Ronnie Barker...absolute legend. Such a shame that Richard Beckinsale passed away so young. They were planning a second series of this. Thanks for the upload. Comedy gold.
A terrific series, Ronnie fully deserved his Bafta for this. Richard Beckinsale’s death hit him, Ian and Dick very hard. There was never any chance of a second series after he passed. Putting loyalty and love over everything else. Real Gents
23:52 Hearing the old doors slam and the intro to the father of this show Porridge, is was and always will be an amazing representation of the old con's PTSD. He is desperate not to return there, despite most of his life being spent behind bars, and his better standing while inside. A flipping marvel and no mistake. RIP Richard Beckinsale and Ronnie B, and all the other great talents who worked on both shows and brought us so much laughter with serious messages mixed in.
The writing is absolutely top notch for all six episodes. That scene is class as is the train scene in the bulk of No1 and the jewellery scam in no5. More realistic writing than a lot of dramas tbh
Ronnie Barker is a real gem isnt he? I keep watching Open All Hours and i love the relationship he has with David Jason. Barker is quite versatile in his roles.
Spent the afternoon watching every episode of season 1 Richard god bless his soul was a legend and his passing was a real tragedy for British comedy. still, he lives on in classics such as this and still able to make us laugh even today.
After recently re-watching the Porridge boxset and getting into it more than I ever have before, appreciating the writing, the comedy and above all, Ronnie Barker's superb and much underrated acting on a much bigger level, it led me to finally watching this series. I'm so glad I did. Great stuff. Thanks for uploading it.
Fletcher steals the show in porridge I like lennie Godber u could tell Godber like fletcher once fletcher open is mouth with lines like good gracious is that the time good morning sir and who's been having your old lady while you were on night duty lol 😂
@@bigdaddy4069Comedians do stand up, comedy actors do sketches or sitcoms. Of course there are comedians who can act but comedy actors have a greater range. Easy to forget he also did the odd straight role as well.
LOL, the ending scene tho! Hahahaha, perfect!! Ronnie Barker is amazing, really awesome to watch in this show. What a really great show, it was so sweet and I truly enjoyed the one series. Wishing there were more and so sad there was not (RIP Richard Beckinsal. Just so sad!).
I have watched a lot of Ronnie Barker over the past couple of days and have come to the conclusion that he really was a terrific actor, I would have liked to have seen him do something straight and gritty.
I agree. An outstanding character actor who, I think was taken a little too much for granted by the British public and primarily seen as one half of The Two Ronnies.. Nothing at all against The Two Ronnies, but he was so much more than that.
Actually yes that's true. Oddly enough -- and this isn't obvious at first -- I've actually felt the same way about Hugh Grant. Latent talent, wasted on the same kind of role.
Hi a great comedy series i knew Patricia Brake and her father victor he was a butcher at southgate centre in a supermarket i think it was david greggs or somerfield we used to chat a lot about his daughter he was very proud of her Patricia Brake was born in the city of Bath England the same city as me and lived very close to each other it's sad she passed away in 2022 of cancer but lived into her 70s. she is sadly missed.
Gutting that Richard Beckinsale died so young :/ but it's a lovely touch that this episode has Godber letting Fletch know just how grateful he is. Interesting to think how the series would have developed if he hadn't have died, may have seen Barrowclough or other ex-inmates turn up in future episodes. Side note: I think Fletch was meant to be the fall guy in the job Reg planned, explains why he seemed to have no real job to do but entitled to £500. They would double-cross him and leave him to get picked up by the police, with his record he'd have no chance.
I suppose they could have tried and wrote round the death, they could have said Lenny and Ingrid had moved away to Brum. Leaving behind Fletch and his young son Raymond, along with there new lodger the one and only Mr Barrowclough.
I've never understood the rationale behind finishing Going Straight after Beckinsale's death. Not only was Godber important to Porridge, not Going Straight, this episode effectively wrote him out of the series anyway. They could have started a new series with saying that Godber and Ingrid moved away, and then started new storylines. For example, they never really did anything with how Fletch related to Raymond or if Fletch tried to start dating again. Raymond, being lazy and easily led, could've start drifting into crime, perhaps causing Fletcher to consider taking the rap for Raymond so that he doesn't end up like Fletcher, while also being acutely aware that Raymond probably isn't worth the sacrifice of giving up everything he's worked for. Fletcher could start having trouble paying his bills due to his low-paying night porter job. Through some bad luck, or a change in parole officer, there could be a question of whether or not his parole is cancelled. He could've lost his job with the hotel and ended up in a job where Mr. Mackay is his supervisor. I'm sure they could've made season 2 out of that.
@@BritishCommentWriter I agree. Godber didn't seem to be essential to this show and Ingrid was just annoying. There would have been tons of potential for new episodes, and even better if McKay had reappeared after his forced retirement.
@@tosca8571 it was nothing to do with not being able to come up with a story. Ronnie barker said years later that he could never have carried on without Richard Beckinsale
He should of been a bit more nicer to fletcher after all fletcher the one that got him through prison if fletcher didn't lennie wouldn't of made it but then fletcher rub of on him with his mouth still lennie Godber is no where near as good as quick as fletcher
But I'm glad that Godber did admire and respect fletcher he made him his best man that proves of how grateful he is too fletcher and how much he admires him
Just watched all 6 episodes back to back, Really good :-) I have never ever seen this on TV, Porridge is on all the time, not that I'm complaining love Porridge, Curious as to why this never gets shown by any network. Thanks for uploading
When you hear so many of these true life stories about people end up in prison and they had a couple of chances or signs and didn’t get out that’s what is so good about this the copper saying I won’t detain you was brilliant also the animals in the cages. very true to life your subconscious will always give you a chance to get out whether you choose to see the signs or not is another thing brilliant
Thanks for posting this. I looked at the start of episode one expecting a quick nostalgia hit, got sucked in and watched them all. I was wrong, it's not nostalgic at all - writing, acting and heart like this still stands among the best.
I wish, as with all of Barker's work that there was more... this series, him following through with his parole from Slade prison, a great on going narrative with potential. I think Ronnie Barker passed away a bit young, and I know Richard Beckinsale did :( Rest in Peace
I often watch these brilliant old shows and wish they were just coming out now for the first time.. i can wstch em over and over but nothing like the feeling of seeing for first time.. nothing modern is like that
Watching these episodes Going Straight wasn't as bad as a lot of people seem to suggest it was. I've got to believe the reason they didn't make any more was due to Beckinsale's death
To my mind, this is as good as any episode of Porridge. If memory serves me correctly, his death was announced shortly after this series was first aired. Thankfully, this sixth episode brought the story to a good finishing point.
@@RWBHere He died six months after the series finished airing, and while working on another show. But 'Going Straight' won the BAFTA for best sitcom three days after Beckinsale's death, so that might be what you're thinking of.
Great that this has been immortalized, it's certainly stood the test of time. Feel a fair bit of sadness that all the people that starred in it are dead.
The start of this reminded me of a time when I was walking through town with a friend I'd met in there. A meat wagon pulled up and 2 cops sprang out running over to us. The 2 of us looked at each other with a definite 'That better be for you.' expression on our faces. They came over and asked if we wanted to earn some money. £10 each for looking dodgy enough to be in a line up.
I had read this got poor viewings but having reached the last episode reckon this is quality. Ronnie Barker was a consulate comedian. Now I just read it got good viewings and was cancelled due the the death of Richard Beckinsale. That makes much more sense. Forty years on this is still funny and with enough pathos to warm. Strange it's not repeated much.
When this first started I watched it, but probably compared it to what I thought was the much stronger Porridge. I was young then of course, and probably figured that another series of Porridge could not be made if this gained a popular following. Watching it now, I realise how good this was.
23:40 onwards - the best portrayal of a flashback that I've ever seen. And the best portrayal of somebody suddenly seeing sense. "Err - no, no. Only I can do that."
Found these this week,vaguely remember the series ,never seen it repeated,thanks for showing it,so sad not more shows but in a way less is more ,only fools went on for a couple of series too long,never good,Barker's timing and nuance and double entendre were second to none.
This was a perfect 6-parter. Tragic that Beckinsale died of course, but I think it ended well here as it achieved what it set out to do. Modern fiction could learn a lot from this simple, well-executed character development and arc for one of sitcom's greatest characters. The comic irony that the prison sitcom was more upbeat and lackadaisical than the more realistic life on the outside where you are your own worst enemy, is just perfection.
I like how Fletcher was deterred from joining in that robbery after seeing the caged animals in the pet shop. He didn't want to be locked up in prison ever again.
What a fantastic series starring good honest actors! Despite the age of the series it seems so ageless , the struggles are so real today in 2022. What else can be said about Richard Beckinsale, fabulous actor lost so young 😢
Like some others, I didn't really take to it when it first came out. Probably because I was very young and couldn't connect to the characters. Now I can enjoy it and agree that it definitely deserved another series, which never to arose due to sudden death of Richard Beckinsale. Many thanks for posting some golden memories.
For all you Ronnie B fans, look up Richard Beckinsale, this is your life, Ronnie comes on at the end and reads a letter from fletcher! It's comedy GOLD 🤣
I never took to Going Straight when it first aired but I think that was because the creation of this show definitely signalled the end of the excellent Porridge. Porridge wasn't just about Fletch and Godber but included a host of other brilliant and popular characters who were sorely missing from this... so, for me, Going Straight remained in the 'better shows' shadow for a long-time after it first aired. It also became hard to watch this especially when Richard died in 1979. It was hard to watch any comedy that featured him as each only served to remind me how tragically cruel his death was. I believe the shock of that is still felt to this day by so many people. However, re-watching Porridge, Rising Damp and this now, I can appreciate just how good all of these comedies were, especially this. It was, in fact, fortuitous that they did make this series and it has certainly grown in stature as an excellent comedy in its own right.
Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais wrote "Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?" a few years after the "Likely Lads". This series comes across as awarm-up for future series which unfortunately were never made.
Is the pub in the ending scene the same pub in only fools and horses. Ep 1. Didnt Del boy, Rodney, and trigger sit where they where talking about suitcases?
" Get up your goat" bit reused in the Porridge movie too. " I used to think I was working class until I spent sometime (insert place name) and then I realised I was middle class". First heard in Porridge and then series 2 and 3 of Auf Weidershen Pet.They liked recycling lines.
Ive seen Porridge loads, and Grew up on Rising Damp, but this show always makes me sad because of his death, you can see that stardom was just waiting for him, being in such amazing shows.
This series could've still flown without Beckinsale, porridge characters turning up etc. but I can understand why it never happened, fresh from making the Porridge movie in such cold conditions plus Richard passing, not surprising how the time out would become permanent, I think losing Richard hit Barker hard too
@Theseustoo Astyages he had an undiagnosed heart defect, maybe a hole in the heart, or a faulty valve... apparently it got worse as he got older, and well, medicine then wasn't it is today.
Sounds like Richard had congenital heart defect. Which may have been missed. Blocked arteries probably can be fixed now with the advancement in surgery.
Incredible last scene between the two of them 15:40 to 21:05. If you'd known that was going to be the last - which obviously neither of them did - you couldn't have written it better.
Also the very same actor who played the same role when Fletcher tricks the Prison into allowing him to go home for the weekend due to 'marital strife' - the Police Sergeant is the same chap who escorts him home.
Love the subtle details. Leonard Arthur Godber. The initials spell out the UK slang for prisoner Lag. Richard died far too young. Ronnie was a comic genius. Both sorely missed.
