Going Straight

Going Straight is a BBC sitcom created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and starring Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale. The programme was a direct spin-off to the sitcom Porridge, which all four were involved in, with its premise surrounding the exploits of Barker's character Norman Stanley Fletcher following his release from prison and his attempts to not commit another crime for the sake of his family, despite the allure that crime brings. The programme also featured the appearance of Patricia Brake, reprising her role in Porridge, and Nicholas Lyndhurst. Both Fulton Mackay and Tony Osoba guest starred in the first episode, also reprising their earlier roles.

A single series of six episodes was made and aired across 1978, attracting an audience of over 15 million viewers and winning a BAFTA TV Award for Best Situation Comedy in March 1979. Plans for further episodes were allegedly shelved after the premature death of Beckinsale in 1979 although in an interview published in "Porridge The Complete Scripts and Series Guide" (2001) the writers stated that only one series was ever planned as Ronnie Barker would only agree to do the six episodes.

Episodes
Six episodes of Going Straight, all written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, were produced for the BBC. The show began airing on 24 February and ended on 7 April 1978. All episodes had a running time of approximately 30 minutes.

Theme tune
The theme tune, sung by Ronnie Barker, detailed Fletch's determination to go straight, an ambition first laid out in the Porridge episode "Men Without Women": This was released as 7-inch single by EMI records. The B-side is a track called "The String Bean Queen'"

Main cast

 * Ronnie Barker as Norman Stanley Fletcher
 * Richard Beckinsale as Lennie Godber
 * Patricia Brake as Ingrid Fletcher
 * Nicholas Lyndhurst as Raymond Fletcher

Recurring cast

 * David Swift as Mr. McEwan
 * Rowena Cooper as Shirley Chapman

Guest cast

 * Fulton Mackay as Principal officer Mr. MacKay
 * Tony Osoba as Jim McLaren
 * Timothy Bateson as Oaksey
 * Roberta Tovey as Penny
 * Alfred Lynch as Dave Pipers
 * Norman Jones as Mr. Tanner
 * Freddie Earlle as Tony
 * Nigel Hawthorne as Worm Wellings
 * Pete Postlethwaite (credited as Peter Postlethwaite) as Thomas Clifford Crowther
 * Ron Pember as Percy
 * Royston Tickner as Sergeant
 * Michael Turner as Mr Scotcher
 * Dave Hill as Arthur Boyle
 * Milton Johns as Mr. Kirby
 * Robert Raglan as Inspector
 * Elizabeth Cassidy as Pamela
 * Lally Bowers as Mrs. Appleby
 * Stephen Tate as Canadian Tourist
 * Paul McDowell as Mr. Collinson