Porridge was immensely popular with British prisoners. Erwin James, an ex-prisoner who writes a bi-weekly column for The Guardian newspaper, stated that: Along with the festive offerings on the platform, there are some brilliant drama to be enjoyed on the platform. A Sharply scripted comedy of character and wryly observed social change both series held a perceptively laughter gilded mirror to the changing face of the work-deprived industrial North East and of British society during the middle nineteen-sixties and early seventies.

Production [ edit ] Development [ edit ] 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. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christmas_television_episodes_and_specials_in_the_United_Kingdom Steptoe and Son - Take either of the episodes where they plan a foreign holiday as they're both hilarious and use the same basic plot, seemingly, but subvert expectations. Ever Decreasing Circles one of the best series finale in all of UK TV. The earlier one with Paul's party is great too, but this one is a lovely send off for Martin and Ann. Mr Barrowclough is given the job of escorting Fletcher to hospital, although he finds the very edgy Fletcher's grumbling a dampener on his day. At the hospital, a young nurse gives Fletcher a "Christmas card", which turns out to be a fake passport for Tommy Slocombe. Grouty also asks that Fletcher and Godber help with the choir, but also insists that Fletcher provides him with a bicycle.It turns out that the Governor is feeling ill with an upset stomach, and has to keep running to the toilet. Urwin, the new trusty, comes in with the Governor's cup of tea. As the Governor is making another visit to the toilet, Urwin reveals his plan. He produces a gun and takes Barrowclough and the Governor's secretary, Mrs Jamieson, hostage. A welcome DVD release for this series of seven single comedies featuring the many faces of Ronnie Barker. As well as highlighting Barker's extraordinary comic range (and providing an early screen outing for David Jason) the series was the genesis of not one but two much-loved British sitcoms. Meanwhile Fletch, has plans of his own for Christmas, namely getting himself a stay in the prison hospital for Christmas. As a family we will also always drop everything and sit down and shut up to watch (weird to say this now the Queen has left us) the King's speech.

No Way Out" is the first Christmas special of the BBC sitcom Porridge. It first aired on 24 December 1975. [1] In this episode, prisoner Tommy Slocombe makes an escape attempt in the lead-up to Christmas. The main storylines of the sitcom focus on its central character, Norman Stanley Fletcher, a man from Muswell Hill, London. Fletcher, described as "an 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 Category C prison in Cumberland, to serve a prison sentence for his latest crime. The sitcom also follows his cellmate 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. ITV's Victoria reigns over BBC's Are You Being Served? and Porridge revivals". BBC News. 5 September 2016 . Retrieved 6 October 2016.Subsequently, Barker is reported to have said that he regretted recording himself as the judge, [ citation needed] a role subsequently played by Maurice Denham in two episodes of the third series. 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. My family watches TV a lot in general, but somehow we see very little if anything over Christmas. No idea why. Hugely successful series from Granada TV that started in 1957 as a fortnightly live sitcom, which was moved to a weekly spot when it became so popular. The series followed the misfortunes of a mixed bag of army conscripts. Webber, Richard (2005). Porridge: The Complete Scripts and Series Guide. London: Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 0-7553-1535-9