Her Majesty’s Pleasure (ITV 1968-1969, Ken Jones, John Sharp)

Sitcom Her Majesty’s Pleasure detailed the exploits of a group of prison officers and the convicts they guard.

Prison Officer Mills was the fairly easy-going warder who believed in giving prisoners the beefit of the doubt whenever possible. Meanwhile Prison Officer Clissit is the exact opposite. He fancies himself as a “hard” man and believes that inmates are in prison to be punished. He basically lives to give the prisoners as hard a time as possible.

Initially the series concerned itself with the activities of the prison soccer team but the series very quickly widened out to take in the other aspects of prison life.

Her Majesty’s Pleasure was actually the first British sitcom set in prison. Ken Jones, who played Prison Officer Mills in this series, found himself as an inmate in Porridge playing the sneaky Ives.

production details
UK / ITV – Granada / 13×25 minute episodes / Broadcast 25 September 1968 – 27 March 1969

Creator: Leslie Duxbury / Writers: Leslie Duxbury, John Stevenson / Producer: Peter Eckerley

cast
Ken Jones as Prison Officer Leslie Mills
John Sharp as Prison Officer Arnold Clissitt
John Normington as Mushy Williams
John Nettleton as Pongo Little
Joe Gladwin as Sesame Ingram
Kate Brown as Freda Little
Tommy Mann as Grizzly Bear Ryan
Wensley Pithey as Governor (series 1)
Michael Barrington as Governor (series 2)