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

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During the 1970’s festive editions of popular sitcoms were very popular, with both BBC and ITV running festive editions of their most popular sitcoms. Porridge was no exception. The Desperate Hours” is a less festively-themed, more seriously-styled but still extremely funny episode. It turns out that Urwin has been up for psychiatric evaluation several times, but each time refused. Sutton – still dark-haired and relatively young here – gives a very sympathetic performance, portraying a man at his last ebb and clearly out of his depth, but still potentially very dangerous. Because it's Porridge, there's never any sense that anyone's in any real danger, but the tension still ratchets up at times. The jokes are never very far away, though, most of it at Barraclough's expense. Before this he was always characterised as well-meaning and a bit naïve, but here that pushes over into incompetence, particularly when he botches the hostage protocols by drugging the wrong coffee. The Vicar of Dibley is being re-shown on the BBC at the moment but why not indulge in this festive treat from the village as Geraldine Granger (Dawn French) and her parishioners put on a nativity play. The BBC was forced to look around for locations because the Home Office refused permission for any production filming inside or outside a real prison. Instead the main gatehouse of the disused St Albans prison (in the town's Victoria Street) was used in the opening credits. Exteriors were first filmed at a psychiatric hospital near Watford. However, after the completion of the second series, the hospital withdrew permission for more filming following complaints from patients' families. Another institution near Ealing was then used for the third series. [6] Scenes within cells and offices were filmed at the BBC's London studios, but for shots of the wider prison interior, series production designer Tim Gleeson converted an old water tank, used at Ealing Studios for underwater filming, into a multi-storey set. [7]

BAFTA nominated eight-part drama series based on Winston Churchill's enforced political exile during the 1920s and 1930s, starring Robert Hardy and an all-star cast Following the example of other sitcom crossovers, such as Dad's Army, Steptoe and Son and The Likely Lads, a feature-length version of Porridge was made in 1979. Barker again starred as Fletcher, and most of the supporting cast also returned. Unlike the television series, it was actually filmed at a real prison as HMP Chelmsford was temporarily vacant following a fire. Porridge was immensely popular with British prisoners. Erwin James, an ex-prisoner who writes a bi-weekly column for The Guardian newspaper, stated that:A genuine neologism was "nerk", which was used in place of the more offensive " berk". "Berk" has changed meaning since its inception and is generally used now to mean "fool" while the original rhyming slang meaning refers to female genitalia (via 'Berkeley Hunt'). Another term was "scrote" (presumably derived from scrotum), meaning a nasty, unpleasant person. Webber, Richard (2005). Porridge: The Complete Scripts and Series Guide. London: Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 0-7553-1535-9 I know it's not strictly a sitcom but it had some funny moments, I want to give a mention to last year's Mortimer & Whitehouse's Gone Christmas Fishing special. I thought it was magnificent. If you’re a quiz fan, then why not test your knowledge on all things Christmas movies hosted by comedian Alan Carr.

My family watches TV a lot in general, but somehow we see very little if anything over Christmas. No idea why. Domestic sitcom about a work-shy husband and his sex-starved, upwardly aspiring but ultimately frustrated wife. It turns out that the Governor is feeling ill with an upset stomach, and has to keep running to the toilet. Urwin, the new trusty, comes in with the Governor's cup of tea. As the Governor is making another visit to the toilet, Urwin reveals his plan. He produces a gun and takes Barrowclough and the Governor's secretary, Mrs Jamieson, hostage.

Boxsets

A welcome DVD release for this series of seven single comedies featuring the many faces of Ronnie Barker. As well as highlighting Barker's extraordinary comic range (and providing an early screen outing for David Jason) the series was the genesis of not one but two much-loved British sitcoms. The episode is considered to be one of the best Christmas specials ever to have graced the small screen.