Lennie Godber
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Lennie Godber was a character in the popular BBC sitcom Porridge. He was played by Richard Beckinsale.
Godber is from Birmingham and has an 'O' Level in Geography (which Fletch claims was needed to find his way around Birmingham). He later takes the 'O' level examination for History (Fletch attempts to help him by stealing the papers in advance, unfortunately, he gets Warren to actually carry out the task, and he steals the wrong paper). Upon arriving in prison he has a girlfriend called Denise. In an effort to get Denise a gift, Godber broke into a neighbour's flat. He was caught, and apparently received a good kicking. It was for this that he was sentenced to two years imprisonment. Denise later broke up with Godber through a 'Dear John' letter.
In the first episode, Lennie arrives at Slade Prison, along with Fletch. However, unlike Fletch, who has spent several 5 year spells in prison, this is Godber's first stretch of 'Porridge'. Fletcher felt stongly about someone of Godber's age being in prison; however, when Godber announces that upon his release he plans to 'go straight', Fletch is perplexed annoncing 'Twenty three and you want to go straight? What kind of talk is that? You've got your whole life in front of you!' Fletch and Godber later become cell-mates, and Fletch is quick to take the naive Godber under his wing. Godber learns much from Fletch, and by the end of the series has inherited much of his cunning.
Godber also often came into conflict with the ever suspicious Mr Mackay, who appeared to find it very hard to belive that Lennie was not up to something; and even when he was, MacKay found it very hard to pin anything on him, thanks to Godber's penchant for dramatics, and occasionally to the cover up efforts of Fletch and the sympathetic Mr Barrowclough.
Godber works in the prison kitchen where he has ample access to valuable commodities such as butter and Fletch's beloved pineapple chunks. Godber also took up a short lived career as a boxer in the prison.
Doe eyed, optimistic Godber was the perfect sidekick for grouchy, world weary Fletcher, and the banter between the two became one of the main attractions of the series. This was best illustrated in the famous and ambitious episode 'A Night In', where the entire episode is set within the cell, in relative darkness, with only Godber and Fletch's banter for entertainment. This genre has been imitated by many other sitcoms, such as Friends ('The One Where No One's Ready') and Bottom ('S Up). However, few, if any of these have managed to re-create the minimalistic genius of the original, falling back on other comedy devices (the Friends episode had several characters, each with their own storyline; the Bottom episode was set atop a Ferris Wheel, with much of the comedy deriving from this setting).