Characters of Porridge (TV series) episode Mackay asks Fletcher whether he felt he was working class. Fletcher responds 'I did, until I visited Glasgow. Now I think I'm middle class.' Mackay appears in the first episode of "Going Straight", where it is revealed he has left Slade Prison after reaching the compulsory retirement age for prison officers. During the series Mackay regularly wore his army service ribbons on his uniform. During the run of the series he wore the General Service Medal 1918-1962, the Korea Medal, and the UN Korea Medal. For the film this was inexplicably expanded to an additional row containing the 1939-1945
Porridge (TV series) and offices were filmed at the BBC's London studios. But for shots of the wider prison interior, series production designer Tim Gleeson converted an old water tank, used at Ealing Studios for underwater filming, into a multi-storey set. The first episode, "New Faces, Old Hands", was aired on BBC One on 5 September 1974, attracting a television audience of over 16 million, and receiving positive reviews from critics. Two further series were commissioned, as well as two Christmas special episodes. The final episode of "Porridge", "Final Stretch", was broadcast on 25 March 1977. The producers and the writers were keen