"Seven of One" Prisoner and Escort (1973)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Writers:

Dick Clement (written by) &
Ian La Frenais (written by)

TV Series:

"Seven of One" (1973)

Original Air Date:

1 April 1973 (Season 1, Episode 2)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Cast

Ronnie Barker	...	Norman Stanley Fletcher
Brian Wilde	...	Mr. Barrowclough
Fulton Mackay	...	Mr. Mackay
Hamish Roughead	...	Prison Guard

Filming Locations:

Bedlinog, Merthyr Tydfil, Merthyr, Wales, UK

Movie Connections:

Spin off "Porridge" (1974)

On the way to start some Porridge

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

A great second episode of 'Seven of One' which would soon bring the classic 'Porridge' to our screens.

Fletcher is on his way to Slade Prison having been sentenced to five years. It is New Years Eve. It is a long journey to Slade Prison in Cumberland. Fletcher is being escorted to the prison by officers Barrowclough and Mackay. After a train journey, they get in a van to take them to the prison. Fletcher needs a pee and Mackay tells him to do it behind the van. He sees this as a chance to prolong his entrance into Slade Prison and pees in the petrol tank. Soon after the van breaks down. Mackay decides to walk on to the prison and orders Barrowclough to keep Fletcher in the van with the hand-cuffs on. But when the two get cold and Fletcher notices a nice cosy cottage, they both decide to break in. They do and to celebrate hogmany, they each drink whiskey. Barrowclough gets a bit drunk and starts talking of his marriage problems. Fletcher manages to persuade Barrowclough to take the hand-cuffs off. Barrowclough falls asleep and Fletcher sees it the ideal opportunity to escape. He runs round the moors all night long. He finally finds a place where he can hide and he climbs in, only to find it's the cottage he originally escaped from. Barrowclough is just waking up, so he doesn't know Fletcher has been out all night. At the prison, Fletcher is in the Gouverner's good books all ready because of his 'good behaviour' And the under-praised Mr Barrowclough gets high praise from the Gouvner for his handling of the situation.

When Dick Clement and Iain La Frenais wrote this episode as part of the classic 'Seven of One' series starring Ronnie Barker, I very much doubt they knew they were writing the pilot episode episode of a true timeless classic that is quite rightly regarded as one of Britain's greatest sitcoms. This episode of course would become the classic 'Porridge' that would spawn three series, two Christmas specials, a feature film and a spin-off series. Ronnie Barker has a brilliant filmography, but 'Porridge' in my opinion is his greatest work. Playing a Prison Officer at the start of the episode is Scottish actor Hamish Roughead. When 'Dad's Army' star John Laurie decided he wasn't well enough to play his part in the 'Dad's Army' stage show, Roughead replaced him in the part as Frazer. Thirteen months later, 'Porridge' would appear on our screens.

Best Bit: Fletcher's face when he realises he has broken into the house he escaped from.