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Classic UK TV
The Great British Sitcom
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<blockquote data-quote="Spells &amp; Karma" data-source="post: 306260" data-attributes="member: 23"><p><strong>7 of 1</strong></p><p><strong><em>Prisoner And Escort</em></strong></p><p></p><p></p><p>Having reached the end of the series with<em> I'll Fly You...</em> it's time to fill in some gaps. For (possibly) obvious reasons, we'll come to the second episode -<em> Open All Hours</em> - in due course, but for now I'm skipping it and going on to the second. </p><p></p><p>First, a confession: I've never watched <em>Porridge</em>. That is, I haven't watched every episode and I couldn't even swear to having watched a single complete episode. There would have been opportunity. I'm sure on more than one occasion I'll have been in a room when an episode was playing and it may have registered with me. And I do have a memory of watching the end of the film version when it aired on TV late at night over Christmas at some point in the Eighties. And of course I'm familiar with the character of Norman Stanley Fletcher and that iconic opening narration. But as for sitting down and consciously watching... it's just never happened. Until now. </p><p></p><p>How I managed to avoid it this long is difficult to say. As to why, I'd say it was a combination of the dismal setting and the almost exclusively male cast, both of which I found off-putting in my younger days. At this point neither of those things is a bar to me watching, and looking at the cast of the series proper fills me with excitement as there are many I've enjoyed in lots of other roles. </p><p></p><p>Even this pilot episode has grabbed me and made me feel more excited about what lies ahead. Perhaps I've seen more of it than I realise, because watching Fulton Mackay's officer in particular feels like being reunited with an old friend (albeit a grouchy one). </p><p></p><p>As <em>Prisoner And Escort</em> did its thing, I became more and more impressed with the fact that it's essentially a three-hander with Fletcher, Mackay and Mr Barrowclough. Indeed, with Mackay disappearing for much of the time - to get refreshments on the train and to seek help after the minibus broke down on the moors - this felt very much like a starring vehicle for Ronnie Barker and Brian Wilde. </p><p></p><p>This intimacy gave us a great starting point and we got a sense of all three characters. In particular, Barrowclough's naïve idealism felt essential. Not only did it provide the perfect yang too the yin of Mackay's hard nut exterior, but it also gave us the chance to show how Fletch operated. </p><p></p><p>The character of Fletcher is well and truly established in this episode. He's an opportunist and doesn't miss a trick to sabotage (peeing in the fuel tank of the minibus) or even engineer a situation to his advantage, as seen in his persuading Barrowclough to allow him to break into a cottage and remove his handcuffs with the suggestion that it would be good for his rehabilitation to be trusted. It felt particularly mercenary to take advantage of Barrowclough in order to escape, albeit briefly (and with a really funny twist, even though it could be seen coming for some distance).</p><p></p><p>These are possibly a taste of the "small victories" on which the series' dynamics will be built, but even if it's more implicit it'll be highly enjoyable. The repartee alone is extremely promising. Two of my favourites came from Fletcher at Mackay's expense: </p><p></p><p>When bored on the train, Fletch says "I spy with my little eye something beginning with 'C'", while nodding his head in Mackay's direction (the answer was "constable". Or at least that's his story). </p><p></p><p>With Fletcher and Mackay both knowing the reason the minibus had broken down was because Fletcher had peed in the petrol tank, Fletcher - during a dressing down on arrival at the prison - revels in reminding Mackay of his little victory by commenting that "no-one would dare take the petrol out of you". </p><p></p><p>As it stands, I'm strongly suspecting <em>Prisoner And Escort</em> will end up being a favourite episode of <em>Porridge</em> (if it can be considered an episode of the series). And if things get better than this, I'll be in sitcom heaven.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Spells & Karma, post: 306260, member: 23"] [B]7 of 1 [I]Prisoner And Escort[/I][/B] Having reached the end of the series with[I] I'll Fly You...[/I] it's time to fill in some gaps. For (possibly) obvious reasons, we'll come to the second episode -[I] Open All Hours[/I] - in due course, but for now I'm skipping it and going on to the second. First, a confession: I've never watched [I]Porridge[/I]. That is, I haven't watched every episode and I couldn't even swear to having watched a single complete episode. There would have been opportunity. I'm sure on more than one occasion I'll have been in a room when an episode was playing and it may have registered with me. And I do have a memory of watching the end of the film version when it aired on TV late at night over Christmas at some point in the Eighties. And of course I'm familiar with the character of Norman Stanley Fletcher and that iconic opening narration. But as for sitting down and consciously watching... it's just never happened. Until now. How I managed to avoid it this long is difficult to say. As to why, I'd say it was a combination of the dismal setting and the almost exclusively male cast, both of which I found off-putting in my younger days. At this point neither of those things is a bar to me watching, and looking at the cast of the series proper fills me with excitement as there are many I've enjoyed in lots of other roles. Even this pilot episode has grabbed me and made me feel more excited about what lies ahead. Perhaps I've seen more of it than I realise, because watching Fulton Mackay's officer in particular feels like being reunited with an old friend (albeit a grouchy one). As [I]Prisoner And Escort[/I] did its thing, I became more and more impressed with the fact that it's essentially a three-hander with Fletcher, Mackay and Mr Barrowclough. Indeed, with Mackay disappearing for much of the time - to get refreshments on the train and to seek help after the minibus broke down on the moors - this felt very much like a starring vehicle for Ronnie Barker and Brian Wilde. This intimacy gave us a great starting point and we got a sense of all three characters. In particular, Barrowclough's naïve idealism felt essential. Not only did it provide the perfect yang too the yin of Mackay's hard nut exterior, but it also gave us the chance to show how Fletch operated. The character of Fletcher is well and truly established in this episode. He's an opportunist and doesn't miss a trick to sabotage (peeing in the fuel tank of the minibus) or even engineer a situation to his advantage, as seen in his persuading Barrowclough to allow him to break into a cottage and remove his handcuffs with the suggestion that it would be good for his rehabilitation to be trusted. It felt particularly mercenary to take advantage of Barrowclough in order to escape, albeit briefly (and with a really funny twist, even though it could be seen coming for some distance). These are possibly a taste of the "small victories" on which the series' dynamics will be built, but even if it's more implicit it'll be highly enjoyable. The repartee alone is extremely promising. Two of my favourites came from Fletcher at Mackay's expense: When bored on the train, Fletch says "I spy with my little eye something beginning with 'C'", while nodding his head in Mackay's direction (the answer was "constable". Or at least that's his story). With Fletcher and Mackay both knowing the reason the minibus had broken down was because Fletcher had peed in the petrol tank, Fletcher - during a dressing down on arrival at the prison - revels in reminding Mackay of his little victory by commenting that "no-one would dare take the petrol out of you". As it stands, I'm strongly suspecting [I]Prisoner And Escort[/I] will end up being a favourite episode of [I]Porridge[/I] (if it can be considered an episode of the series). And if things get better than this, I'll be in sitcom heaven. [/QUOTE]
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