Lukewarm (Porridge)
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Porridge Porridge is a food made by heating, soaking or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, fruit, or syrup to make a sweet cereal ...
'' is a British sitcom, starring
Ronnie Barker Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as ''Porridge (1974 TV series), Porridge'', ''The Two Ronnies'', ...
and
Richard Beckinsale Richard Arthur Beckinsale (6 July 1947 – 19 March 1979) was an English actor. He played Lennie Godber in the BBC British sitcom, sitcom ''Porridge (1974 TV series), Porridge'' (along with its sequel series ''Going Straight'') and Alan Moore ...
, written by
Dick Clement Dick Clement (born 5 September 1937) is a retired English writer, director and producer. He became known for his writing partnership with Ian La Frenais for television series including ''The Likely Lads'', ''Whatever Happened to the Likely La ...
and
Ian La Frenais Ian La Frenais (born 7 January 1937) is a retired English writer best known for his creative partnership with Dick Clement. They are most famous for television series including '' The Likely Lads'', ''Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?'', ' ...
, and broadcast on
BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...
from 1974 to 1977. The programme ran for three series and two Christmas specials, and was followed by a feature film of the
same name ''Same Name'' is an American reality television series in which an average person swaps lives with a celebrity of the same first and last name. It premiered on July 24, 2011 on CBS. The series received low ratings, and CBS pulled it after four-ep ...
(in the United States, the film was released under the title ''Doing Time''). The sitcom focuses on two prison inmates, Norman Stanley Fletcher (played by Barker) and Lennie Godber (played by Beckinsale), who are serving time at the fictional HMP Slade in
Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is an area of North West England which was historically a county. The county was bordered by Northumberland to the north-east, County Durham to the east, Westmorland to the south-east, Lancashire to the south, and the Scottish ...
. Several characters from ''Porridge'' reappear in the sequel series ''
Going Straight ''Going Straight'' is a British television sitcom created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and starring Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale. The programme was a direct sequel to the sitcom ''Porridge'', which all four were inv ...
'' (1978) and in the 2003 spoof documentary '' Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher''. The 2016 'reboot' series of ''Porridge'' has a different cast of characters, including Nigel Norman Fletcher, grandson of Norman Stanley Fletcher in the original series.


Overview


Mr Barrowclough

Henry Barrowclough is a prison officer portrayed by
Brian Wilde Brian George Wilde (13 June 1927 – 20 March 2008) was an English actor best known for his roles in television comedy, most notably Mr Barrowclough in ''Porridge (1974 TV series), Porridge'' and Walter "Foggy" Dewhurst in ''Last of the Summer ...
. Unlike Mr Mackay, whose harsh and confrontational methods he disapproves of (though he dare not make this known to Mr Mackay), Barrowclough is a timid, sympathetic man who firmly believes that the role of prison is to rehabilitate rather than punish. He does not share Mackay's tough military background, having done his
National Service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...
in
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
stores in the comfortable surroundings of
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
. Mr Barrowclough does not seem to be cut out for the life of a prison officer, and he says in the movie version whilst in conversation with a new officer that Slade prison (the officer's club at least) is a "miserable place" and that the only reason he stays is that it keeps him away from being at home with his wife. Fletcher and the other prisoners constantly abuse his leniency to acquire more pleasant jobs, cells or special privileges. They also know how to forge his signature. However, despite this, the prisoners do hold a great deal of fondness for Barrowclough. At one point, in an attempt to raise his prestige due to the vicious nature of Mr. Wainwright, the temporary replacement for Mr Mackay, they stage a riot, refusing to stop for even the harshest of threats, including Wainwright himself. But when, on Fletch's suggestion, Barrowclough is called into the hall, they fall silent as he nervously enters, and do not hesitate in obeying his rather timid requests, such as, "Now, why don't you all put those things down...?" and, "In the meantime, why don't we all file back to our cells in a nice, orderly fashion...?" However nervous his job makes Mr Barrowclough, it is nothing compared to the fear he has of his oft-mentioned but never seen wife, Alice. It is partly because of Fletcher's advice on dealing with his wife that Barrowclough is especially accommodating when dealing with his requests and misdemeanours. Fletcher once described him as looking like "
Arthur Askey Arthur Bowden Askey (6 June 1900 – 16 November 1982) was an English comedian and actor. Askey was known for his short stature (5' 2", 1.58 m) and distinctive horn-rimmed glasses, and his playful humour incorporating improvisation an ...
on stilts".


Ingrid Fletcher

Ingrid Rita Godber (née Fletcher) was played by
Patricia Brake Patricia Ann Kennedy (25 June 1942 – 28 May 2022), better known by her stage name Patricia Brake, was an English actress. She was best known for her role as Ingrid Fletcher, eldest daughter of Norman Stanley Fletcher, in the BBC sitcom ''P ...
. Ingrid is Fletch's eldest child (allegedly conceived against Karl Marx's tomb). She often visited her father in Slade Prison, oblivious to her appeal to the other inmates, much to her father's despair. It was on one of these trips that she met Fletch's cellmate Godber. Upon Godber's release the two met up, and by the time Fletch was released, three years later, the two were engaged. They were married in the final episode of ''
Going Straight ''Going Straight'' is a British television sitcom created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and starring Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale. The programme was a direct sequel to the sitcom ''Porridge'', which all four were inv ...
'' and are seen to be still married 25 years later in the spoof documentary, '' Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher'', with one son.


Norman Stanley Fletcher

Norman Stanley Fletcher was played by
Ronnie Barker Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as ''Porridge (1974 TV series), Porridge'', ''The Two Ronnies'', ...
. Known as "Fletch", he is the main character in the series and shares a cell with Lennie Godber. A habitual criminal from north London, Fletch has previously served several terms of imprisonment.


Lennie Godber

Leonard Arthur "Lennie" Godber was played by
Richard Beckinsale Richard Arthur Beckinsale (6 July 1947 – 19 March 1979) was an English actor. He played Lennie Godber in the BBC British sitcom, sitcom ''Porridge (1974 TV series), Porridge'' (along with its sequel series ''Going Straight'') and Alan Moore ...
. Godber is from
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
, supports
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
, has an
O Level O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), ...
in geography, and studies for a history O Level while in prison. Before he was arrested he shared a flat with his girlfriend Denise in nearby
Smethwick Smethwick () is an industrial town in the Sandwell district, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It lies west of Birmingham city centre. Historically it was in Staffordshire and then Worcestershire before bei ...
. In an effort to help her furnish her new apartment, Godber broke into a neighbour's flat. He was caught, and it was for this that he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. Denise later broke up with Godber through a
Dear John letter A Dear John letter is a letter written to a man by his wife or romantic partner to inform him that their relationship is over, usually because his partner has found another lover. The man is often a member of the military stationed overseas, al ...
. Godber often came into conflict with the ever suspicious Mr Mackay, who appeared to find it very hard to believe that Lennie was not up to something. Even when he was, MacKay found it very hard to pin anything on him, thanks to Godber's penchant for dramatics, and, occasionally, to the cover-up efforts of Fletch and the sympathetic Mr Barrowclough. Godber works in the prison kitchen where he has ample opportunities to steal valuable commodities, such as butter and pineapple chunks, which Fletcher is fond of. Godber also briefly took up a career as a boxer in the prison, although this was short-lived when he became involved in match fixing. Godber appears in all but four episodes of ''Porridge''. He is absent from the pilot ("Prisoner and Escort") series 1 episodes "
Ways and Means A ways and means committee is a government body that is charged with reviewing and making recommendations for government budgets. Because the raising of revenue is vital to carrying out governmental operations, such a committee is tasked with fi ...
" and " Men Without Women", and series 2's "
No Peace for the Wicked "No Peace for the Wicked" is an episode of the British sitcom ''Porridge'', made for the BBC. It first aired on 14 November 1975, and is the fourth episode of the second series. In this episode, Fletcher tries to have some peace during a weekend a ...
". In the sequel ''Going Straight'', Godber is engaged to Fletcher's daughter
Ingrid Ingrid may refer to: * Ingrid (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Ingrid Burley (born 1986), rapper known mononymously as Ingrid * Ingrid (record label), also an artist collective * Tropical Storm Ingrid, various cy ...
, having met her whilst she was on a prison visit. In the final episode, they get married. In the 2003 mockumentary ''Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher'', they are still married, and have a son. Richard Beckinsale died in 1979, so Godber's absence from the mockumentary is explained by a phone call to his wife saying he was stuck in traffic.


Harry Grout

"Genial" Harry Grout, also referred to as 'Grouty', is a gangster feared by all the prisoners and by some of the guards. His schemes include running a drugs ring funded by the doctor's office and fixing boxing matches. If crossed, Grouty has little hesitation in setting one of his various heavies on those who displease him. Grouty also arranges things such as prison breaks, as seen in the Christmas special "No Way Out," in which the major plot involves his trying to arrange a breakout plan, with much help from an unwilling Fletcher. Despite his reputation, Grouty is still shown to be wary of Mr. Mackay. In the 2003
mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...
''Life Beyond The Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher'', it is revealed that after being released from prison Grouty continued running his "business empire" (although he insisted it was now straight, and no one could prove otherwise), and also became a "celebrity criminal", in a similar manner to
Frankie Fraser Francis Davidson Fraser (13 December 1923 – 26 November 2014), better known as "Mad" Frankie Fraser, was an English gangster who spent 42 years in prison for numerous violent offences.
and The Krays. He died of a heart attack, but just before he died, he told Fletcher where his stash was hidden. Fletcher is seen laying a memorial wreath at his funeral which simply says ''"Nerk"''.


Cyril Heslop

Cyril Heslop was played by
Brian Glover Brian Glover (2 April 1934 – 24 July 1997) was an English actor and writer. He worked as a teacher and professional wrestler before commencing an acting career which included films, many roles on British television and work on the stage. His ...
. Heslop is prominent in Season 1 of the show and was briefly Fletcher's cellmate. He was also one of the three new arrivals, along with Fletcher and Godber, into Slade Prison in the first episode of the series, having been given three years for
breaking and entering Burglary, also called breaking and entering (B&E) or housebreaking, is a property crime involving the illegal entry into a building or other area without permission, typically with the intention of committing a further criminal offence. Usually ...
. Heslop is quite dim and slow-witted, once being described by Mr. Mackay as "thick as two short planks." This is also demonstrated in the fact that he is always several minutes behind every conversation, such as laughing at jokes made some time earlier or making remarks to or asking questions about a subject that was talked about many minutes ago, when the conversation has moved on. Heslop is also known among the prison inmates for his interesting anecdotes, many of which relate to events which took place "at the wife's sister's in
Sidcup Sidcup is an area of south-east London, England, primarily in the London Borough of Bexley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, bordering the London Boroughs of London Borough of Bromley, Bromley and Royal Borough of Greenwich, Greenwich. It was ...
", which he launches into at random moments, with every inmate present ending their conversation to listen to him. It is mentioned in his first appearance his birthday was on
1 April Events Pre-1600 * 527 – Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne. * 1081 – Alexios I Komnenos overthrows the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros III Botaneiates, and, after his troo ...
, which Fletcher considers to be "quite fitting" for him.


Lukewarm

Lukewarm was played by
Christopher Biggins Christopher Biggins (born 16 December 1948) is an English actor and television personality. He became widely known for his roles in television series such as ''Porridge'', '' Poldark'' and '' I, Claudius'' in the 1970s. He later became known for ...
. Lukewarm is a rotund young man with a calm and personable demeanour, who originates from the Midlands (though during the series, and in ''Going Straight'' he is said to live in
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
). The circumstances that brought him to be in prison are unknown, although in one episode – the ''Porridge'' Christmas Special, "No Way Out" – he relieved Mr Barrowclough of his watch in a manner strongly suggestive of a pickpocket. He is openly gay, and his partner Trevor is a watch repairer from
Southport Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...
; Trevor appears in the episode "Men Without Women". Lukewarm shared a cell with the elderly Blanco, over whom he would fuss a lot, especially when Blanco was due to face the parole board. Blanco did concede that, for all his fussing, Lukewarm did keep the cell nice and clean. Lukewarm is often seen knitting. Although he is a trusted friend and confidant of Fletcher's, he seldom becomes directly involved in his schemes, preferring instead to spend his association time observing the latest goings-on whilst busying himself with his latest knitting projects. He works in the kitchens alongside Godber and is an enthusiastic if notoriously untalented cook, although it was said that he did make good pasties. Lukewarm was released three months prior to Fletcher in ''Going Straight''. Fletcher mentions to McLaren that he received a letter from Lukewarm, stating his case is coming up after he was accused of stealing a woman's handbag, which he claimed was his own. In the mockumentary "Life Beyond The Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher", his real name is revealed as being Timothy Underwood, although in "Just Desserts" he appears to be addressed by a warder as Lewis. It is stated that he is now married to Trevor and living in
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
.


Jim McLaren

Jim "Jock" McLaren is played by
Tony Osoba Tony Osoba (born 15 March 1947) is a Scottish actor best known for his role as Jim 'Jock' McLaren in the 1970s British sitcom ''Porridge'' alongside Ronnie Barker. He also guest starred in the first episode of the spin-off ''Going Straight''. ...
. Along with Godber and Warren, McLaren is a regular conspirator with and confidant of Fletcher. A
mixed race The term multiracial people refers to people who are mixed with two or more races and the term multi-ethnic people refers to people who are of more than one ethnicities. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mul ...
young man from
Greenock Greenock (; ; , ) is a town in Inverclyde, Scotland, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The town is the administrative centre of Inverclyde Council. It is a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, and forms ...
, Scotland, he claims to have been adopted. Subjected to racist abuse when he first arrived at Slade Prison, he was aggressive and hostile. Fletcher (who called him "Jock") was tasked with enabling him to defeat such abuse and provocation, and to encourage his intelligence and resourcefulness. A keen football player (and fan of perennial Scottish League underdogs
Greenock Morton Greenock Morton Football Club is a Scottish professional football club, which plays in the . The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest Scottish clubs. Morton was renamed Greenock Morton in 1994 to celebr ...
), McLaren was soon turning out every Saturday afternoon for the inter-wing football matches. He is the last of their circle to be released, and Fletcher is seen bidding him farewell in the first episode of ''Going Straight''. In "Life Beyond The Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher", McLaren is a member of the
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...
.


"Bunny" Warren

"Bunny" Warren is played by
Sam Kelly Roger Michael Kelly (19 December 1943 – 14 June 2014), known by the stage name Sam Kelly, was an English actor who appeared in film, television, radio and theatre. He is best known for his roles as Captain Hans Geering in Allo 'Allo!'', ...
. Warren is a trusted friend of Fletcher, Godber and McLaren, and frequently joins in with their schemes. He was imprisoned for burglary, after being caught due to his inability to read a sign saying "Warning: burglar alarm". Fletcher and Godber frequently remark about his low intellect and Warren is self-conscious of his illiteracy - particularly his inability to read letters from his wife - and sometimes wistfully muses on his desire to (at least try to) learn "new things".


Mr Mackay

Mr Mackay is played by
Fulton Mackay William Fulton Beith Mackay (12 August 1922 – 6 June 1987) was a Scottish actor and playwright, best known for his role as prison officer Mr Mackay in the 1970s television sitcom ''Porridge''. Early life Mackay was born in Paisley, Renfrew ...
. Mackay is a tough prison officer whose constant obsession in life is to catch Fletcher out. Mackay has the authority to make decisions affecting the entire wing, such as banning Christmas celebrations in the episode "No Way Out", so is presumably the wing's senior officer. Fletch's sly tactics in misdeeds ranging from fixing boxing matches, stealing pills from the prison doctor and eggs from the prison farmyard right through to finding new and imaginative ways to stick two fingers up at Mackay and get away with it, were specially designed to get up Mackay's nose. In return, Mackay's frenzied attempts to catch Fletch out, when fruitful, gave Mackay a level of smugness and satisfaction which was only accentuated by Fletch's hostility and skulking. Born into a poor family, Mackay went on to be a
drill sergeant A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire department, or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. Foot drill, military step, and marching are typically taught by drill instructors. Australia Aust ...
(though in ''Going Straight'' this is changed to Warrant Officer Class 2) in the
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) is a light infantry company (military unit), company (designated as Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland) and was a line infantry regiment of the British Army tha ...
, and ran a boarding house in
Peebles Peebles () is a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It was historically a royal burgh and the county town of Peeblesshire. According to the United Kingdom census, 2011, 2011 census, the population was 8,376 and the estimated population in ...
with his wife, Marie, before joining the prison service. Mackay's temper is agitated by the constant suspicion he has of Fletcher, and his despair at the leniency of his optimistic, mild-mannered, kind-hearted colleague Mr Barrowclough. Mackay's homeland of Scotland serves as a constant source of entertainment for Fletcher, who is always on the lookout for an opportunity to antagonise Mackay. In one episode Mackay asks Fletcher whether he felt he was working class. Fletcher responds, "I did, until I visited Glasgow. Now I think I'm middle class." Mackay appears in the first episode of ''Going Straight'', where it is revealed he has left Slade Prison after reaching the compulsory retirement age for prison officers. He shares the same train as Fletcher and the two end up crossing paths. Though they are initially hostile to each other when Fletcher realises that he has retired, Fletcher later inadvertently saves Mackay from accidentally getting involved in a criminal operation and framed. Mackay subsequently parts ways with Fletcher on better terms, and shakes his hand for the first and final time.


Medals

During the series Mackay regularly wore his army service ribbons on his uniform. During the run of the series he wore the General Service Medal 1918–1962, the
Korea Medal The Korea Medal (), sometimes referred to as the Queen's Korea Medal to distinguish it from the United Nations Service Medal, is a campaign medal created in 1951 to recognize troops from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom who ...
, and the UN Korea Medal. For the film this was inexplicably expanded to an additional row containing the
1939–1945 Star The 1939–1945 Star is a military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom on 8 July 1943 for award to British and Commonwealth forces for service in the Second World War. Two clasps were instituted to be worn on the medal ribbon, Battl ...
, the Defence Medal, the
War Medal 1939–1945 The War Medal 1939–1945 is a campaign medal which was instituted by the United Kingdom on 16 August 1945, for award to citizens of the British Commonwealth who had served full-time in the Armed Forces or the Merchant Navy for at least 28 days ...
, and lastly the Jubilee Medal, 1977, which was awarded on the 25th anniversary of Elizabeth II's rule.


Harris

Harris is a prisoner played by
Ronald Lacey Ronald William Lacey (28 September 1935 – 15 May 1991) was an English actor. He made numerous television and film appearances over a 30-year period. His roles included Harris in ''Porridge'' (1977), Frankie in the Bud Spencer comedy '' ...
. A middle-aged
Teddy Boy The Teddy Boys or Teds were a mainly United Kingdom, British youth subculture originating in the early 1950s to mid-1960s and then revived in the 1970s who were interested in rock and roll and Rhythm and blues, R&B music, wearing clothes part ...
with a fish face and ginger hair, Harris is loathed by prison officers and prisoners alike. His sly manner, cowardice, and utter lack of integrity are accompanied by an insistently oleaginous manner and irritate even the easy-going Lukewarm and the emollient Mr Barrowclough. Harris is a thief, an activity taboo inside prison, and a cheat. He bullies those he perceives as weaker than him and is dominated by those above him, such as Harry Grout, Mr Mackay and Fletcher. He was arrested following a botched attempt to steal an elderly lady's handbag. She had hidden a brick in it and then succeeded in pinning Harris down until the police arrived.


"Horrible" Ives

Bernard "Horrible" Ives is a prisoner serving time in Slade for committing fraud. He was played by Ken Jones. Ives is a creep, a cheat and a
snitch Snitch may refer to: * Informant An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a "snitch", "rat", "canary", "stool pigeon", "stoolie", "tout" or "grass", among other terms) is a person who provides privileged information, or ( ...
, universally loathed by the other inmates of Slade Prison. He originated from
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
. Almost all his spoken sentences begin with the words "'ere listen". Fletcher once commented "Ives is such a loser that if
Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...
had triplets, he'd have been the one in the middle, on the bottle." Ives is interviewed in the 2003 mockumentary ''Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher''. While most of the ex-prisoners interviewed are shown to have gone straight, Ives is shown collecting for a fake charity.


Blanco Webb

Blanco Webb is played by
David Jason Sir David John White (born 2 February 1940), known professionally as David Jason, is an English actor. He has played Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in the sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses'', Detective Inspector Jack Frost in the drama series '' A Touch ...
. An elderly inmate, Blanco first appears in the episode "
No Peace for the Wicked "No Peace for the Wicked" is an episode of the British sitcom ''Porridge'', made for the BBC. It first aired on 14 November 1975, and is the fourth episode of the second series. In this episode, Fletcher tries to have some peace during a weekend a ...
" where he helps Fletcher steal some
Jaffa Cakes Jaffa Cakes are a cake introduced by McVitie and Price in the UK in 1927 and named after Jaffa oranges. In their most common form, Jaffa cakes are circular, in diameter, and have three layers: a Genoise sponge base, a layer of orange-flavo ...
. He features heavily in the episode "
Happy Release "Happy Release" is an episode of the British sitcom Porridge, made for the BBC. It first aired on 21 November 1975, and is the fifth episode of the second series. In this episode, Fletcher concocts a scheme to help another prisoner get revenge on ...
" where he and Fletcher are in adjacent beds in the prison hospital, Fletcher having broken his foot and Blanco having been diagnosed with a "tired heart". Also in the hospital is Norris (played by Colin Farrell) — considered "scum" even by the other inmates — who had managed to con Blanco out of his only possessions: an antique silver snuff box, a Japanese wireless radio, and a musical box that played "
Waltzing Matilda "Waltzing Matilda" is a song developed in the Australian style of poetry and folk music called a bush ballad. It has been described as the country's "unofficial national anthem". The title was Australian slang for travelling on foot (waltzing ...
" when opened. Fletcher manages to reacquire Blanco's possessions with Godber's help, and manages to get Norris, newly released, re-arrested after only one day by tricking him into trying to dig for "treasure" underneath Leeds United's
Elland Road Elland Road, or Elland Road Stadium, is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the Home (sports), home of Leeds United F.C., Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the List of foot ...
pitch. Throughout his lengthy prison sentence, Blanco continued to profess his innocence, and when parole was granted (in the episode "Pardon Me") he refused, preferring the prospect of dying in prison to that of admitting guilt. When he is finally granted a pardon, Fletcher warns him not to seek revenge on the person who really killed his wife. Blanco responds by telling Fletcher
No. I know 'im wot did it. It were the wife's lover. But don't worry, I shan't go round searching for him, 'e died years ago. That I do know. It were me that killed him!.
This however conflicts with the episode "No Peace for the Wicked", where it is implied that he was jailed for an armed robbery on a wages van. Despite Blanco being an elderly character, actor David Jason was in his mid-30s when he played him.


References


External links


''Porridge''
BBC Comedy {{DEFAULTSORT:Porridge Fictional English people Porridge (1974 TV series) characters Fictional prison officials