New Faces, Old Hands

"New Faces, Old Hands is the first episode of a series of the BBC sitcom Porridge. It first aired on 5 September 1974.^[1] In this episode, Norman Stanley Fletcher, Lennie Godber and Cyril Heslop arrive at Slade Prison.

Synopsis

The episode opens with Mr Mackay showing the mugshots of Heslop, Godber and Fletcher to his colleagues. Mackay explains that Heslop is not too much of a threat, as he is "thick as two short planks"; Godber is young and naive, but Mackay comments that he may be corrupted by the older Fletcher, who has been in and out of jails. Upon meeting the new arrivals, Mackay gets Fletcher to tell Godber and Heslop about prison routine. The three men soon learn that visits from their wives/partners are restricted to only once a month.

Before their medical examination, Fletcher advises Godber to tell the medical officer that he has bad feet which will allow him to keep his own shoes. The medical examination is carried out by a rather sickly doctor, who does not believe about Fletcher's bad feet.

At lunch, Fletcher is surprised to hear that Godber wants to "go straight" at the age of 23. He is also irritated by Heslop's stupidity. Fletcher then speaks to Mr Barrowclough and puts in a request to have a job in the library and to be put in a single cell. Barrowclough scolds Fletcher for trying to ask him, but Fletcher pretends to be offended and denies that he would ever want to manipulate a prisoner guard. However, Barrowclough does give Fletcher a book on tropical fish.

Later, the three new arrivals are introduced to the Governor. Fletcher notices the Governor's fish tank, and observes that one of the fish has fin rot. This is a ploy by Fletcher to get himself a cushy position in the Governor's office. The three men are sharing a cell together, when Mackay comes in. Mackay gives Godber his shoes back, as the Medical Officer believed his bad feet claim. In addition, Godber has been granted a single cell, because the Governor believes someone as young as Godber would have a better chance of studying. Fletcher is told that he is to share a cell with Heslop and also Evans, a Welsh lunatic who eats light bulbs and razor blades. To add to Fletcher's disappointment, Godber has been awarded kitchen duty, and Heslop has been given library duty. However, Fletcher is told that he has been given special duties by the Governor.

It turns out that the "special duties" are on the prison's farm, mucking out the pig sty. However, Fletcher has the last laugh because his cellmate Evans ate the Governor's copy of Farmer's Weekly.

Episode cast

Note

• First appearance of Godber, Heslop and the Governor.
• Although Fletcher and Godber arrive in prison together, they don't become cell mates until episode three.

References

1. ↑ "Original Air Date (New Faces, Old Hands)". IMDb. Retrieved 25 June 2013.