Porridge is a British situation comedy broadcast on BBC1 from 1974 to 1977, running for three series, two Christmas specials and a feature film also titled Porridge. Written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, it stars Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale as two inmates at the fictional HMP Slade in Cumberland. "Doing porridge" is British slang for serving a prison sentence, porridge once being the traditional breakfast in UK prisons. The series was followed by a 1978 sequel, Going Straight, which established that Fletcher would not be going back to prison again. Porridge was voted number seven in a 2004 BBC poll of the 100 greatest British sitcoms.
Porridge (1974) is a comedy series that premiered on September 5, 1974, spanning 3 seasons and 18 episodes. It stars Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale, Fulton Mackay and Brian Wilde. Viewers rate it 8.1 out of 10 across 56 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Porridge before you start streaming.
Ronnie Barker
as Norman Stanley Fletcher
Richard Beckinsale
as Lennie Godber
Fulton Mackay
as Mr. Mackay
Brian Wilde
as Mr. Barrowclough
Average viewer score of 8.1/10 from 56 ratings.
It's hard to believe that there were only ever twenty episodes of this classic British comedy ever made. Ronnie Barker ("Fletch") is fantastic as the habitual criminal sent to Her Majesty's Prison "Slade" - perched in the northern reaches of England - for five years. His cellmate is the honest, but supremely naive "Godber" (Richard Becksinsale) and the series depicts their antics surviving the authoritarian regime…
Reviewed on February 23, 2022
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Porridge (1974) is available to stream on Foxtel Now and BritBox Amazon Channel. Availability comes from JustWatch data and varies by country.
Porridge has 3 seasons and 18 episodes in total, starting from its premiere on September 5, 1974.
No. Porridge is marked as ended, with the final episode airing on March 25, 1977.
Porridge (1974) stars Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale, Fulton Mackay and Brian Wilde. The full cast list with character names is available in the cast section of this page.
Porridge (1974) is rated 8.1 out of 10 from 56 viewer votes, and suits viewers who like comedy series. Reviews from viewers are collected further down this page.
The official Porridge trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly in your browser.
