Porridge
Doing time at HMP Slade
Porridge is a British sitcom written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, following the daily life of habitual criminal Norman Stanley Fletcher as he serves a five-year sentence at the fictional HMP Slade in Cumberland. Ronnie Barker stars as the wily, world-weary Fletcher, who navigates prison life with cynical wit while taking his naive young cellmate Lennie Godber under his wing. The pair are pitted against the stern principal officer Mr Mackay and the softer, more sympathetic Mr Barrowclough. Born from a 1973 pilot in the anthology series Seven of One, the show is celebrated for its warm characters and sharp scripts, and is regularly ranked among Britain's finest sitcoms.
Start QuizSeries Stats
Available Quizzes
How well do you know Fletcher's time inside HMP Slade? Test yourself on this prison classic.
The inmates and officers of HMP Slade, from Godber to Grout. A quiz for true fans.
Memorable moments and storylines from Fletcher's sentence at Slade.
Main Cast
Ronnie Barker
as Norman Stanley Fletcher
Richard Beckinsale
as Lennie Godber
Fulton Mackay
as Mr Mackay
Brian Wilde
as Mr Barrowclough
Peter Vaughan
as 'Genial' Harry Grout
David Jason
as Blanco Webb
Awards & Recognition
BAFTA Award for Best Situation Comedy (1975 and 1977)
Placed seventh in the BBC's Britain's Best Sitcom poll (2004)
Adapted into a 1979 feature film and the sequel series Going Straight