ONE of the best Christmas shows this year is the Lowry’s production of Porridge, which runs until Saturday, January 16.

Originally aired on BBC1 between 1974 and 1977, the character of jailbird Norman Stanley Fletcher was originally conceived for a one-off comedy, Prisoners and Escort.

The show was initially to be named Bird or Stir before the team settled on the euphemism for life behind bars, Porridge.

Two series, two Christmas specials and a feature film proved the show’s success as it became the regular diet both inside and outside Britain’s jails; prisoners claiming it to be the most accurate portrayal of real prison life on TV.

This show promises to rekindle the fond memories held by so many of HMP Slade and its notorious inmates, allowing audiences once more to hear the cherished catchphrase Naff off in this unarguable all-time classic.