This was the US version of the hugely successful British sitcom Porridge (1974), produced by the BBC from 1974-1977. 'Porridge' is/was a British slang term for a prison sentence.
Concerned about the audience reaction to the setting of a sitcom in a prison, executives at Universal (whom the series was first pitched to) at one point suggested the prison be located in Hawaii.
Despite getting better reviews than most American remakes, the network that broadcast this did not commission another series.
To ensure the series was accurate for US audiences with regards to prison rules and regulations (which of course differed from the UK, where their original research was undertaken), the writers visited the California Institution for Men (CIM) in Chino, San Bernardino County, California (where they encountered the living embodiment of their Fletcher/Cleaver character).
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