YMMV / Porridge

• Fair for Its Day: Frequently throughout the series, jokes would be made about McLaren and Lukewarm which can come across as mildly racist or homophobic today. However, both characters were refreshingly unstereotypical by the standards of the time: despite being fey and slightly effeminate, Lukewarm was generally not a stock Camp Gay character and his sexuaity was not his only defining trait; meanwhile, McLaren was a fully rounded character rather than a racial caricature, and it was never suggested that his violent tendencies were due to his ethnicity. Note that The Black and White Minstrel Show was broadcast on The BBC for the entire run of the show, and is referenced in "The Hustler".
  • Additionally, the other characters always treated them both with respect and genuinely viewed them as friends, and any cracks made about their minority status appear to have been intended as good-natured ribbing. At a time when there was virtually no black or queer representation on TV, it was hugely progressive to have them both treated as equals by the white, straight protagonists.
• Harsher in Hindsight: Godber talking intimately about his then finance Denise in the first series episode "A Night In" becomes this in the second series episode "Heartbreak Hotel". Denise (who was never seen on the show) breaks off with Godber via a Dear John letter revealing that she has just married someone else. In the earlier episode, Godber confides in Fletcher his worry about Denise waiting on Godber to be released from jail. Turned out she couldn't wait.
  • The film version of Porridge also becomes this trope as Richard Beckinsale (Godber) died of a heart attack shortly after filming was completed and before the film was released. To elaborate, Godber was training for football and looked reasonably fit.
• Heartwarming Moments: In "Desperate Hours", Fletcher and Godber keeping quiet about their role in stopping Reg, even though such an act of heroism would get them a considerably reduced sentence and potentially even a pardon, so that Reg can seemingly surrender on his own, and finally get some much needed Psychiatric treatment.
  • In Going Straight, a newly paroled Fletcher and a newly retired Mackay are travelling on the same train to London. In a coincidence, an old mate of Fletcher boards the same train with stolen jewels. Due to mistaken identity, Mr Mackay ends up with the bag of loot. Fletcher explains to Mackay that the bag he is holding contains stolen loot and while Fletcher could easily have dropped Mackay in it, he felt it was better to let end their feud and start their lives afresh. Mackay appreciates the gesture and shakes Fletcher's hand.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: A black Scotsman with a violent streak? Not the last time it happened.
• Jerkass Woobie: Fletcher in "No Peace For The Wicked" has him failing at every turn and corner to get peace and quiet on a Saturday afternoon. He even breaks down in tears and resorts to pleaded to God for help. Unfortunately, Fletcher snaps big time when the chaplain chose that moment to arrive and ends up assaulting the poor chaplain.
• Moment of Awesome: Fletcher disarming the crazed inmate Reg in the Christmas special "Desperate Hours", a feat by no means undercut by the reveal he thought the gun wasn't loaded.
• Moral Event Horizon: Discussed and Defied, in the Christmas Special "Desperate Hours", when it appears they aren't taking Reg's threat seriously he contemplates outright killing Mr Barrowclough to make them take him seriously. Fletcher however invokes this and manages to talk him out of it.
• Retroactive Recognition:
  • Elderly con Blanco Webb is played by David Jason, now best known for playing Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses. In Going Straight, Fletcher's son is played by Nicholas Lyndhurst, who would play Del's brother Rodney.
  • For British youth, Fulton Mackay is best known as The Captain from Fraggle Rock.
  • A prison visitor from "No Peace for the Wicked" is played by Barbara New, who would later be best known for playing Mabel Wheeler in You Rang, M'Lord?.
  • Gay Gordon from "Just Desserts" is played by Felix Bowness, who would later be best known for playing Fred Quilley in Hi-de-Hi!.
  • Nigel Hawthorne and Pete Postlethwaite appear in episodes of Going Straight.
• Tear Jerker: Despite generally being a light hearted comedy for most of its run, the appropriately named "Heartbreak Hotel" as both Fletcher and Godber take turns in being depressed. While Fletcher's depression is short lived, it is Godber who is badly hit when he receives a Dear John Letter from his fiancée Denise.
  • Reg Urwin discussing his psychiatric problems during the siege, admitting that he attempted suicide before being sent to prison. In fact, the suicide attempt was so badly botched, it resulted in his arrest. Furthermore, Reg breaks down in tears when he surrenders.
• Unintentional Period Piece: The series holds up better than most 1970s sitcoms as it is mainly set in a prison, though Fletcher purchasing two pints of beer and six packets of crisps for a pound (in "A Day Out") stands out. Nowadays that would cost about £15.

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