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 (2016 TV series) and a deep respect for Fletcher. For the one-off special, Colin McFarlane portrayed the character of The Judge, who sentences Fletcher for his crimes. Much like in the original series, the narration given in the opening titles, is voiced by McFarlane. In March 2016, it was announced that a sequel pilot to "Porridge" would air as part of the BBC's "Landmark Sitcom Season", starring Kevin Bishop as Norman Stanley Fletcher's grandson and written by the original writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. After the success of the pilot, in October 2016, BBC One commissioned the show for a full