History Series / Porridge

-->'''Fletcher:''' I was saying to Jackie, too many youngsters poke fun at people 'cos they've got short legs or long legs.\\

** Fletcher steals [=McLaren=]'s orange in "Ways and Means", then is outraged when he thinks a fellow prisoner has stolen his pineapple chunks in "Just Desserts". There is also the fact that Fletcher himself stole the pineapple chunks from the prison kitchen - however, prisoners regard stealing from the prison establishment as fair game but consider stealing from each other to be a breach of their code of honour. Nevertheless, he is still indignant when he discovers that it was actually Barrowclough who took them back during a random sweep of his cell.

* MasterForger: Whilst never seen, "Inky" Stevens, described by [[LondonGangster Harry Grout]] as "the finest forger in the country", is [[BoxedCrook serving a term in Slade prison]]. He's so good that when Grouty needs to arrange an inmate's escape, he has a blank passport smuggled into Slade for Stevens to forge, rather than trust his contacts on the outside.

* BritishBrevity: 21 episodes. The show came to an end at the height of its popularity, at Creator/RonnieBarker's request.

* TheButcher: In TheMovie, Fletch warns Godber that another prisoner is "The Butcher of Eastgate".
-->'''Godber''': ''(nervously)'' "So what did he do?"\\

** Mr Mackay's neck twitch and very lopsided smile.

* BritishBrevity: 21 episodes. The show came to an end at the height of its popularity, at Barker's request.

* NoThemeTune: The opening is the top-of-the-page quote (voiced by Barker as the judge) over a locking-the-prisoners-up montage. There is a closing theme tune though.

** Despite claiming to hate all inmates, Mackay is shown to be softer on the more well behaved ones. For instance he's encouraging toward Kegan, even making him a trustee and giving him the job of serving the Governors coffee, despite him murdering his wife.

* {{Pilot}}: Porridge was one of seven pilot episodes commissioned by the BBC as a star vehicle for Ronnie Barker. Entitled "Prisoner and Escort", it saw the newly-convicted Fletcher being escorted to Slade prison by Mackay and Barrowclough. Another of the pilots, ''Series/OpenAllHours'', was also made into a full series.

* DoItYourselfThemeTune: Performed by Fletch himself, Ronnie Barker.

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Porridge_Logo.jpg]]

Named after the slang for being imprisoned ("doing porridge"), ''Porridge'' is a prison comedy that aired on Creator/TheBBC between 1973 and 1977 with three seasons, two Christmas specials and [[TheMovie a film]]. It was written by Creator/DickClementAndIan LaFrenais, who also wrote ''Series/TheLikelyLads'' and its sequel ''Series/WhateverHappenedToTheLikelyLads'', and ''Series/AufWiedersehenPet''.

Named after the slang for being imprisoned ("doing porridge"), ''Porridge'' is a prison comedy that aired on Creator/TheBBC between 1973 and 1977 with three seasons, two Christmas specials and [[TheMovie a film]]. It was written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, who also wrote ''Series/TheLikelyLads'' and its sequel ''Series/WhateverHappenedToTheLikelyLads'', and ''Series/AufWiedersehenPet''.

* ComedicWorkSeriousScene: Godber gets into an argument with another prisoner and intends to fight him. Fletcher is dead set against it as it will put time on his sentence.
'''Feltcher''': "And that girl you think is waiting for you, she won't be waiting anymore. She'll have taken up with some other fella. And he won't be you but he drinks with his boss and he plays for the right cricket team and he ain't ever been in any FLAMING NICK!"
And we realise despite his flippancy Fletcher regrets the life choices he has made and doesn't want Godber to repeat them.

* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment:

* HatesEveryoneEqually: Mackay.

* SecondFaceSmoke: Grouty blows cigar smoke in Fletcher's face, during a meeting with him.

* Harris (Ronald Lacey) - Mugged an old lady but it went wrong when he found she had a brick in her handbag and successfully pinned Harris down (sentence unknown).

Set in the fictional Slade Prison, ''Porridge'' starred Creator/RonnieBarker as Fletcher, a cynical and streetwise career criminal, and Creator/RichardBeckinsale as Godber, a naive first-time inmate. The plot centred around the prisoners' attempts to negotiate everyday life in prison and make it more bearable with "little victories" over the guards (primarily [[GoodCopBadCop the stern Mr Mackay]] (Fulton Mackay) and [[GoodCopBadCop the soft Mr Barrowclough]] (Brian Wilde)), avoid trouble with the Prison Governor (who thinks he runs the place) and avoid the wrath of Harry Grout (Creator/PeterVaughan) (an East End gang boss who really does).

* MysteryMeat: In the feature-length episode, the prison food is sometimes unknown, coming from a tin which says "tinned meat". This also happens with a tin labelled "fruit pie filling".

Set in the fictional Slade Prison, ''Porridge'' starred [[Series/TheTwoRonnies Ronnie Barker]] as Fletcher, a cynical and streetwise career criminal, and Creator/RichardBeckinsale as Godber, a naive first-time inmate. The plot centred around the prisoners' attempts to negotiate everyday life in prison and make it more bearable with "little victories" over the guards (primarily [[GoodCopBadCop the stern Mr Mackay and the soft Mr Barrowclough]]), avoid trouble with the Prison Governor (who thinks he runs the place) and avoid the wrath of Harry Grout (an East End gang boss who really does).

* Fletcher - Probably breaking and entering, although a speech that may have been a joke claims it was the theft of a lorry (five years).
* Godber - Breaking and entering (two years).
* Blanco - Wrongly convicted of murdering his wife, although in the episode "Pardon Me" he claimed he did kill his wife's lover, a crime for which he was not convicted (life sentence, had served 17 years by the time he was pardoned and released).
* "Genial" Harry Grout - Crime and sentence unknown but required extradition from Italy.
* Heslop - Robbery (three years).
* [=McClaren=] - Crime unknown (three years).
* Harris - Mugged an old lady but it went wrong when he found she had a brick in her handbag and successfully pinned Harris down (sentence unknown).
* Rawley - Three charges: "Party to criminal conspiracy, forgery of legal documents under the Forgery Act of 1913 - 1948, and accepting an illicit payment as an officer of the crown" (three years, quashed at appeal. The judge who sent Fletcher down).
* "Lukewarm" - Crime and sentence unknown but shown to be able to steal a man's watch off his wrist with a handshake.
* Bernard 'Horrible' Ives - Fraud (sentence unknown). Universally loathed.

-->'''Governor''': What about that comedian chappie - [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Tarbuck Jimmy Tarbrush]]?
-->'''Mackay''': Buck, sir.
-->'''Governor''': Yes, Buck Tarbrush.

-->'''Barrowclough''': There may be a way out of this, you see, a solution to our problem. As I'm sure you're... well aware, given your deep knowledge of the Penal Code.
-->'''Governor''': Yeeeeesss ... Refresh my memory, would you, Mr Barrowclough, please?
-->'''Barrowclough''': Well, you see, it's Subsection 23, Part 3, Paragraph D.
-->'''Governor''': Yes, D, of course, D... Jog my memory again, would you, Mr Barrowclough?
-->'''Barrowclough''': Well, as I'm sure you... know, sir...

-->'''[=McLaren=]:''' Typical. Did they find the stuff?
-->'''Fletcher:''' Course they didn’t, it was in the bottom drawer of the wardrobe. Just my way of getting the garden turned over, see. Why let Isobel do it when you’ve got twelve great big nosey coppers with spades?

-->'''Godber''': ''(nervously)'' "So what did he do?"
-->'''Fletch''': "Fiddled the V.A.T on his sausages."

-->'''Fletcher''': What're you talking about? He's one of them!
-->'''Mackay''': Precisely. And he's innocent, which proves my point.

-->'''Fletcher''': A "Dear John" letter?
-->'''Godber''': No, a "Dear Lenny" letter.

-->'''Warren''': Objection!
-->'''Rawley''': ...Well go on, Warren. What is your objection?
-->'''Warren''': ...I don't know.

-->'''Blanco:''' There was me and two brothers. There was Jack Barrett, and Harry... er...
-->'''Fletcher:''' Barrett, was it?
-->'''Blanco:''' That's right! Did you know him?
-->'''Fletcher:''' Well only through his brother, like.

-->'''Mackay''': Alright Fletcher, just don't let me catch you thieving!
-->'''Fletcher''': I won't.
-->'''Mackay''': You won't what?
-->'''Fletcher''': I won't let you catch me Mr Mackay!

--> '''Fletcher''': That's Harry Grout, he runs this nick.
--> '''Rudge''': I thought that was the governor's job.
--> '''Fletcher''': Only officially. Next time you meet him, bow, curtsy, or lick his boots if that's what he wants, all right?

--> '''Barrowclough:''' Fletcher what are you doing here?
--> '''Fletcher:''' That's what I'd like to know!

-->''(Godber bangs his head on a goalpost.)''
-->'''Mackay:''' ''(Holds up one finger)'' How many fingers am I holding up?
-->'''Godber:''' You can't fool me, sir. Five.

-->'''Fletcher:''' I was saying to Jackie, too many youngsters poke fun at people 'cos they've got short legs or long legs.
-->'''Godber:''' Who's Jackie?
-->'''Fletcher:''' ''Jackie''. Him in the hobby shop. Little fat poof with ears like jug handles.

-->'''Godber:''' You talk with your mouth full. You whistle out of tune. You snore. You spit.
-->'''Fletcher:''' How dare you! I do not whistle out of tune!

-->'''Godber:''' He's been sitting in his cell since chow, just staring at the wall.
-->'''Fletcher:''' Well, he's just had his first experience of your cottage pie. Best not to move about too much after that.

-->'''Fletcher''': Oh, here it comes, the sob story.
-->'''Warren''': No, Fletch, it's true. I couldn't read the sign.
-->'''Fletcher''': What sign?
-->'''Warren''': The one saying "Warning, Burglar alarm".

-->'''Mr Beale:''' Long to do?
-->'''Fletcher:''' Long enough.
-->'''Mr Beale:''' What are you in for?
-->'''Fletcher:''' Got caught.

--> '''[=McKay=]''': What's on the menu today, Godber?
--> '''Godber''': Meat, sir.
--> '''[=McKay=]''': What sort of meat?
--> '''Godber''': I don't know, it just says "tinned meat", sir. On the tin, like.

-->'''Godber''': I mean, we're all here for different reasons, aren't we?
-->'''Fletcher''': With respect, Godber, we are all here for the same reason... we got caught.

* PetHomosexual: "Lukewarm".

--> '''Fletcher:''' Afternoon, Mr Beale.
--> '''Mr Beale:''' How do you know my name?!
--> '''Fletcher:''' Word gets around, it doesn't take long. I expect you're already a legend on some bog walls.

-->'''Godber''': They're Fletch's. They're for his...
-->'''Fletcher/Godber''': ...nerves/...indigestion.
-->'''Fletcher/Godber''' ...indigestion/...nerves.
-->'''Fletcher''': I get this nervous indigestion. And sometimes vice versa.

-->'''Rawley''': How do you plead?
-->'''Harris''': Not guilty!
-->'''Fletch''': Oh, a liar as well as a thief!
-->'''Warren''': I object!
-->'''Rawley''': What is your objection?
-->'''Warren''' ...I dunno.
-->'''Harris''': You was objecting to the fact that I was called a liar and a thief!
-->'''Warren''': No I wasn't, we all ''know'' you're a liar and a thief.

* TheSnackIsMoreInteresting: Hilariously played with at the end of the movie-length episode of ''Series/{{Porridge}}''. After Fletcher and Godber have managed to sneak back into prison after [[ItMakesSenseInContext accidentally escaping]], [=McKay=] tells them he does not believe their alibi at all, mentioning that a farmer saw two thieves running from his apple store. Just as [=McKay=] tells them that he'll prove it one day, Fletcher and Godber glance at each other, and simultaneously bite into their stolen apples.

* PlayingGertrude: The then thirty-five year old Creator/DavidJason played the extremely elderly Blanco Webb.

** Weeksy is a member of a Manchester crime family, and is impressed that the clan is notorious enough to have a page on Wiki/TheOtherWiki.

** Nigel Fletcher, compared to his grandfather Norman Fletcher. While inheriting his quick wit and a good portion of his savvy, Nigel is young and still learning about being incarcerated, compared to his grandfather (a habitual criminal and ExperiencedProtagonist). Likewise, unlike his grandfather (who was BookDumb but very StreetSmart and a cunning manipulator), Nigel is highly intelligent, being an accomplished cybercriminal, managing to build a device to remotely hack into the system from inside his cell and even quoting Wiki/TheOtherWiki from memory. He is nevertheless a fast learner though.