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 (2016 TV series) series which went into production in January 2017. The show contains a number of affectionate references to the original series. For instance, the character of Joe Lotterby is named after Sydney Lotterby, a British TV producer and director, who was involved with producing the original series. Seven episodes of "Porridge", all written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, were produced for the BBC. The show began airing on 28 August 2016 and ended on 10 November 2017. All episodes had a running time of 30 minutes. Porridge (2016 TV series) Porridge is a British television sitcom, starring Kevin Bishop,