List of Porridge characters
Porridge is a British sitcom, starring Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale, written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and broadcast on BBC1 from 1974 to 1977. The programme ran for three series and two Christmas specials, and was followed by a feature film of the same name.
The sitcom focuses on two prison inmates, Norman Stanley Fletcher and Lennie Godber, who are serving time at the fictional HMP Slade in Cumberland.
Several characters from Porridge reappear in the sequel series Going Straight and in the 2003 spoof documentary Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher. The 2016 'reboot' series of Porridge has a different cast of characters, including Nigel Norman Fletcher, grandson of Norman Stanley Fletcher in the original series.
Overview
Mr Barrowclough
Henry Barrowclough is a prison officer portrayed by Brian Wilde. Unlike Mr Mackay, whose harsh and confrontational methods he disapproves of, Barrowclough is a timid, sympathetic man who firmly believes that the role of prison is to rehabilitate rather than punish. He does not share Mackay's tough military background, having done his National Service in Royal Air Force stores in the comfortable surroundings of Singapore.Mr Barrowclough does not seem to be cut out for the life of a prison officer, and he says in the movie version whilst in conversation with a new officer that Slade prison is a "miserable place" and that the only reason he stays is that it keeps him away from being at home with his wife. Fletcher and the other prisoners constantly abuse his leniency to acquire more pleasant jobs, cells or special privileges. They also know how to forge his signature. However, despite this, the prisoners do hold a great deal of fondness for Barrowclough. At one point, in an attempt to raise his prestige due to the vicious nature of Mr. Wainwright, the temporary replacement for Mr Mackay, they stage a riot, refusing to stop for even the harshest of threats, including Wainwright himself. But when, on Fletch's suggestion, Barrowclough is called into the hall, they fall silent as he nervously enters, and do not hesitate in obeying his rather timid requests, such as, "Now, why don't you all put those things down...?" and, "In the meantime, why don't we all file back to our cells in a nice, orderly fashion...?"
However nervous his job makes Mr Barrowclough, it is nothing compared to the fear he has of his oft-mentioned but never seen wife, Alice. It is partly because of Fletcher's advice on dealing with his wife that Barrowclough is especially accommodating when dealing with his requests and misdemeanours. Fletcher once described him as looking like "Arthur Askey on stilts".
Ingrid Fletcher
Ingrid Rita Godber was played by Patricia Brake. Ingrid is Fletch's eldest child. She often visited her father in Slade Prison, oblivious to her appeal to the other inmates, much to her father's despair. It was on one of these trips that she met Fletch's cellmate Godber. Upon Godber's release the two met up, and by the time Fletch was released, three years later, the two were engaged. They were married in the final episode of Going Straight and are seen to be still married 25 years later in the spoof documentary, Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher, with one son.Norman Stanley Fletcher
Norman Stanley Fletcher was played by Ronnie Barker. Known as "Fletch", he is the main character in the series and shares a cell with Lennie Godber. A habitual criminal from north London, Fletch has previously served several terms of imprisonment.Lennie Godber
Leonard Arthur "Lennie" Godber was played by Richard Beckinsale. Godber is from Birmingham, supports Aston Villa, has an O Level in geography, and studies for a history O Level while in prison. Before he was arrested he shared a flat with his girlfriend Denise in nearby Smethwick. In an effort to help her furnish her new apartment, Godber broke into a neighbour's flat. He was caught, and it was for this that he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. Denise later broke up with Godber through a Dear John letter.Godber often came into conflict with the ever suspicious Mr Mackay, who appeared to find it very hard to believe that Lennie was not up to something. Even when he was, MacKay found it very hard to pin anything on him, thanks to Godber's penchant for dramatics, and, occasionally, to the cover-up efforts of Fletch and the sympathetic Mr Barrowclough. Godber works in the prison kitchen where he has ample opportunities to steal valuable commodities, such as butter and pineapple chunks, which Fletcher is fond of. Godber also briefly took up a career as a boxer in the prison, although this was short-lived when he became involved in match fixing.
Despite his run-ins with Mr Mackay, there were occasions where Mr Mackay was shown to be supportive of Godber due to his willingness to take part in physical activity and education, unlike Fletcher.
Godber appears in all but four episodes of Porridge. He is absent from the pilot, series 1 episodes "Ways and Means" and "Men Without Women", and series 2's "No Peace for the Wicked". In the sequel Going Straight, Godber is engaged to Fletcher's daughter Ingrid, having met her whilst she was on a prison visit. In the final episode, they get married. In the 2003 mockumentary Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher, they are still married, and have a son. Richard Beckinsale died in 1979, so Godber's absence from the mockumentary is explained by a phone call to his wife saying he was stuck in traffic.
Harry Grout
"Genial" Harry Grout, also referred to as 'Grouty', is a gangster feared by all the prisoners and by some of the guards. His schemes include running a drugs ring funded by the doctor's office and fixing boxing matches. If crossed, Grouty has little hesitation in setting one of his various heavies, such as Crusher, on those who displease him. Grouty also arranges things such as prison breaks, as seen in the Christmas special "No Way Out," in which the major plot involves his trying to arrange a breakout plan, with much help from an unwilling Fletcher. Despite his reputation, Grouty will reward those who aid him, shown when he sends Fletcher a box of Cuban cigars for Christmas for his help in the breakout plan, but he is still shown to be wary of Mr. Mackay.In the 2003 mockumentary Life Beyond The Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher, it is revealed that after being released from prison Grouty continued running his "business empire", and also became a "celebrity criminal", in a similar manner to Frankie Fraser and The Krays. He died of a heart attack, but just before he died, he told Fletcher where his stash was hidden. Fletcher is seen laying a memorial wreath at his funeral which simply says "Nerk".
Cyril Heslop
Cyril Heslop was played by Brian Glover. Heslop is prominent in Season 1 of the show and was briefly Fletcher's cellmate. He was also one of the three new arrivals, along with Fletcher and Godber, into Slade Prison in the first episode of the series, having been given three years for breaking and entering. Heslop is quite dim and slow-witted, once being described by Mr. Mackay as "thick as two short planks."This is also demonstrated in the fact that he is always several minutes behind every conversation, such as laughing at jokes made some time earlier or making remarks to or asking questions about a subject that was talked about many minutes ago, when the conversation has moved on. Heslop is also known among the prison inmates for his interesting anecdotes, many of which relate to events which took place "at the wife's sister's in Sidcup", which he launches into at random moments, with every inmate present ending their conversation to listen to him. It is mentioned in his first appearance his birthday was on 1 April, which Fletcher considers to be "quite fitting" for him.
Lukewarm
Lukewarm was played by Christopher Biggins. Lukewarm is a rotund young man with a calm and personable demeanour, who originates from the Midlands. The circumstances that brought him to be in prison are unknown, although in one episode – the Porridge Christmas Special, "No Way Out" – he relieved Mr Barrowclough of his watch in a manner strongly suggestive of a pickpocket. He is openly gay, and his partner Trevor is a watch repairer from Southport; Trevor appears in the episode "Men Without Women". Lukewarm shared a cell with the elderly Blanco, over whom he would fuss a lot, especially when Blanco was due to face the parole board. Blanco did concede that, for all his fussing, Lukewarm did keep the cell nice and clean. Lukewarm is often seen knitting.Although he is a trusted friend and confidant of Fletcher's, he seldom becomes directly involved in his schemes, preferring instead to spend his association time observing the latest goings-on whilst busying himself with his latest knitting projects. He works in the kitchens alongside Godber and is an enthusiastic if notoriously untalented cook, although it was said that he did make good pasties. Lukewarm was released three months prior to Fletcher in Going Straight. Fletcher mentions to McLaren that he received a letter from Lukewarm, stating his case is coming up after he was accused of stealing a woman's handbag, which he claimed was his own. In the mockumentary "Life Beyond The Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher", his real name is revealed as being Timothy Underwood, although in "Just Desserts" he appears to be addressed by a warder as Lewis. It is stated that he is now married to Trevor and living in Denmark.