Porridge. Image shows from L to R: Mr. Mackay (Fulton Mackay), Fletcher (Ronnie Barker), Godber (Richard Beckinsale). Copyright: BBC
Porridge

Porridge (1973)

  • TV sitcom
  • BBC One / BBC Two
  • 1973 - 1977
  • 21 episodes (3 series)

Ronnie Barker stars as Norman Stanley Fletcher, trying to keep his nose clean and guiding his young 'roomie' Godber, whilst residing in HMP Slade. Stars Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale, Fulton Mackay, Brian Wilde, Michael Barrington and more.

Episode menu

Series 1, Episode 1 - New Faces, Old Hands

It's New Year's Day, and Fletch enters Slade Prison, along with two fellow prisoners, returning resident Heslop and new boy Godber. Fletch introduces Godber to the ways of survival inside - "little victories" over the warders and other staff - although his scheming doesn't quite have the desired effect.

Broadcast details

Date
Thursday 5th September 1974
Time
8:30pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
30 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Saturday 21st November 2009 7:15pm BBC2
Thursday 11th August 2011 11:20am Gold
Thursday 11th August 2011 4:40pm Gold
Sunday 4th September 2011 6:00pm Gold
Monday 5th September 2011 12:40am Gold
Friday 14th October 2011 1:20pm Gold
Friday 14th October 2011 8:40pm Gold
Sunday 22nd January 2012 5:30pm BBC2
Sunday 18th March 2012 12:00pm Gold
Sunday 18th March 2012 6:25pm Gold
Monday 16th April 2012 9:40pm Gold
Tuesday 17th April 2012 3:00pm Gold
Wednesday 18th July 2012 1:00pm Gold
Wednesday 18th July 2012 7:40pm Gold
Monday 17th September 2012 9:00pm Gold
Tuesday 18th September 2012 12:50am Gold
Monday 22nd October 2012 12:20pm Gold
Monday 22nd October 2012 6:20pm Gold
Sunday 3rd February 2013 9:00am Gold
Monday 4th March 2013 8:20pm Gold
Tuesday 5th March 2013 12:20am Gold
Sunday 19th May 2013 6:30pm BBC2
Wednesday 29th May 2013 8:20pm Gold
Thursday 30th May 2013 12:20am Gold
Sunday 7th July 2013 9:35pm Gold
Monday 8th July 2013 6:40pm Gold
Saturday 10th August 2013 9:00am Gold
Sunday 1st September 2013 8:25pm Gold
Monday 2nd September 2013 1:35pm Gold
Thursday 5th September 2013 7:40pm Gold
Friday 6th September 2013 1:00pm Gold
Saturday 2nd November 2013 12:00pm Gold
Saturday 2nd November 2013 4:50pm Gold
Monday 13th January 2014 12:30pm Gold
Monday 13th January 2014 7:20pm Gold
Wednesday 30th April 2014 8:20pm Gold
Thursday 1st May 2014 12:15am Gold
Saturday 14th June 2014 9:40am Gold
Monday 28th July 2014 7:00pm Gold
Tuesday 29th July 2014 4:00pm Gold
Tuesday 9th September 2014 6:50pm Gold
Wednesday 10th September 2014 12:00pm Gold
Saturday 27th December 2014 4:05pm Gold
Sunday 28th December 2014 9:35am Gold
Saturday 11th April 2015 7:00pm Gold
Sunday 12th April 2015 3:20pm Gold
Friday 5th June 2015 7:00pm Gold
Saturday 6th June 2015 11:30am Gold
Wednesday 2nd September 2015 8:00pm Gold
Thursday 3rd September 2015 2:40pm Gold
Thursday 1st October 2015 10:00pm Yesterday
Friday 2nd October 2015 8:00pm Yesterday
Saturday 3rd October 2015 5:00pm Gold
Sunday 4th October 2015 10:50am Gold
Tuesday 1st December 2015 4:05pm Gold
Wednesday 2nd December 2015 9:30am Gold
Saturday 16th January 2016 3:00pm Gold
Sunday 17th January 2016 9:00am Gold
Monday 25th January 2016 8:00pm Gold
Tuesday 26th January 2016 1:20pm Gold
Thursday 3rd March 2016 11:20pm Yesterday
Friday 4th March 2016 10:00pm Yesterday
Friday 29th April 2016 7:20pm Gold
Saturday 30th April 2016 12:35pm Gold
Monday 11th July 2016 2:05pm Gold
Monday 11th July 2016 6:45pm Gold
Sunday 17th July 2016 5:00pm Drama
Monday 22nd August 2016 12:05pm Gold
Monday 22nd August 2016 6:50pm Gold
Monday 5th September 2016 7:15pm Gold
Monday 26th September 2016 10:10am Gold
Monday 26th September 2016 5:15pm Gold
Thursday 10th November 2016 10:00pm Yesterday
Friday 11th November 2016 8:00pm Yesterday
Saturday 21st January 2017 10:00pm Yesterday
Sunday 22nd January 2017 8:00pm Yesterday
Thursday 16th March 2017 7:40pm Gold
Saturday 25th March 2017 1:00pm Gold
Saturday 25th March 2017 5:20pm Gold
Monday 3rd April 2017 1:05pm Gold
Monday 3rd April 2017 6:15pm Gold
Monday 3rd April 2017 9:00pm Yesterday
Tuesday 4th April 2017 3:40pm Yesterday
Thursday 22nd June 2017 11:20am Gold
Saturday 1st July 2017 5:40pm Drama
Saturday 8th July 2017 3:20pm Gold
Sunday 9th July 2017 1:10pm Gold
Monday 10th July 2017 1:00pm Gold
Monday 10th July 2017 5:40pm Gold
Saturday 15th July 2017 10:40am Gold
Wednesday 26th July 2017 10:00pm Yesterday
Thursday 27th July 2017 3:00pm Yesterday
Thursday 3rd August 2017 12:40pm Gold
Thursday 3rd August 2017 5:20pm Gold
Wednesday 8th November 2017 3:00pm Gold
Wednesday 8th November 2017 7:00pm Gold
Monday 4th December 2017 10:40pm Yesterday
Tuesday 5th December 2017 4:40pm Yesterday
Tuesday 2nd January 2018 9:00pm Yesterday
Tuesday 3rd April 2018 11:00pm Yesterday
Wednesday 4th April 2018 9:00pm Yesterday
Tuesday 8th May 2018 1:40pm Gold
Tuesday 8th May 2018 8:40pm Gold
Wednesday 23rd May 2018 11:10pm Yesterday
Thursday 24th May 2018 9:00pm Yesterday
Thursday 21st June 2018 11:00pm Yesterday
Friday 22nd June 2018 9:00pm Yesterday
Tuesday 17th July 2018 11:00pm Yesterday
Wednesday 18th July 2018 9:00pm Yesterday
Wednesday 17th October 2018 11:00pm Yesterday
Thursday 18th October 2018 9:00pm Yesterday
Monday 3rd December 2018 11:00pm Yesterday
Tuesday 4th December 2018 9:00pm Yesterday
Tuesday 8th January 2019 10:50pm Yesterday
Wednesday 9th January 2019 9:00pm Yesterday
Wednesday 20th February 2019 1:00am Yesterday
Wednesday 20th February 2019 11:00pm Yesterday
Tuesday 16th April 2019 11:00pm Yesterday
Wednesday 17th April 2019 9:00pm Yesterday
Monday 3rd June 2019 2:20pm Gold
Monday 3rd June 2019 7:00pm Gold
Wednesday 26th June 2019 10:55pm Yesterday
Thursday 27th June 2019 9:00pm Yesterday
Monday 5th August 2019 7:10pm Gold
Tuesday 6th August 2019 6:35pm Gold
Wednesday 7th August 2019 11:10pm Yesterday
Thursday 8th August 2019 9:40pm Yesterday
Tuesday 15th October 2019 9:25am Gold
Tuesday 15th October 2019 1:55pm Gold
Tuesday 15th October 2019 5:40pm Gold
Friday 8th November 2019 2:00pm Gold
Friday 8th November 2019 6:40pm Gold
Tuesday 7th January 2020 11:00pm Yesterday
Wednesday 8th January 2020 9:00pm Yesterday
Wednesday 22nd January 2020 9:40pm Gold
Thursday 23rd January 2020 12:40am Gold
Tuesday 18th February 2020 9:00am Gold
Tuesday 18th February 2020 1:00pm Gold
Tuesday 18th February 2020 7:00pm Gold
Tuesday 3rd March 2020 10:40pm Yesterday
Wednesday 4th March 2020 9:00pm Yesterday
Saturday 14th March 2020 8:00am Gold
Tuesday 14th April 2020 11:00pm Yesterday
Wednesday 15th April 2020 9:00pm Yesterday
Thursday 28th May 2020 11:00pm Yesterday
Friday 29th May 2020 9:00pm Yesterday
Tuesday 7th July 2020 9:00am Gold
Tuesday 7th July 2020 1:00pm Gold
Wednesday 8th July 2020 7:10am Gold
Thursday 9th July 2020 11:00pm Yesterday
Friday 10th July 2020 9:00pm Yesterday
Monday 17th August 2020 11:00pm Yesterday
Tuesday 18th August 2020 9:00pm Yesterday
Monday 14th September 2020 8:00pm Gold
Tuesday 15th September 2020 1:20pm Gold
Wednesday 14th October 2020 8:40am Gold
Wednesday 14th October 2020 11:20am Gold
Wednesday 14th October 2020 3:20pm Gold
Saturday 23rd January 2021 9:35am Gold
Sunday 24th January 2021 8:30am Gold
Saturday 13th February 2021 9:40pm Yesterday
Saturday 27th March 2021 9:40pm Yesterday
Monday 29th March 2021 9:00am Gold
Monday 29th March 2021 1:40pm Gold
Monday 29th March 2021 7:00pm Gold
Tuesday 25th May 2021 11:40pm Yesterday
Wednesday 26th May 2021 9:40pm Yesterday
Monday 2nd August 2021 9:40am Gold
Monday 2nd August 2021 1:00pm Gold
Monday 2nd August 2021 6:00pm Gold
Saturday 7th August 2021 8:00pm Yesterday
Thursday 14th October 2021 11:00pm Yesterday
Friday 15th October 2021 9:00pm Yesterday
Thursday 25th November 2021 11:00pm Yesterday
Friday 26th November 2021 9:00pm Yesterday
Monday 3rd January 2022 8:55am Gold
Saturday 23rd April 2022 11:20pm Yesterday
Saturday 2nd July 2022 10:40pm Yesterday
Monday 19th September 2022 8:00pm Gold
Tuesday 20th September 2022 1:10am Gold
Monday 10th October 2022 9:30am Gold
Monday 10th October 2022 1:20pm Gold
Monday 10th October 2022 4:40pm Gold
Saturday 22nd October 2022 10:10pm Yesterday
Monday 19th December 2022 3:40pm Drama
Tuesday 10th January 2023 10:00am Gold
Tuesday 10th January 2023 2:00pm Gold
Saturday 21st January 2023 10:00pm Yesterday
Saturday 1st April 2023 10:00pm Yesterday
Monday 3rd April 2023 10:25am Gold
Monday 3rd April 2023 2:20pm Gold
Monday 3rd April 2023 7:00pm Gold
Friday 16th June 2023 6:00pm Drama
Saturday 1st July 2023 11:20pm Yesterday
Tuesday 19th September 2023 9:40am Gold
Tuesday 19th September 2023 2:20pm Gold
Tuesday 19th September 2023 5:40pm Gold
Monday 29th January 2024 10:00am Gold
Monday 29th January 2024 1:20pm Gold
Monday 29th January 2024 5:20pm Gold
Thursday 28th March 2024 10:00am Gold
Thursday 28th March 2024 1:20pm Gold
Thursday 28th March 2024 6:00pm Gold

Cast & crew

Cast
Ronnie Barker Fletcher
Richard Beckinsale Godber
Fulton Mackay Mr. Mackay
Brian Wilde Mr. Barrowclough
Michael Barrington Governor Venables
Brian Glover Heslop
Guest cast
John Bennett Medical Officer
Edward Cogdale Prison Officer
Ronald Musgrove Prison Officer
Keith Norrish Prison Officer
Writing team
Dick Clement Writer
Ian La Frenais Writer
Production team
Sydney Lotterby Director
Sydney Lotterby Producer
Geoffrey Botterill Editor
Tim Gleeson Production Designer
Max Harris Composer

Share this page

Donate to British Comedy Guide

Join us in our mission to support and promote British comedy across the decades.

Subscribe to our newsletters

Get all the latest news and information in your inbox, with our range of email newsletters to meet all interests.