The Desperate Hours (Porridge) The Desperate Hours (Porridge) "The Desperate Hours" is the second Christmas special of the BBC sitcom "Porridge". It first aired on 24 December 1976. In this episode, Fletcher and Godber are in trouble for brewing liquor in the lead-up to Christmas, but are caught up in a hostage situation in the Governor's office. It is nearly time for Christmas, and Fletcher has been making wine for the prisoners of Slade Prison. The Governor, who is strictly teetotal, has a zero tolerance on illicit drinking in Slade Prison. After Mr Barrowclough fails to discover alcohol in Fletcher and Godber's cell, Fletcher
Porridge (TV series) him at times. The other is Mr Barrowclough, a far more sympathetic and timid prison officer and Mackay's subordinate, who is more prone to manipulation by his charges because of the nature of his character. The programme's scriptwriters appear, uncredited, outside Fletch and Godber's cell in the episode "No Peace for the Wicked". Ronnie Barker had suggested the part of Lennie Godber for Paul Henry, but the decision to cast Richard Beckinsale was taken by the production team. "Porridge" originated with a 1973 project commissioned by the BBC "Seven of One", which would see Ronnie Barker star in seven different