"Pardon Me" is an episode of the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

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 ...

. It aired on 11 March 1977. In the episode, elderly prisoner Blanco Webb is due to be

parole Parole, also known as provisional release, supervised release, or being on paper, is a form of early release of a prisoner, prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated ...

d, but he does not accept it, as he would be admitting his guilt. Fletcher and the rest of Slade Prison petition to the

Home Office The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...

for Blanco to be

pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...

ed.

Synopsis

The episode opens during recreation hour where Fletcher is playing ''

Monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek and ) is a market in which one person or company is the only supplier of a particular good or service. A monopoly is characterized by a lack of economic Competition (economics), competition to produce ...

'' with elderly inmate Blanco Webb. Mr Barrowclough tells them to finish the game as it is locking up time in five minutes. Lukewarm, Blanco's cellmate, scolds Blanco as he promised to make sure he has a clean shirt for his parole hearing the next day. Godber wonders why Blanco was not paroled years ago. Fletcher comments that it is because Blanco has always protested his innocence, whereas the parole board would prefer him to be "guilty but ashamed". That night, Godber asks Fletcher what Blanco was convicted of. Fletcher explains that Blanco murdered his wife and hid her body in the freezer. Godber is horrified and cannot believe it because Blanco seems like a nice old man. The next day, Blanco has been granted parole. At first, they reminisce about 1959, the year Blanco was imprisoned. Fletcher remembers that he sold a stolen car that year, and Godber remembers he was in

junior school A junior school is a type of school which provides primary education to children, often in the age range from 8 and 13, following attendance at an infant school, which covers the age range 5–7. Since both infant and junior schools provide pri ...

. Blanco, however, bitterly remembers 1959 for the year he was incarcerated for something he did not do and refuses to accept his parole. Fletcher meets Blanco on his

allotment Allotment may refer to: * Allotment (Dawes Act), an area of land held by the US Government for the benefit of an individual Native American, under the Dawes Act of 1887 * Allotment (finance), a method by which a company allocates over-subscribed ...

and scolds him for his stubborn attitude. Blanco believes that Fletcher is after his

rhubarb Rhubarb is the fleshy, edible stalks ( petioles) of species and hybrids (culinary rhubarb) of ''Rheum'' in the family Polygonaceae, which are cooked and used for food. The plant is a herbaceous perennial that grows from short, thick rhizomes. ...

and strawberries, but Fletcher promises to look after the allotment if Blanco is freed. Blanco remembers the time he grew grapes but was forced to pack it in after making wine. On Saturday afternoon, Fletcher, Godber, Warren and Lukewarm start the Campaign for the Release of Old Webb (CROW). They ask Mr Barrowclough to sign the petition, but he refuses, so Fletcher forges Barrowclough's signature. Later, the petitioners are brought before the Governor, who disapproves of prisoners' petition groups. Barrowclough states that they have the right to, under the Penal Code. Fletcher warns the Governor that the feeling is so strong, it could cause trouble for the prison officers, especially as Blanco has threatened to go on

hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance where participants fasting, fast as an act of political protest, usually with the objective of achieving a specific goal, such as a policy change. Hunger strikers that do not take fluids are ...

in protest. Mr Mackay believes Blanco to be a "stubborn old fool" for refusing parole. The Governor believes it has been too long for a retrial to take place. Fletcher says that the campaign could make the Governor a celebrity, but Mackay puts an end to the meeting and orders the prisoners out. The Governor shudders at the thought of an elderly man like Blanco going on hunger strike. Barrowclough suggest to the Governor that an alternative to a retrial is for Blanco to receive a pardon from the Home Office. The Governor readily agrees but discovers that Barrowclough has signed the petition. Barrowclough passes this off as a forgery, but admits it is his signature, making him look foolish in front of Mackay and the Governor. Blanco has been finally pardoned by the Home Office. Before he leaves Slade Prison, Blanco bids farewell to his former inmates. Fletcher warns him not to seek

revenge Revenge is defined as committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Vengeful forms of justice, such as primitive justice or retributive justice, are often differentiated from more fo ...

on his wife's lover, the true culprit. Blanco says that the lover died years ago, as it was Blanco who killed him. {{Porridge Porridge (1974 TV series) episodes 1977 British television episodes