Prison comedy Porridge officially first class

The Royal Mail is celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the iconic BBC TV prison comedy Porridge with a new series of stamps issued today (29 August).

The eight stamps include memorable quotes and scenes featuring some of the most popular characters in the sitcom, including Fletcher, Godber and Mr Mackay

First broadcast by the BBC in 1974, Porridge has become a beloved comedy classic and named for the barely edible gruel traditionally served for breakfast in British prisons, Porridge follows the exploits of worldly-wise jailbird Norman Stanley Fletcher and his rookie cellmate Lennie Godber as they come face to face with the reality of imprisonment.

Surrounded by petty crooks and prison officers, including the fiercely strict Mr Mackay and simpering do-gooder Mr Barrowclough, the pair manage to stay sane thanks to Fletcher’s philosophy of ‘little victories’ – finding any way to beat the system and retain their human dignity.

Written by one of the most successful writing teams in sitcom history, long-standing collaborators Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, Porridge was the ideal vehicle for its star, Ronnie Barker as the wily survivor Fletch.

Starring with Barker were Richard Beckinsale as lovable, hapless Godber, with Fulton Mackay and Brian Wilde as two very different but equally memorable ‘screws’. With some 16 million viewers tuning in to the very first broadcast, Porridge ran for three series plus a big-screen adaptation and a sequel series, Going Straight. 

David Gold, Royal Mail director of external affairs and policy, said: “Porridge continues to resonate with audiences even after five decades thanks to the quality of the writing and the characters the cast brought to the screen. These stamps celebrate British television creativity that is timeless and enduring.”

Dick Clement said: “Ian and I told Ronnie that we had come up with the perfect title for the series. He said he had too. We let him go first. ‘Porridge’, he said. We stared at each other and laughed. That was our title too.” 

Ian La Frenais said: “So it was agreed with Ronnie and ourselves that we would write a comedy set in prison. In the interests of research Dick and I visited Wormwood Scrubs, Wandsworth and Brixton, after which we decided that there was absolutely no way a series about Porridge could ever be funny.”