Porridge (TV series) Essex. The opening credits consist of outside shots of Slade prison and of several doors and gates being closed and locked, which was intended to set the scene for the programme. In the first series, there were also shots of St Pancras railway station, which was changed in subsequent series to shots of Fletcher walking around Slade prison. Title music was thought unsuitable for a show set in prison, so instead there is a booming narration (performed by Barker himself) given by the presiding judge passing sentence on Fletcher: Subsequently, Barker is reported to have said that he regretted recording
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