Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Softwing Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Theo Robertson PORRIDGE is one of the most fondly remembered TV shows Britain has ever produced . It never hit the heights of comedy genius that John Cleese and Connie Booth managed with FAWLTY TOWERS but scriptwriters Ian La Frenais and Dick Clement managed to craft a character driven comedy set in a British prison with an excellent cast of comedy actors . This is the film version of the television show released almost two years after the final episode was broadcast What is striking is that how much this film version emulates the television comedy . The colourful characters are true to form with the bossy arrogant Mr Mckay , the naive Mr Barraclough , the prison Mr Big Grouty , the sneaky Ives , the posh educated Banyard , and the two protagonists who carried the show Lenny Godber and Norman Stanley Fletcher . Perhaps the biggest disappointment from the cast is the lack of on screen scary black Scotsman Mclaren due to scheduling difficulties involving Tony Osoba It's difficult to graft a strong plot onto a character driven comedy and a plot involving a prison breakout is perhaps a too obvious plot but at least the writers tried . Up until the escape we're kept amused by the snappy one liners the show was renowned for . It also contains some abrasive bitchy dialogue that sounds totally natural : " I bet if we brought Michael Parkinson and the Goodies you wouldn't have held them for questioning ? " " Probably not . But you didn't did you ? "All in all this is an effective film adaptation of a classic British sit-com

Simon sadly cant put an 11 rating of this film as it certainly deserves it. This is a spin off from the TV series and only the name and characters are the same. The plot, unlike other sitcoms-turned-movies like Steptoe, Dads Army and Are You Being Served, is completely new.Brief outline as here is no way I'm going to spoil it for anyone. Barker is the lovable rogue Fletch and he has been put in charge to arrange a football match in order for another con to escape. The jokes are fresh, the story is fresh and the characters are fantastic. This deserves Oscars for performance, script and direction.Catch this on DVD. Its well worth the money and the time to watch it.

nmk2002uk Finally got this on disk the other month. And it was worth the wait. As an avid Porridge and Ronnie Barker fan, I thought the film done justice to a really funny series. Other movie spin offs have been mundane(On the Buses, for example), but this one was well written and well acted. Starring the original cast from the series (apart from Christopher Biggins), it continued Norman Stanley Fletcher's fight against the system. Even though it did contain a couple of jokes from the program, its a mere overlook to a really funny film. Even Fletcher with his little scams (McKays teeth bein gone example) have trasferred well to the big screen version. This is one film you wouldn't want to do time!

hacker-9 "Porridge" the movie was made some time after the last episode had been completed-some time, in fact, after the sequel "Going Straight" had been shown. This does not deter at all from the fun, and as TV spin-offs go, this rates as one of the best; due almost entirely to the quality of the original characters from the timeless BBC comedy series. Ronnie Barker was never better than when he assumed the mantle of our anti-hero Norman Stanley Fletcher; aided in no small way by outstanding character support- the wonderful Fulton Mackay as his strutting nemesis Prison Officer Mackay, coupled with the genial Barroclough (Brian Wilde) and a menacing Peter Vaughan as Grouty. Add to this the poignancy of seeing Richard Beckinsale in his last film appearance before his tragically early death at 31 a few weeks after the film's completion and it becomes clear that the film, although no masterpiece in itself, should be treasured keenly by all who value British comedy at its best.