And now for the other sitcom that Ronnie Barker made. And like Open All Hours, Porridge is a true classic. Barker plays Fletcher, a criminal serving a sentence in prison. The series revolves around Fletcher's relationships with his naïve cellmate Godber, as well as the officers in the prison, particularly the stern Mackay and the timid Barrowclough. There isn't actually much to the series beyond that, but I think Fletcher is such a strong character, and has such good chemistry with the rest of the cast, that's it's still a really fun watch. Barker plays Fletcher as a cynical smart alec who always has some sort of scheme going on, and it's the sheer likeability of Fletcher that makes Porridge work despite it's relative simplicity.
The supporting cast is fantastic too, but really it's all about Barker. He's what makes this such a good show, and he's just so fantastically watchable. I mean, when something just works, what can you say about it? Porridge is probably one of the most solid Britcoms, because it just works. Ronnie Barker had this effortless charm about him, and it's because of that that makes Porridge work. He's just so funny, with impeccable timing and fantastic charm. Every episode is just a great half hour of television, and a lot of that comes down to Barker. Open All Hours was a bit like that too, where the immense likeability and simple comedy just makes the show work. Porridge is a well oiled machine of a series, and it truly deserves it's place in the pantheon.
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