Doing Porridge
This is one e of my absolute all time favourite comedies, with a brilliant cast of comedy characters, top notch actors and excellent scripts.Norman Stanley Fletcher is in all likelihood the least possible candidate for a comic icon, and prison one must imagine would be the last location ever chosen. TV executives would be horrified at the very notion of it, let's face it what corporation in the States would be likely to sponsor such an idea?
Porridge marks what must be in many ways Ronnie Barker's signature comedy master class as the old lag Fletcher.
Richard Beckinsale was perfect as the young cellie Lennie Godber, naive and serving his first stretch. It was a desperately tragic loss when he passed away especially at such a tender age.
Fulton Mackay is the Chief Prison Warden Mr. Mackay personified, severe and authoritarian.
Brian Wilde is splendid as Mr. Barrowclough the Prison Warden, who believes in prisoners rehabilitation rather than punishment.
There is also a marvellous assembly of support actors and characters, with many of Britain's best character actors.
David Jason plays an old lag Blanco in sadly only a cameo appearance popping up in just 3 episodes. His disguise was so good that I honestly didn't recognise him at all.
Christopher Biggins is Lukewarm
Sam Kelly is Bunny Warren
Tony Osoba is McLaren
Brian Glover is Heslop
Peter Vaughan is genial Harry Grout Slade prison Mr. Big
When Fletcher finally decided to jack in his life of crime there followed Going Straight, something that I and mine really enjoyed, but more anon.
The really Bad idea from the Beeb was for the complete relaunch of the show, set 40 years after Fletcher finished his last stretch. Whether or not its written by the original script writers, I found it impossible to even bother to watch the first episode. After the pilot episode Auntie made a full series which they claimed was a great success, so why did they cancel it? Exiting new series in the pipeline yeah right.
score 9/10
ygwerin1 20 February 2019
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4676538/14487
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