Ian La Frenais
- 88 years old
- English
- Writer
Press clippings Page 2
Network confirms Likely Lads screening event
Network Distributing has announced a special screening of the Likely Lads film, plus two newly recovered episodes, and a Q&A with writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.
British Comedy Guide, 13th February 2019Clement & La Frenais pen new play for Soho Theatre Christmas run
Celebrated comedy writers Clement & La Frenais have penned a new play based on the rock and roll memoir I Was Bono's Doppelganger, to be performed at Soho Theatre over Christmas.
British Comedy Guide, 23rd July 2018New version of Porridge ends after one series
The new version of Porridge has finished after one series. The BBC says they have no plans to film any more episodes.
British Comedy Guide, 22nd February 2018Likely Lads: Melancholy masterpiece of a TV theme tune
Rodney Bewes, who died this week, will forever be remembered for the sitcom which captured the mood of the 70s - as did La Frenais and Hugg's evocative intro music.
Alexis Petridis, The Guardian, 22nd November 2017Porridge revival is as thin as cold greul
Kevin Bishop does a good job as Nigel Fletcher, grandson of the original Fletch, immortalised by Ronnie Barker. He makes the Fletch trademarks -- the eye-roll, the sideways grimace -- look like family traits. But the whole production feels as fake as a glass diamond. One look tells you this isn't the real thing.
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail, 16th October 2017Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais have opted to replicate the gentle humour of their original comedy rather than update it, but they're sailing perilously close to the fluffy and cliched here. Tonight's story involves the switching of cakes, one belonging to Fletch (Kevin Bishop), the other - baked with magic mushrooms - to the jail's cartoon heavy. When an officious new staff member helps herself to the latter, zero hilarity ensues. Viewing through rose-tinted glasses may be wise.
Sharon O'Connell, The Guardian, 13th October 2017TV review: Porridge, Episode 2, The Cake, BBC1
You know what? I still think it's an odd decision to reboot this classic, but this second episode isn't too bad at all.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 13th October 2017Porridge, revived, is sadly thin gruel. Oh, it's fine enough, and a good cast, and Kevin Bishop is great as Norman Stanley Fletcher's cheeky-chappie grandson Nigel. But sainted writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais are eightysomething, surely, and it shows. As soon as Cyrano de Bergerac was mentioned (by Mark Bonnar, nicely channelling Fulton Mackay), I could just hear something like "doesn't he play for Spurs?" Sure enough... "Didn't he used to play for Watford?" Cue orgasmic studio audience laughter, and the non-joys of being 15 all over again.
Euan Ferguson, The Guardian, 8th October 2017Porridge review - send for the sitcom police!
The original Porridge creators return with a weak, watery throwback to the Ronnie Barker classic. This isn't a sequel, it's a forgery ... bang 'em up this instant.
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian, 7th October 2017Preview - Porridge
If this show has one thing going for it, it's that the original writers, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, are still writing it, but they will never been able to fill the gap left by the late Ronnie Barker.
Ian Wolf, On The Box, 6th October 2017