Porridge

I'm not a huge fan of the original but I do enjoy it, so I was prepared not to like this resurrected version. But I was pleasantly surprised: a good story-line and likable characters. Yes, many of them seemed to be updated versions of those from the original but that just added to the fun. I could easily picture Mackay and Barraclough in place of Meekie and Braithwaite, and Harry Grout instead of Richie Weeks. However the one character we had seen before was recast. Fletch's dad (the original Fletcher's son) was seen in the sequel, 'Going Straight', where he was played by a young unknown actor called Nicholas Lyndhurst. Whatever happened to him?

This rehash certainly didn't hit the spot for me, there was nothing in it that made me laugh, and that is sad for a comedy. When I saw the listing for it I thought they were showing one of the original series, I was left disappointed by this.

The gags in it were recycled from the original, the characters didn't have the presence of the originals, and they were trying to hard to be Norman Stanley Fletcher. Just seemed to be a poor copy and paste, and not something that was worth watching.

Whatever next by the BBC? A rehash of Only Fools and Horses? I hope they don't actually make any more of these rehash of old series, there have been a number of them, and they have all failed miserably. I had hoped by now they would spend my licence fee money on things more productive and new.

The BBC made these 'one off's' knowing full well that they'd commission a series of the one that did the best. And despite all that they've still opted to make a series of Porridge, despite it being a weak attempt to bring the once beloved show into the 21st Century.

Still Open All Hours I can live with, it's got the connection to Ronnie Barker through Sir David Jason. It's not great, but it's alright. This on the other hand was poor. I know it's got the same writers as before and that Kevin Bishop isn't without charm, but come on, can't the people who like this just buy the DVD's of the original instead.

I despair at the state of British comedy, I really do.

If you want to see a tale of the state of British comedy, this would be the ideal thing to show visiting aliens.

Totally completely and utterly unnecessary, totally completely and utterly weak writing, weak cast, no spark, no zip, trying to hard not to offend and single person in the universe whilst trying to be funny isn't possible.

A waste of screen time. Fletch, Lenny and MacKay must be sitting with their heads in their hands wondering why on earth they bothered.

Bearing the name of a classic 70s comedy, with the same.writers, a great show this does not make. You only need to look at the appallingly bad Rock and Chips and that other Fools and Horses spin off.

The difference between porridge in the 1970's and now is the fact that Ronnie Barker was a proper funny comedy actor, with the odd exception most actors now are products of talent shows. The other problem is that back in the 70's all you had to do was concentrate on the comedy, now, the first thing is making sure the programme is politically correct and the humour is non funny and non offensive.