Porridge (TV series) Porridge (TV series) Porridge is a British sitcom, starring Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale, written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and broadcast on BBC One from 1974 to 1977. The programme ran for three series, and included two Christmas specials and a feature film of the same name (in the United States, the film was released under the title "Doing Time"). The sitcom focuses on two prison inmates, Norman Fletcher (played by Barker) and Lennie Godber (played by Beckinsale), who are serving time at the fictional HMP Slade in Cumberland. The show's title is a reference to both
Porridge (TV series) the traditional breakfast that used to be served in British prisons, and the British slang for serving a prison sentence - "Doing porridge". "Porridge" was critically acclaimed and is widely considered to be one of the greatest British sitcoms of all time, with it being ranked No. 35 on the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes compiled by the British Film Institute in 2000. In 2004 "Porridge" placed seventh in a poll to find Britain's Best Sitcom. The series was followed by a 1978 sequel, "Going Straight", which saw Barker reprise his character as he tries to avoid going back to