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"The Desperate Hours" is the second
Christmas special
Christmas themes have long been an inspiration to artists and writers. A prominent aspect of Christian media, the topic first appeared in in literature and Christmas music. Filmmakers have picked up on this wealth of material, with both adaptation ...
of the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
''
Porridge
Porridge is a food made by heating or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, (dried) fruit or syrup to make a sweet cereal, ...
''. It first aired on 24 December 1976.
In this episode, Fletcher and Godber are in trouble for brewing
liquor
Liquor (or a spirit) is an alcoholic drink produced by distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar, that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit drink, distilled beverage or hard ...
in the lead-up to
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
, but are caught up in a
hostage
A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized, such as a relative, employer, law enforcement or government to act, or ref ...
situation in the Governor's office. It was the only episode of Porridge to air in 1976.
Synopsis
It is nearly time for Christmas, and Fletcher has been making
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
for the prisoners of Slade Prison. The Governor, who is strictly
teetotal
Teetotalism is the practice or promotion of total personal abstinence from the psychoactive drug alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler or teetotaller, or is ...
, has a
zero tolerance
A zero tolerance policy is one which imposes a punishment for every infraction of a stated rule.zero tolerance, n.' (under ''zero, n.''). The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Ed. 1989. Retrieved 10 November 2009. Italy, Japan, Singapore China, Indi ...
on illicit drinking in Slade Prison. After Mr Barrowclough fails to discover
alcohol
Alcohol most commonly refers to:
* Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom
* Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks
Alcohol may also refer to:
Chemicals
* Ethanol, one of sev ...
in Fletcher and Godber's cell, Fletcher reveals to Godber that he hid the booze in their metal bedpost. Unfortunately, Mr Mackay catches them in the act, and takes them to see the Governor.
It turns out that the Governor is feeling ill with an
upset stomach
Abdominal pain, also known as a stomach ache, is a symptom associated with both non-serious and serious medical issues.
Common causes of pain in the abdomen include gastroenteritis and irritable bowel syndrome. About 15% of people have a more ...
, and has to keep running to the toilet. Urwin, the new
trusty, comes in with the Governor's cup of tea. As the Governor is making another visit to the toilet, Urwin reveals his plan. He produces a gun and takes Barrowclough and the Governor's secretary, Mrs Jamieson, hostage.
Urwin makes Mackay leave and forces Barrowclough to phone the nearest
RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
base to demand a
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
and
£10,000 in used notes. Word soon gets out about the
kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...
; however, Fletcher and Godber are also implicated in it. Mackay arrives with several cups of coffee, which Urwin accepts. One of these cups is drugged, and intended to knock out Urwin, but Barrowclough messes up the procedure and Fletcher drinks it instead and falls asleep.
While Fletcher is fast asleep, it is revealed that Barrowclough has been having an
affair
An affair is a sexual relationship, romantic friendship, or passionate attachment in which at least one of its participants has a formal or informal commitment to a third person who may neither agree to such relationship nor even be aware of i ...
with Mrs Jamieson. Upon waking up, Fletcher requests to look at Urwin's file. It turns out that he has been recommended for
psychiatric treatment
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry.
Initial psych ...
several times before, but has been turned down. Fletcher persuades Urwin to give him the gun and to give himself up. Godber is amazed at Fletcher's
bravery
Courage (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle.
Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, h ...
, but Fletcher knew the gun was a fake as he saw Urwin make it in the hobby shop. Fletcher fires the gun in the air to prove his point, and the shot hits the ceiling, showering them with plaster, meaning that the gun was in fact loaded. Luckily, no one is hurt.
Later, Barrowclough visits Fletcher and informs him that Urwin is now receiving psychiatric treatment like he requested. Also, the charges against Fletcher and Godber of brewing the illegal alcohol have been dropped. Barrowclough asks Fletcher to forget about the affair between him and Mrs Jamieson. Fletcher points out that he was asleep during this revelation, but then calls Barrowclough "Henry", revealing that he was not entirely unconscious and had heard the conversation.
Episode cast
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Desperate Hours
Porridge (1974 TV series) episodes
British Christmas television episodes
1976 British television episodes