Porridge - The Christmas Specials [1975] [1976] [DVD]

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Novelisations of the three series of Porridge and the film were issued by BBC Books, as well as an adaptation of Going Straight.

The first is Mr Mackay, a tough and austere Scotsman with a clear dislike of Fletcher, with whom he often comes into conflict (and by whom he is often surreptitiously mocked). The full series was released online on 6 October 2017 on the BBC iPlayer as well as starting a six-week run on prime-time BBC1 on Fridays. The prison exterior in the title sequence is the old St Albans prison gatehouse and HM Prison Maidstone, which was also featured in the BBC comedy series Birds of a Feather (HMP Slade is referred to in Birds of a Feather when the protagonists' husbands are imprisoned there after reoffending in Series 7). Sci-fi fans should check out this intriguing drama in which androids bring up human children on a planet. Filled with the cream of British comedy actors and superbly written and directed, each of these became a national institution and continues to find new generations of fans.In this episode, we discover the governor (Michael Barrington) is a staunch teetotaller, with a zero tolerance approach to alcohol on prison premises. Porridge originated with the BBC's 1973 project Seven of One, which would see Ronnie Barker star in seven different situation comedy pilot episodes. With Christmas only weeks away now, many are getting into the jovial Christmas spirit and looking for entertainment on their TV screens. It could be however, that due to the choir singing the same four carols over and over, that he has memorised the lyrics as he is not seen reading from the book itself. Despite Barker's initial preference for another of the pilots, a sitcom about a Welsh gambling addict, "Prisoner and Escort" was selected.

Just a few are Hercule Poirot’s Christmas … The two Porridge Christmas Specials which are just perfection … At least one Royal Family Christmas Special … the 1971 Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show … a QI Christmas Show ( with Stephen Fry ) … a Only Fools and Horses Christmas show . The pick-up goes without a hitch, which is more than can be said for Slocombe's surreptitious escape plan. The other is Mr Barrowclough, Mackay's empathetic, progressively minded subordinate, who is prone to manipulation by his charges because of his well-meaning character and principles. The episode is considered to be one of the best Christmas specials ever to have graced the small screen.Goodnight Mister Tom and Die Hard are two musts and we'll always stick The Snowman on if we notice it's on when we're just scrolling through the tv guide. I have to watch the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special every year its so good and just sums up a perfect family Christmas. Ronnie Barker was the author of Fletcher's Book of Rhyming Slang (Pan, 1979), which includes an introduction by 'Fletch'. With this in mind, Fletch plans to put himself in the infirmary, where a prisoner can put his feet up and expect a little special treatment. As Fletcher points out, the Christmas choir only exists so that it can drown out the sound of Tommy Slocombe's tunnelling, his escape attempt scheduled for Christmas Eve.