One of TV’s most loved sitcoms (repeats in the UK still get as many as 15 million people tuning in), Porridge is also one of the wittiest shows you’ll ever see.

Now Roadshow have released the 6 episodes of season two, broadcast originally between 24 October and 28 November 1975 . Created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais (the supremely talented men behind classics such as The Likely Lads and Auf Wieidersehen Pet) Porridge stars Ronnie Barker as middle aged recidivist Norman Stanley Fletcher, currently doing a five stretch in HM Prison Slade. “Fletch” shares a cell with naïve first time offender Lenny Godber (Richard Beckinsale), around these two are a coterie of supporting characters, all very well drawn and played, chief amongst them is head prison warder MacKay (played with magnificent venom by Fulton MacKay) who is determined to not allow any nonsense in his prison, his right hand man is the weak willed Barraclough (Brian Wilde) whom Fletch can always work to his own advantage.

Fellow inmates include the camp Lukewarm (Christopher Biggins) the prison chef, the black Scotsman McLaren (Tony Osoba), Ken Jones as Orrible Ives and the fantastic Sam Kelly as dyslexic Warren.

Porridge actually grew out of a Ronnie Barker anthology series called Seven of One in which one episode “Prisoner and Escort” featured Barker playing Fletch being transported  to Slade prison  by MacKay and Barraclough, this episode is actually included on this release and is very welcome (although putting it on the season one release would have been more sensible). 

This season of Porridge actually contains some of the shows best episodes including Happy Release  which sees Fletch confined to the prison hospital alongside the ageing Blanco (played by a young David Jason in old man make up – Jason is superb here, he had starred in a couple of series with Barker, His Lordship Entertains, as his ageing Butler Dithers), also exceptionally good are the episodes Heartbreak Hotel (Godber’s girlfriend Denise breaks off their relationship only for Lenny to fall for Fletch’s daughter Ingrid whilst she is visiting her Dad); No Peace For the Wicked in which Fletch’s quiet Sunday afternoon is continually interrupted; Lenny’s attempt at the Boxing big time in The Harder They Fall and best of all the first episode Just Desserts in which a can of stolen pineapple chunks causes uproar at Slade.

If any show deserves the classic tag Porridge is it, a show with a huge rewatchability factor and  a must have for your collection.

Besides the pilot the other extra is a profile of the writers.