Porridge (1973)
- TV sitcom
- BBC One / BBC Two
- 1973 - 1977
- 21 episodes (3 series)
Ronnie Barker stars as Norman Stanley Fletcher, trying to keep his nose clean and guiding his young 'roomie' Godber, whilst residing in HMP Slade. Stars Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale, Fulton Mackay, Brian Wilde, Michael Barrington and more.
- Series 3, Episode 2 repeated Sunday at 12:10am on BBC4
Streaming rank this week: 1,227
Press clippings
How Porridge found laughs in a hopeless place
Porridge has been such a part of British comedy's staple diet for 50 years that it's easy to overlook its rather unusual and unfunny situation.
Greg McKevitt, BBC, 4th September 2024Porridge celebrated via Royal Mail stamps
A set of eight special Royal Mail stamps are being released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of prison sitcom Porridge.
British Comedy Guide, 29th August 2024The 50 best TV comedies of all time - ranked
From cult classics to sitcom royalty, we've assembled the definitive list of TV comedy greats - but has Mrs. Brown's Boys made the grade?
Michael Hogan, The Telegraph, 20th June 2024'Great sitcoms are missing from our TV screens and our lives - we need them in these times'
Even if "we're all doomed" under the Tories, as Dad's Army's Pte Frazer would say, shows like George And Mildred, Are You Being Served?, Robin's Nest and Three's Company still make us laugh.
Siobhan McNally, The Mirror, 24th January 2024British comedy's US disasters
As media continues to become more globally inclusive (largely thanks to the rise of streaming services) the idea of remaking anything to fit another culture is gradually becoming more of an outdated concept. But in the past, American TV producers have repeatedly tried and failed to remake many beloved British sitcoms with terrible consequences.
Jazzy Janey, The Comedy Blog, 2nd September 2023The 25 funniest Christmas comedy TV specials of all time
The comedy special is as much a part of British Christmas as a family row and mountains of sprouts. This year, comedy shows from Motherland and The Detectorists to Mrs Brown's Boys and Ghosts are returning with festive specials to round off 2022. To celebrate, we countdown the greatest 25 Christmas comedy specials of all time.
Tom Fordy, The Telegraph, 23rd December 2022The greatest Christmas TV moments of all time ranked
The greatest Christmas TV moment of all-time is the Only Fools And Horses 'Batman and Robin' episode.
A poll of 2,000 adults who celebrate Christmas found the hilarious moment from 1996 where Del Boy and Rodney unknowingly prevent a crime - while dressed as the dynamic duo - is top of the tree.
Jake Penkethman, The Sun, 30th November 2022BBC Four to repeat comedy classics
To link in with the celebrations of 100 years of the BBC, from Saturday 22nd October BBC Four will begin broadcasting classic episodes of sitcoms and sketch shows.
British Comedy Guide, 14th October 2022The re-evaluation game: Porridge - A Night In
The whole thing is shot through with melancholy in a manner which we rarely see in sitcoms these days, and while I can't say it's a series that I'm any more passionate about given its questionable elements, having rewatched this episode it's certainly given me more respect for it.
Alex Finch, Comedy To Watch, 7th July 2021Legendary sitcom producer/director Sydney Lotterby dies
Producer and director Sydney Lotterby, whose credits include Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Porridge, The Liver Birds and As Time Goes By, has died at the age of 93.
British Comedy Guide, 30th July 2020