Porridge- The Complete - Series 1-3 & The Christmas Specials [1979]

True it is quite old and not a visual feast, but the plot/jokes/acting easily compensate for that.

IF you like British comedy in any form at all, this is for you.


Brimful of wit and Barker's long diatribes.   November 19, 2000
20 out of 24 found this review helpful

Clement and La Frenais are two of the most prolific, commercially successful and funny contributors to British television situation comedy and comedy drama, but their excursions onto the big screen have been of variable quality. Their feature film version of the earlier TV series "The Likely Lads" was a poor relation of its small screen origins and suffered from the regular malaise of such projects - the inability to sustain a half-hour entertainment format for thrice that time period. Clement and La Frenais seemed to have learned from that experience, as this film very nearly succeeds where so many efforts have fallen woefully short. Much of the credit must go to Barker's faultless performance as the cynical seasoned lag, and his ability to sustain the interest in his character and his humour throughout. In fact, his role is pivotal to the comic element of both the film and the TV series - virtually all the oral humour comes from his utterances and his philosophies of life (both within and outside of prison), and from his reactions to the circumstances on which the sitcom is based. Although the support playing is strong, the humour of the other characters arises wholly from Barker's reaction to and interaction with them. But the film also succeeds because the writers have resisted the temptation of complicating the plot (or attempting to cram the story-lines from three TV programmes into the action), but instead have utilised the fairly basic plot to expand the dialogue, which is as brimful of wit and Barker's long diatribes and anecdotes as the originating TV series. As a result, devotees of the television version should not be disappointed by the feature film, which retains all the qualities which gave rise to its merited popularity.


A brilliant tribute to a classic comedy series...   October 12, 2001
16 out of 21 found this review helpful

Unlike a lot of 70's tv comedy spin-off movies, Porridge succeeds in capturing the essence of what made the original show so great. The main characters are all given a fair amount of screentime in this movie - in particular Fulton Mackay is just as superb as he was in the series. Barker and Beckinsale are comedy legends who never fail to make me laugh...
It's great to see top dog, Grouty, making an appearance in the movie too...
Overall, a brilliant comedy movie based on a legendary British comedy series.


Classic British comedy at it's best   August 24, 2000
4 out of 8 found this review helpful

Based on the hugely successful TV show, this film spin off of the cult prison comedy stars all of the cast character favourites including Ronnie Barker as Fletcher and Richard Beckinsdale as his hapless sidekick Godber.

After years of being stuck behind bars, Fletcher accidently finds himself out and has to hatch a cunning plan to get himself back inside.


Big Screen Little Film Big Laughs   January 24, 2007
A. Marczak (Didcot)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

After 3 successful series of Porridge and a couple of Christmas specials, it was no surprise that they made a film too. The comparison is interesting for various reasons. The cast has thankfully been kept almost completely in tact ( a different governor, for example, and no Blanco Webb), and Grouty gets a proper run out for once. The set is suddenly far more expansive, and the close quarters that we are used to in the TV show are sacrificed for big open plan set pieces.

The plot sees a concussed Godber and reluctant Fletch trying to get back into prison after a rumbled escape bid. The jokes are plenty (although some very familiar to an aficionado), and the lack of laugh track is confusing to begin with. But stick with it, as it is a lot of fun, and if course Fletch's bum lands in the butter in the end!