Porridge: Difference between revisions

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Named for the then slang for being imprisoned (Doing Porridge) Porridge is a prison comedy that aired on [[The BBC]] between 1973 and 1977 with three seasons, two Christmas specials and [[The Movie|a film.]] Set in the fictional Slade Prison it starred [[The Two Ronnies|Ronnie Barker]] as Fletcher, a career criminal, and Richard Beckinsale as Godber, a naive new boy. The plot centered around the prisoners attempts get things past the prison wardens (the stern Mr Mackay and the soft Mr Barrowclough mostly), avoid trouble with the Prison Governor (who thinks he runs the place) and avoid the wrath of Harry Grout (an East End gang boss who really does).

** Also possibly a case of [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]], since "naff" was originally, in gay slang, an acronym of "not available for fucking".

* [[How Many Fingers?]]:

'''Godber:''' You can't fool me, sir. Five. }}

* [[It Tastes Like Feet]]

* [[Military Moonshiner]]: Or prisoner moonshiner in this case.

* [[Moral Dissonance]]: Blanco, a kindly older prisoner who insisted for years that he was innocent of murdering his wife, later telling Fletcher it was his wife's lover who had actually done it. As he's now paroled, Fletcher tells him not to go looking for revenge, but Blanco replies that he's long dead, and he should know.

* [[The Movie]]: aka ''Doing Time'' in the U.S. Made in 1979, featuring the same cast and writers but with no BBC involvement. Not as well-received as the series, though not as bad as some TV spinoffs. This was Richard Beckinsale's last performance before his untimely death.

* [[No Theme Tune]]: The opening is the top-of-the-page quote (voiced by Barker as the judge) over a locking-the-prisoners-up montage. There is a closing theme tune.