What is it with people knocking this series? I thought it was fantastic, yet all I heard from critics and friends alike were moans of 'can't touch the original' and 'makes of a mockery of the genius of Barker' etc. You know what? I bet Mr Barker would have loved it.Heart warmingly funny, genuinely amusing with great characters, it was like a step back in time. I get fed up of comedy constantly reinventing itself - funny is funny and this certainly was. It warmed my heart.

Forgive me for adding a negative review to the proceedings, I am struggling to understand what people are finding funny with this show, terribly old fashioned, recycled humour that simply isn't amusing in the slightest. They've attempted to recreate Porridge, the same way in which they brought back the equally terrible Still Open all Hours. What's with trying to bring classics back? Leave them where they are Comedy Gold, surely there are enough talented writers out there to give us new comedy shows?

We get introduced to Norman Fletcher, he's in Prison for internet fraud. And like his famous relative Fletch is on the make. Firstly I liked Kevin Bishop as Fletch, he had a cheeky chappy vibe going on, and was very likable. I thought the script was rather good, a couple of laughs, some nice characters including the new guards Meekie and Braithwaite. Mark Bonnar's character Meekie was rather good and will develop I'm sure. I think there was perhaps a little too much emphasis on copying the classic show like for like, a Scottish guard, a soft guard etc, but all in all I liked it, and am glad a full series was commissioned. As with all new sitcoms the overbearing canned laughter was way to much.Fletch for a new generation can't be bad. 7/10

I don't know what the problem was with the poor professional reviews and the haters. People seem stuck in the past and determined to find fault. I'm 65 and I thought the writing was brilliant and once I got past the first episode, I watched them all back to back on the BBC website. Perhaps I *am* easy to please but I thought it funny and lovingly created. There were just enough differences to make it new for 2017 and yet just enough similarity to appreciate the old 70s sitcom. Yes, we know dear old Ronnie was a comedy genius but I thought many of the actors did a fine job. I certainly didn't even recognize the one who plays the copper on Doc Martin! And the huge tough one with the beard? What comic timing! *And* there were touches of genius about this one as well. When the Scotsman sang? And the expression on the woman guard's face? And did I say that I thought the writing was funny? Bravo. Give us another six, please. Oh, and for God's sake...Goodnight Sweetheart as well.