years on from the original series, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais present a brand new half hour episode of the classic sitcom Porridge. Kevin Bishop plays Fletch, grandson of Ronnie Barker's iconic character, who is in prison for cyber crimes and getting himself into more trouble while he is in there.
John Noakes (and Shep) of the children's show Blue Peter interview Ronnie Barker and cast on the set of Porridge
Ronnie Barker looks back on the classic sitcom.
