** Porridge - The Complete Series (DVD) **

All my family are big Ronnie Barker fans. I am just young enough to remember most of the Porridge episodes when I was a child and they were first broadcast. We decided to buy the complete series on DVD last year. Currently the series can be bought from Amazon for just under £26.

Remarkably the series was only made between 1974 - 1976 so had a much shorter run than Ronnie Barker's Open All Hours seies. But perhaps Porridge seems like it lasted longer because it is so funny and well put together. Both Open All Hours and Porridge came out of Ronnie Barkers 7 of 1 series of one of comedies on different subjects. But as we know 2 of those supposed one offs turned into 2 of the finest British comedies of all time.

Porridge is all about the fortunes of one Norman Stanley Fletcher a loveable criminal and his life in prison. There is a constant battle between Norman to get one over on the prison guards especially the wonderfully stern Mr Mr Mackay while avoiding the attention of the powerful crime lord Harry Grout better known as Grouty.

I think the balancing act of Norman played by Ronnie Barker walking this constant tight rope of trying to get one up on the "screws" while keeping out of the way of major villains is brilliant. In some episodes Norman is the father figure to other younger inmates especially the brilliantly played Lennie Godber by Richard Beckinsale.

I saw an interview with Ronnie on TV once and he said originally he thought Porridge should be like Seargent Bilko in prison. However he let himself be led by the writers and team into doing a much grittier portrayal of prison life to bounce the comedy off. good job he did too. Porridge is just superb. Look out for appearances by well known faces in some episodes like David Jason and Christopher Biggins.

The DVD set came on 4 disks and also included the Christmas Specials as well as all three of the series. I prefer watching the 30 minute episodes on DVD instead of when they repeat them on TV as some of the dialogue is cut on TV because it is not politically correct. Pathetic of the TV companies I know but that is the sad state of the television at the moment. So if you want the undiluted proper versions while making like Norman Stanley Fletcher and sticking a proverbial two fingers up to the powers that be treat yourself to this fantastic set of DVD's.

Thanks for reading my review.
Mike xx