Norman Stanley Fletcher, a career criminal, and his escorts – soft-hearted Mr Barrowclough and authoritarian Mr Mackay – make the journey on New Years Eve from London up to Slade Prison in Cumberland.

One of seven different sitcom pilots commissioned by the BBC in 1973 ("Seven of One") starring Ronnie Barker. The plan was that the most successful would then be made into a full series. One of the episodes, "Prisoner and Escort", written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, is this. Despite Barker's initial preference for another of the pilots, a sitcom about a Welsh gambling addict, "Prisoner and Escort" was selected. It was renamed Porridge, a slang term for prison; Barker and Clement and La Frenais actually came up with the same title independently of each other.

In his innocence, Godber is looking forward to Christmas, but Fletch just wants a quiet sojourn in the prison hospital. As he says: "there's one big event round here, it's not the coming of the Lord - it's the tunnelling of Tommy Slocombe". Just as Fletcher's 'old knee injury' wins him a trip to the local civilian hospital for a full check up and x-ray, genial Harry Grout decides to call in a favour.

Christmas behind bars might not be so bad. Fletcher and Godber have spent months fermenting their illicit cell-brew liquor "Chateau Slade" and it is ready for tasting. But things are about to take a turn for the worse - Mackay has discovered the brew and then they find themselves caught up in psychotic Reg Unwin's attempt to take Mr Barraowclough hostage. Will Fletch be the hero of the day - even if it means helping out a 'screw'?

This prison comedy is based on the popular British televison series of the same name. Long time Slade prison inmate Fletcher (Ronnie Barker) is ordered by Grouty (Peter Vaughan) to arrange a football match between the prisoners and an all-star celebrity team. Fletcher is unaware that the match is only a diversion so that an escape can take place. When Fletcher and his cell mate Lennie (Richard Beckinsale) stumble on the escape, they are taken along, and find themselves having to break back into prison to avoid getting into trouble.

Johnny Vaughan argues the case for Porridge in BBC Britian's Best Sitcom "'Porridge' is set in the grimmest place imaginable - a prison. And yet still manages to be both gritty and witty".

"Why? The scripts of course… and it doesn't hurt that Fletcher - the most brilliant sitcom creation of all time - is played by the comedy guvnor himself Ronnie Barker".

"Fletch laid down the template for comedy rogues which Del Boy and 'Fools and Horses' followed shamelessly. David Jason even studied Ronnie Barker on the set of 'Porridge'".

"And who could be a better comedy foil for Barker than doe-eyed innocent Richard Beckinsale. The pair made episode 'A Night In' the best ever two-hander to ever appear in a British sitcom".

"'Porridge' had proper villains too! No sitcom has ever had a character quite as mean as the man who really runs Slade Prison - Harry Grout. And prison officer Mackay, played to neurotic perfection by Fulton Mackay, very nearly stole the show from under the convicts' noses".

"And the show was ahead of its time. 'Porridge' had straight, black, white and gay all living together relatively harmoniously. Slade was - strangely - a tolerant utopian vision of society. Except for Grouty, that is".

"'Porridge' is rich, satisfying, and packed with goodness. Never past its sell-by date, and guaranteed no artificial additives like labyrinthine plots, rubbish title music and stereotypical nagging wives."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sitcom/advocate_porridge.shtml

Spoof documentary looking at the life of Normal Stanley Fletcher, the star of 1970s sitcom Porridge played by Ronnie Barker. Featuring fictional footage and interviews with the character's family, friends and associates, the film documents Fletcher's chequered career.