Royal Mail celebrates 'timeless and enduring' sitcom

Royal Mail is issuing eight special stamps to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Porridge.  

The stamps include memorable quotes and scenes featuring some of the most popular characters in the prison-based sitcom, which launched on the BBC on September 5, 1974.

A total of 16 million viewers tuned in to the first broadcast, and the comedy  ran for three series plus a big-screen adaptation and a sequel series, Going Straight. 

One of two first-class stamps shows Ronnie Barker as worldly-wise jailbird Norman Stanley Fletcher, with his rookie cellmate Lennie Godber (Richard Beckinsale) on a £2 stamp.

Fiercely strict prison guard Mr Mackay (Fulton Mackay) is on a second-class stamp, while his timid do-gooder colleague Mr Barrowclough (Brian Wilde) is on a £2.50 stamp. The others show ensemble scenes.

David Gold, Royal Mail’s director of external affairs and policy, said: ‘Porridge continues to resonate with audiences even after five decades thanks to the quality of the writing and the characters the cast brought to the screen. These stamps celebrate British television creativity that is timeless and enduring.'

lan La Frenais, who wrote the show with Dick Clement, said of its origin: ‘So it was agreed with Ronnie and ourselves that we would write a comedy set in prison. In the interests of research, Dick and I visited Wormwood Scrubs, Wandsworth and Brixton, after which we decided that there was absolutely no way a series about Porridge could ever be funny.’

The stamps, and a range of collectible products, are available to order from today at www.royalmail.com/porridge. A presentation pack including all eight stamps is priced £14.30. The stamps go on general sale on September 3.

Published: 29 Aug 2024