Trivia / Porridge

• Acting for Two: Ronnie Barker also voiced the judge in the intro.
• Actor-Inspired Element: Mr Mackay's distinctive mannerisms, like his neck twitch and clicking his heels, were added by Fulton Mackay.
• Actor-Shared Background: Mr. Mackay was in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. In Real Life, Fulton Mackay was spent five years in the Black Watch in World War II that included a tour of India. He even based the character on a sergeant he knew.
• The Character Died with Him: When the 2016 special aired, it's stated that Fletcher passed away in 2011, six years after Ronnie Barker died.
• Character Outlives Actor: Ingrid (Fletch's daughter, who married Godber in Going Straight) gets a phone call from her husband to say that he can't make it back for the 2016 documentary. Richard Beckinsale had died in 1978 shortly after Going Straight completed filming.
• Creator Backlash:
  • Ronnie Barker later said his only regret about the series was performing the opening narration.
  • Writer Ian La Frenais regretted not making one final series after Series 3.
• Creator's Favorite Episode: The writers named "The Harder They Fall" as their favourite episode.
• The Danza: Averted by Fulton Mackay, who plays Mr. Mackay, as the character had already been named before he was cast.
• Dawson Casting: Fletcher was born, in his words, "two-two-thirty-two" - 2 February 1932. Ronnie Barker was born in 1929.
• I Am Not Spock:
  • Peter Vaughan claimed that for years after the series ended, people would shout at him, "Let you out they, Grouty?"
  • Ronnie Barker's desire not to be solely associated with one character was why he chose to leave the show after three series.
• The Other Darrin: As mentioned above, Ronnie Barker provides the voice of the judge in the opening narration. The said judge later appeared as a prisoner himself and was played by Maurice Denholm. Barker's narration was retained, though, so we effectively had both Darrins at once.
• Recycled Script:
  • Scripts for the American remake, On the Rocks, were reused for the third series.
  • Fletcher correcting Godber's mixed metaphors in Going Straight was reused in The Movie.
• Uncredited Role: Felix Bowness as Gay Gordon in "Just Desserts".
• Underage Casting: The then thirty-five-year-old David Jason played the extremely elderly Blanco Webb.
• What Could Have Been: Before the casting of Richard Beckinsale as Godber, Ronnie Barker had recommended Paul Henry.

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