Porridge (2017) User Reviews

Tasteless and Stale

[ygwerin1 · 4/10 · 27 July 2020]

While looking for an alternative TV Comedy, I decided to check out TV Gold and saw Porridge.

Mistakenly I assumed it was the original TV series, which is one of my absolute all time favourite shows.

But it turned out to be the latest programme, so I thought I'd give it a go.

I don't know how this excruciating garbage ever got a Pilot Episode, let alone commissioned into a regular show.

At the very least Auntie finally called time after just 1 Series, a heartfelt relief for all us fans of the original show.

And the dear departed Ronnie Barker, can finally have peace, and stop spinning in his grave.

Should never have been made.

[Foxtrot-Alpha777 · 1/10 · 5 January 2020]

The original was superb, a classic, a perfect example of good writing And great acting by perfectly cast actors. This is the polar opposite.

I need to be honest I didn't make it to the end, is was so bad it was unwatchable if you have seen the original. Even if you had not seen the original I don't think it works as a comedy, it's lame and dated.

2 minutes was way too much

[stevesharonwilletts · 1/10 · 27 December 2019]

I've seen 2 minutes of this pathetic remake. Why oh why would anybody want to make a remake of the wonderful Porridge with the late great Ronnie Barker. His comedy timing was impeccable. As for this rubbish, you certainly can't call it comedy, the timings were late and it certainly was not impeccable. I've just wasted 2 minutes of my life and BBC I'll forgive you!!!!!!

It wasn't that bad.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 11 October 2017]

We get introduced to Norman Fletcher, he's in Prison for internet fraud. And like his famous relative Fletch is on the make. Firstly I liked Kevin Bishop as Fletch, he had a cheeky chappy vibe going on, and was very likable. I thought the script was rather good, a couple of laughs, some nice characters including the new guards Meekie and Braithwaite. Mark Bonnar's character Meekie was rather good and will develop I'm sure. I think there was perhaps a little too much emphasis on copying the classic show like for like, a Scottish guard, a soft guard etc, but all in all I liked it, and am glad a full series was commissioned. As with all new sitcoms the overbearing canned laughter was way to much.

Fletch for a new generation can't be bad. 7/10

What was the point?

[Aroura64 · 2/10 · 20 February 2019]

I need not make any further comment about this remake of an iconic sit-com, other than a pilot episode was made as part of a celebration of great British sit-coms. I'm just wondering where the sense was in making a whole series, which nobody wanted or asked for?

Enjoyed it!

[jeanwinchester · 10/10 · 8 October 2017]

I don't know what the problem was with the poor professional reviews and the haters. People seem stuck in the past and determined to find fault. I'm 65 and I thought the writing was brilliant and once I got past the first episode, I watched them all back to back on the BBC website. Perhaps I *am* easy to please but I thought it funny and lovingly created. There were just enough differences to make it new for 2017 and yet just enough similarity to appreciate the old 70s sitcom. Yes, we know dear old Ronnie was a comedy genius but I thought many of the actors did a fine job. I certainly didn't even recognize the one who plays the copper on Doc Martin! And the huge tough one with the beard? What comic timing! *And* there were touches of genius about this one as well. When the Scotsman sang? And the expression on the woman guard's face? And did I say that I thought the writing was funny? Bravo. Give us another six, please. Oh, and for God's sake...Goodnight Sweetheart as well.

Pleasantly surprised.

[davbat2000 · 7/10 · 27 October 2017]

Generally I prefer the classics to be left alone, and this is a little dated in its format and of course no prison was ever like it.

But there was enough to make me smile and laugh a few times. The thing I do dislike is Kevin Bishops delivery, its too reminiscent of Ronnie Barker and I understand why, I just find it annoying.

Is this some sort of sick joke?

[markqpr2000 · 1/10 · 27 January 2019]

I just can't comprehend people rating this poor excuse of a comedy higher than 1. I love the original porridge. It didn't force the jokes and the characters were believable, but the remake is just a travesty. Do yourself a favour. Don't watch this.

Very Good

[andrewmwest · 8/10 · 14 October 2017]

I was more than pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I absolutely love the original and know it inside out - I often quote from the original Porridge with friends and family (e.g. " I read a book one, Green it was"; "When I think of me going home to my wife...................Sometimes I wish I was in here with you lot"; the list goes on and on. So having read poor reviews from the luvies at the Guardian and Telegraph along the lines of it was a very poor replica, my expectations were set low. Perhaps that explains why I enjoyed it: low expectations. Bishop is excellent ; OK he is doing a bit of an impression of Fletch, but it is an excellent and convincing one and I got drawn into his character in a similar way I did with Barker's Fletch. The ensemble cast is very strong: some brilliant performances. The scene with the lad on the phone to his girlfriend with Fletch telling him what to say had me in stitches. You can never get near the original. That was absolute perfection. Consign that to history. But I felt privileged to be able to watch such a strong cast perform a script from the original writers. The indelible DNA of those two writers is evident in the dialogue and the construct of the jokes and situations, which is a bit like getting into a warm bath. Lovely to see all of this working and being brought back to life in this sitcom. More please. I will be watching it. As for the luvies, I will give them 2 fingers from Fletch through the keyhole.

Really pleasantly surprised

[dominicmoyse-30442 · 7/10 · 20 June 2023]

Firstly, this is not a remake, as this is set now and Fletch is the grandson of Norman Stanley Fletcher. Obviously it draws inspiration from the 70s sitcom, and Kevin Bishop does a fantastic impression of Ronnie Barker, which works as the similarities running in the family would be plausible. Also Mark Bonnar is brilliant too I think and looks like he revels in the role of the modern day Mackay.

It's far too easy to quickly judge this and dismiss it, as I almost did, but glad I didn't as considering the giant shadows that were cast before them and footsteps they had to fill, I think the 2 leads were an inspired choice of casting, and couldn't imagine anyone else pulling it off nearly as well.

I notice Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais are credited with writing these new episodes as well, so the humour is obviously similar, but the scripts we know are nothing without the perfect delivery and I think everyone in this series delivered.

Really impressed, and grateful that the wonderful world of Norman Stanley Fletcher and Fulton Mackay lives on.

Poor

[charlieboy-12673 · 3/10 · 17 October 2017]

Forgive me for adding a negative review to the proceedings, I am struggling to understand what people are finding funny with this show, terribly old fashioned, recycled humour that simply isn't amusing in the slightest. They've attempted to recreate Porridge, the same way in which they brought back the equally terrible Still Open all Hours. What's with trying to bring classics back? Leave them where they are Comedy Gold, surely there are enough talented writers out there to give us new comedy shows?

Absolutely god awful

[mckenziemaintenance · 1/10 · 10 June 2021]

One of the all time great British sitcoms totally ruined , weak comedy , poor acting, such a shame as could of been so much more.

Terrible

[logger6713 · 1/10 · 22 March 2021]

An insult to the original and its cast.

Script x Humour x Acting x Quality x

In summary, don't bother.

Fletch's Dad played by Nick Lyndhurst

[sramachandran-19175 · 7/10 · 17 April 2019]

Pity it was axed, was looking forward to Raymond Fletcher (Going Straight), Fletch's dad in future episodes.

Once polished scripts,now polish turds...

[lastdayrulessurvivor · 1/10 · 3 February 2022]

I'm not going to spend any amount of time on this and neither should you.. This is written by the original writers, I can only assume they ran out of ideas back in the 80s as their grip on modern humour is zero, even tho they obv have researched modern tech and lingo.. Still feels outdated tho. Terrible rubbish. Terrible writers (now). Once these guys polished scripts to perfection.. Now they polish turds.

Very amusing and pleasant viewing

[stephenjohnmay · 10/10 · 1 December 2017]

What is it with people knocking this series? I thought it was fantastic, yet all I heard from critics and friends alike were moans of 'can't touch the original' and 'makes of a mockery of the genius of Barker' etc. You know what? I bet Mr Barker would have loved it.

Heart warmingly funny, genuinely amusing with great characters, it was like a step back in time. I get fed up of comedy constantly reinventing itself - funny is funny and this certainly was. It warmed my heart.

I would give it 0 if I could.

[jon_a · 1/10 · 19 March 2020]

Wonderful PC remake of a classic, female prisoner officer, female governor, plenty of African prisoners, no jokes except PC ones, an example, fletch said to someone you will be the oldest prisoner and he said no there was an axe murderer who is 86 and the canned laughter started up. To sum up like the old show except all the humour taken out and replaced with lashings of political correctness.

Like putting on a comfortable pair of slippers

[peterlloyd98 · 8/10 · 18 November 2017]

Don't expect laugh out loud hilarity. But then there was not that much in the original. What this is - for me - is a welcome half hour of relaxation with the odd smile. No filth, no bad language, a welcome trip down memory lane. To summarise, it was like meeting a friend you haven't seen for a few years. And listening to some familiar stories. Bring on the next series.