Porridge

PORRIDGE. British BBC1 situation comedy between 1974-1977 which ran for three series (21 episodes), two Christmas specials and a feature film also titled Porridge. THE PLOT ; The central character of Porridge was Norman Stanley Fletcher (Ronnie Barker), described by his sentencing judge as "an habitual criminal" from Muswell Hill London. He is sent to HMP Slade, a fictional Category C prison in Cumberland alongside his cellmate Lennie Godber, a naïve inmate from Birmingham serving his first sentence, whom Fletcher takes under his wing. Mr Mackay (Fulton Mackay) is the tough warder with whom Fletcher often comes into conflict. Mackay's subordinate, Mr Barrowclough (Brian Wilde) is more sympathetic and timid – and prone to manipulation by his charges. "Doing Porridge" is British slang for serving a prison sentence. The series was followed by a 1978 sequel, Going Straight". In 2004 "Porridge" was voted No7 in a BBC Poll of the greatest ever British sitcoms.