'Greatest British sitcom of all time' is streaming free and fans can't stop rewatching

Comedy fans have found the "greatest sitcom of all time" - and best of all its free to stream. The popular BBC sitcom which first aired in the 1970s was recently revived in 2017 but fans young and old are still addicted to the original sitcom. The show aired for three seasons having launched in 1974. Porridge starred Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale, Brian Wilde and Fulton Mackay. It tells the story of prison life for Norman Fletcher, a criminal serving a five-year sentence, as he strives to bide his time, keep his record clean, and refuses to be ground down by the prison system.

Fans of the beloved series have since taken to social media to praise the classic sitcom which received a near perfect score of 8.3/10 on IMDB. Sharing a photo of Ronnie on X, a commentator wrote: "Porridge (BBC Sitcom 1974-77) Who's a fan of this all-time classic sitcom? One of the greats IMO [in my opinion]." Viewers flocked to comment on the post as one praised: "One of the greatest sitcoms of all time. Didn't overstay it's welcome and had a proper finale. The spin off show was also very good despite many often putting it down. The movie is easily the best sitcom movie spin off by far."

A second echoed: "The best British sitcom of all time."

A third agreed: "I rewatched the whole series and Going Straight a few months ago and they are still so funny. I loved the film as well and always watch it if it's on tv. My home town is mentioned in it as well a few times."

Another shared: "One the greatest of all time," while a fifth added: "THE greatest imo."(sic)

All three series are available to watch for free in BBC iPlayer.

Viewers have continued to share their thoughts about the beloved programme almost 50 years since its release.

One fan penned on IMDB: "A classic British comedy. Some great comedic plots and dialogue plus a wonderfully sentimental, dramatic side that adds a nice balance to proceedings. These aspects are just the start though. The series is made by the performance of the great Ronnie Barker as Fletcher. He uses the great dialogue to fantastic effect with some great one-liners and put-downs and perfect comedic timing."

Another added: "This is easily the funniest comedy ever made.The characters are very strong."