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| Prisoner | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Also known as |
|
| Genre | Soap opera serial (crime-drama) |
| Created by | Reg Watson |
| Written by | Ian Smith, Anne Lucas, Coral Drouyn |
| Directed by |
|
| Starring | (see List of Prisoner cast members) |
| Theme music composer | Allan Caswell Conductor – William Motzing |
| Ending theme | "On the Inside" (written by Allan Caswell, conducted by William Motzing performed by Lynne Hamilton) |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 692 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Ian Bradley (from season 2) |
| Producers | Ian Bradley (season 1), Ian Smith |
| Production locations | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Camera setup | Video |
| Running time | 41–53 minutes |
| Production company | Reg Grundy Organisation |
| Original release | |
| Network | Network Ten |
| Release | 27 February 1979 – 11 December 1986 |
| Related | |
| Wentworth | |
Prisoner (known in the UK and the US as Prisoner: Cell Block H) is an Australian television soap opera, which broadcast on Network Ten (formerly the 0-10 Network) from February 27 (Melbourne) February 26 (Sydney) 1979 to December 1986 (Melbourne), though the series finale would not screen until September 1987 in Sydney, where it aired as a three-hour film that was split into three one-hour episodes at the much-later time-slot of 10:30 p.m., running eight seasons and 692 episodes.
Prisoner was the first Australian series to feature a primarily female-dominated cast [citation needed] and carried the slogan "If you think prison is hell for a man, imagine what it would be like for a woman!"[2]
The series, produced by the Grundy Organisation, was conceived by Reg Watson and filmed at the then Network Ten Melbourne Studios at Nunawading and on location.
The series garnered an international cult following, and it was one of Australia's most successful media exports, exported to 80 countries, performing particularly well in the United States and Canada (billed as Prisoner: Cell Block H and Caged Women, respectively). It also built a large audience in the United Kingdom and other European countries, especially Sweden.
Sammy Davis Jr. was a major fan and visited the set, and wanted to appear in a role, but had other engagements at the time.[3]
The cult status of the series has seen many adaptations, including the modern 21st century re-imaging series Wentworth on Foxtel.
Background
Ian Bradley served as original producer and then executive producer, from series 2, whilst associate producer and screenwriter was Ian Smith, who appeared as an actor in the series as Head of the Department Ted Douglas, prior to becoming famous as the character Harold Bishop in Neighbours; another screenwriter, Anne Lucas, also acted briefly in the series playing prison bookie Faye Quinn.[3]
The series is loosely based on British prison drama series Within These Walls, although it focuses more on the prisoners or inmates, rather than the prison staff led by officious governor Faye Boswell, played by Googie Withers, who was even approached by producers of Prisoner to play the governor.[4]
The series is set in the fictional Wentworth Detention Centre in the fictional suburb of Wentworth in Melbourne, Victoria, and follows the lives of the prisoners and staff within cell block H and, to a lesser extent, others on the outside such as family members, doctors and lawyers. Numerous scenes also took place outside the compound exploring the lives of the inmates and staff outside of the prison; in particular, "Driscoll House", a halfway house where inmates were housed after being released, or neighbouring correction institutions like Barnhurst (a lower-security country prison) and Blackmoor (an aged, yet high-security, prison).
The series gained a positive reception. Initially conceived as a standalone miniseries of 16 episodes, its popularity meant it was developed into an ongoing series. It has since endured worldwide, acquiring cult classic status, particularly for its somewhat outrageous acting and plotlines.
Creation and production
Prisoner was created by Reg Watson, who had produced the British soap opera Crossroads from 1964 to 1973 and then the Australian soaps The Young Doctors and Sons and Daughters and post-Prisoner soap opera Neighbours.
Inspired by the British television drama Within These Walls, the show was initially conceived as a 16-episode series, with a pilot episode bearing the working title "Women Behind Bars".[nb 2] Its storylines focused on the lives of the prisoners and, to a lesser extent, the officers and other prison staff. When the initial episodes met an enthusiastic reception, it was felt that Prisoner could be developed into an ongoing soap opera. The early storylines were developed and expanded, with assistance from the Victorian Corrective Services Department.[5]
The show's themes, often radical, included feminism, LGBT matters, and social reform. Prisoner began in early 1979 with the advertising slogan, "If you think prison is hell for a man, imagine what it's like for a woman". The series examined how women dealt with incarceration and separation from their families and friends, and the common phenomenon of released inmates re-offending. Within the prison, major themes were interpersonal relationships, power struggles, friendships and rivalries. The prisoners became a surrogate family, with the self-styled "Queen Bea", Bea Smith and the elderly "Mum" (Jeanette) Brooks (Mary Ward) emerging as central matriarch figures. Several lesbian characters were introduced on the show, including prisoners Franky Doyle (played by Carol Burns) and Judy Bryant (played by Betty Bobbitt), as well as corrupt and sinister officer Joan Ferguson (Maggie Kirkpatrick).[6]
Continuity
Characters and story exposition were often 'retconned' in order to expand potential storylines. Initially there was a men's prison "next door" to Wentworth, but it was never mentioned again after the early episodes. Barnhurst was originally a co-ed prison, soon becoming a women's facility. Its security status varied considerably, with it being described as an 'open prison farm' by the end of the run; although it was often described as "low-security", serial murderers Bea Smith and Marie Winter were housed there for long periods. Although Blackmoor Prison was initially described as a brand-new, state-of-the-art maximum-security prison, it was depicted as a Victorian-era workhouse when finally seen. Wentworth was variously described as either new or built during World War II, with aged infrastructure.
During the show's run, several recurring characters were played by multiple actresses and actors.[7][8] Meg Jackson's (later Morris) (Elspeth Ballantyne) son and stepdaughter, Marty Jackson and Tracey Morris, were each played by multiple actors—Ronald Korosy, Andrew McKaige, and Michael Winchester as Marty, and Sue Devine and Michelle Thomas as Tracey.[9][10] In the closing year, Nicki Paull's character Lisa Mullins was taken over by Terrie Waddell.[11][8]
Synopsis
Viewers' introduction to the Wentworth Detention Centre featured the arrival of two new prisoners, Karen Travers (Peta Toppano)[nb 3] and Lynn Warner (Kerry Armstrong). Travers was charged with murdering her husband in a crime of passion after he was found in bed with another woman (her flashback featured a shower scene that was a nod to Alfred Hitchcock's classic Psycho), whilst Warner insisted she was innocent despite her conviction for the abduction and attempted murder of a child. Both women were sent to the prison's maximum-security wing (H Block), where they were horrified by their new surroundings. Karen was confronted with a former lover—prison doctor Greg Miller (Barry Quin)—and was sexually harassed by violent lesbian cellmate Franky Doyle (Carol Burns). Lynn was ostracised by the other prisoners because of her crime (prisoners are known for their intolerance of offenders against children) and terrorised by Bea Smith, who burnt her hand in the laundry's steam press in one of the series' most iconic early scenes.
Other, less-volatile, prisoners included elderly garden-loving Jeanette "Mum" Brooks, who was incarcerated for the euthanasia of her husband who had terminal cancer, teddy-clutching misfit and childlike Doreen Anderson (Colette Mann), alcoholic former cook recidivist Lizzie Birdsworth (Sheila Florance), who apparently poisoned a group of shearers, and seductive prostitute Gladys "Marilyn" Mason (Margaret Laurence), who seduced prison electrician Eddie Cook (Richard Moir). The prison officers (or "screws", as the prisoners call them) included firm-but-fair well-heeled governor Erica Davidson (Patsy King); dour deputy governor Vera Bennett (Fiona Spence), who was always wanting to become Governor and was nicknamed "Vinegar Tits" by Franky; and firm but compassionate senior officer Meg Jackson (later Morris) (Elspeth Ballantyne).
Early episodes featured a high level of violence: Lynn Warner's burning in a steam press; a prisoner hanging herself in her cell; a fatal stabbing; and a flashback sequence triggered by the time Karen Travers stabbed her abusive husband to death in the shower. The series' first major story arc was the turf war between Bea and Franky, in a bid to become the prison's "Top Dog" (unofficial leader), culminating by episode 3 in a riot where Meg was held hostage and her husband—prison social worker Bill Jackson (Don Barker)—was stabbed to death by inmate Chrissie Latham (Amanda Muggleton).
Series extension
Prisoner premiered in Australia on 27 February 1979.[nb 4] Its success prompted the producers to extend the series, first from 16 to 20 episodes and then indefinitely. The production schedule increased from one- to two-hour-long episodes per week; Carol Burns left the show after 20 episodes, feeling that she could not continue playing Franky Doyle with the tighter schedule. Her storyline sees her as an escapee from Wentworth with fellow inmate Doreen Anderson, and after being on the run for three weeks, she is shot dead by a policeman.[12]
New story arcs were introduced. Karen Travers appealed against her sentence and was eventually released, allowing her to resume her relationship with Greg Miller and becoming involved in prison reform. As original characters began leaving the series (Mum Brooks, Lynn Warner, Karen and Greg appeared beyond the initial sixteen episodes, but most had left by the end of the 1979 season; Greg left in early 1980), new characters arrived: hulking husband-beater Monica Ferguson (Lesley Baker), career criminal Noeline Bourke (Jude Kuring), troubled murderess Roslyn Coulson (Sigrid Thornton) and imprisoned mother Pat O'Connell (Monica Maughan), in addition to shorter-term inmates with brief storylines. Prostitute Chrissie Latham, a minor character in the early episodes, returned in a more central antagonistic role and a male deputy governor, Jim Fletcher (Gerard Maguire), joined the female-dominated cast.
Final season
Ratings had been declining for some time, and when they continued to fall in 1986, Network Ten decided in July not to renew the series. Production ended on 5 September, and the final episode aired in Melbourne on 11 December 1986.[nb 5] The producers had several weeks' notice that the series was ending, enabling them to construct strong concluding storylines (including the ultimate defeat of Joan "the Freak" Ferguson). Prisoner's final episodes dealt with the redemption of the misunderstood Kath Maxwell and concluded the ongoing dynamic between Rita Connors (played by Glenda Linscott) and Joan Ferguson (Maggie Kirkpatrick).
Main cast
For extended cast list see article: Prisoner cast list
| Actor | Character | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elspeth Ballantyne | Meg Jackson/Morris | Season 1–8 | Ballantyne was the only main cast member to remain for the series duration. |
| Sheila Florance | Lizzie Birdsworth | Season 1–6 | |
| Val Lehman | "Queen" Bea Smith | Seasons 1–5 (400 episodes) | |
| Colette Mann | Doreen Anderson/Burns | Season 1–4, recurring 5-6 | |
| Gerard Maguire | Deputy Governor; Jim Fletcher | Season 1–4 | |
| Patsy King | Governor Erica Davidson | Season 1–5 (returned as a guest in Season 6) | |
| Fiona Spence | Vera Benett | Season 1–3 | |
| Peta Toppano | Karen Travers | Seasons 1–2 | Toppano, along with Kerry Armstrong were the first actors to be seen on screen, during the opening credits. |
| Barry Quin | Dr. Greg Millar | Season 1–2 | |
| Mary Ward | "Mum" Jeanette Brooks | ||
| Carol Burns | Franky Doyle | Season 1 | Burns character garnered a cult following, despite appearing only in the first 20 episodes. |
| Kerry Armstrong | Lynn Warner | Season 1 | |
| Margaret Laurence | Marilyn Mason | Season 1 | |
| Richard Moir | Eddie Cook | Season 1 | |
| Christine Amor | Jean Vernon | Season 1 | |
| Jim Smillie | Steve Wilson | Season 1 | |
| Lesley Baker | Monica Ferguson | Season 1 | |
| Don Barker | Bill Jackson | Season 1 | Appeared only in the first 2 episodes |
| Monica Maughan | Pat O'Connell | recurring Season 1, Season 2 | |
| Judith McGrath | Colleen Powell | recurring Season 1–2, main Seasons 3–6 | |
| Joy Westmore | Joyce Barry | recurring 1–5, main Season 6-8 | |
| Betty Bobbitt | Judy Bryant | Seasons 2–7 | |
| George Mallaby | Paul Reid | Season 2 | |
| Maggie Kirkpatrick | "The Freak" Joan Ferguson | Seasons 4–8 | |
| Gerda Nicolson | (Governor) Ann Reynolds | Seasons 5–8 | |
| Anne Phelan | Myra Desmond | recurring Seasons 2–4, main Seasons 6–7 | |
| Glenda Linscott | Rita Connors | Seasons 7–8 |
Supporting cast
| Actor | Character | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Sigrid Thornton | Roslyn Coulson | Season 1–2 |
| Amanda Muggleton | Chrissie Latham | Seasons 1–5 |
| Serge Lazareff | David Andrews | Season 3 |
| Louise Le Nay | Sandy Edwards | Seasons 3–4 |
| Olivia Hamnett | Kate Petersen | Seasons 3–4 |
| Kate Sheil | Janet Conway | Seasons 3–4 |
| Wayne Jarratt | Steve Fawkner | Seasons 3–4 |
| Maggie Millar | Marie Winter | recurring, Seasons 3–4, 6 |
Broadcast sheet
Days and times listed are for Network Ten Melbourne Station ATV-10, days and times may vary in other regions of Australia.
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 79 | 27 February 1979 | 28 November 1979 | |
| 2 | 86 | 22 January 1980 | 12 November 1980 | |
| 3 | 81 | 4 February 1981 | 11 November 1981 | |
| 4 | 80 | 9 February 1982 | 9 November 1982 | |
| 5 | 90 | 1 February 1983 | 3 November 1983 | |
| 6 | 89 | 17 January 1984 | 8 November 1984 | |
| 7 | 83 | 24 January 1985 | 5 November 1985 | |
| 8 | 104 | 9 January 1986 | 11 December 1986 | |
Spin-offs, remakes and specials
Spin-offs
Willow B: Women in Prison
A pilot for an unproduced American version of Prisoner was produced by Lorimar in 1980, entitled Willow B: Women in Prison. The cast included Ruth Roman, Virginia Capers, Carol Lynley, and Sally Kirkland. The pilot aired on ABC-TV on 29 June 1980.
Wentworth
In March 2012, it was announced that Foxtel would produce a contemporary "re-imagining" of Prisoner, Wentworth, set in modern-day Australia. Wentworth recounts the rise of Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack) from her arrival at Wentworth as a remand prisoner to "top dog". The series is filmed at a new, purpose-built prison set in the Melbourne suburb of Clayton.
Wentworth features contemporary versions of vintage characters along with new characters. Characters and cast members include Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack), crime matriarch Jacs Holt (Kris McQuade), Liz Birdsworth (Celia Ireland), Doreen Anderson (Shareena Clanton), Franky Doyle (Nicole da Silva), Sue "Boomer" Jenkins (Katrina Milosevic), social worker Erica Davidson (Leeanna Walsman), officer Will Jackson (Robbie Magasiva), officer Matthew Fletcher (Aaron Jeffery), deputy governor Vera Bennett (Kate Atkinson), and governor Meg Jackson (Catherine McClements), as well as Linda Miles (Jacquie Brennan), Joan Ferguson (Pamela Rabe), Sean Brody (Rick Donald), Greg Miller (David de Lautour), Marie Winter (Susie Porter), Rita Connors (Leah Purcell).
None of the original cast was initially scheduled to return for the first series, but on 29 November 2012 it was confirmed that Anne Charleston (who appeared in the original series) would make a guest appearance, as well as Sigrid Thornton who was in the original series as Ros Coulson, Thornton would play Sonia Stevens.[15] Wentworth premiered in Australia on Foxtel's SoHo channel on 1 May 2013.[16][17][18] As of 2018, the series was still in production, with a sixth season premiering on 19 June 2018, while a seventh season had been announced and due to air in 2019. Season 7 aired in May 2019. While Wentworth was confirmed for a 2021 ending, it won't surpass Prisoner in episodes, but will surpass the show in years on air.[19] During Wentworth 13 actors who appeared in Prisoner also appeared in Wentworth in a guest capacity, including Tina Bursill who appeared in Prisoner as the character of Sonia Stevens she was cast in Wentworth as Eve Wilder[20] and several others.
Spoofs
In 1980 Saturday Night Live aired a parody of the series, "Debs Behind Bars". In the sketch, the inmates (including guest host Teri Garr) are spoiled debutantes who complain about "icky" living conditions in prison. During the early 1990s, Seven Network's comedy sketch program Fast Forward parodied Prisoner; Gina Riley (Bea Smith), Jane Turner (Lizzie Birdsworth), Magda Szubanski (Doreen) and Marg Downey as officer (Joan Ferguson) gave scenes from the series a comedic twist.
Other series to have featured Prisoner spoofs included The Paul Hogan Show, Let the Blood Run Free, Naked Video and The Krypton Factor.
Prisoner-inspired shows
In 1991, Prisoner was reprised for the American market as Dangerous Women. The US version borrowed heavily from the Australian original for characters and was created and written by Reg Watson, who had also created the original Australian series. In Dangerous Women, the emphasis was outside the prison, focusing on prisoner relationships in a halfway house. It is remembered now mainly for the early appearance of actor Casper Van Dien in the role of Brad Morris.[citation needed] In 1997, Prisoner was revised in a German-language version, Hinter Gittern – Der Frauenknast (Behind Bars). The series ran from 1997 to 2007 for 16 series and 403 episodes.
Talking Prisoner
On June 18, 2021, producer Matt Batten created the Talking Prisoner podcast and YouTube channel. Batten's co-host Ken Mulholland served as head cameraman on Prisoner from the series debut until episode 692. Mulholland and Batten interview cast and crew from Prisoner in depth. The podcast however also features interviews with cast and crew from other popular Australian internationally successful series like Sons and Daughters and Neighbours, and also featured interviews from staff at actual prisons including a 2023 interview with a warder from Ireland and a Prison Chaplin from San Quentin. In 2023 Mulholland departed [21] the podcast to focus on his art and it was announced that Tim Burns had joined as the new co-host of the podcast.
The channel can be found on YouTube and the official website "Talking Prisoner.com", and is also broadcast on social media sites such as Facebook.[22]
Merchandise
There have been several tie-in books and video and DVD releases. Prisoner's theme song ("On the Inside", sung by Lynne Hamilton) reached number four in Australia in 1979 and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart in 1989. "On the Inside" was re-released as a digital download and CD single in March 2012. The song was featured as a B-side on punkabilly group The Living End's EP, Second Solution / Prisoner of Society.
Books (tie-in publications)
Based on the Series
There have been numerous publications on the series, including tie-in paperback novels, including publication's by Pinnacle Books, which in 1980, led by the actors union the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance and represented by cast member Val Lehman (Bea Smith), which saw the cast go on strike due to the content in the United States: soft-core pornography at odds with the series. Six books were published: Prisoner: Cell Block H, The Franky Doyle Story, The Karen Travers Story, The Frustrations of Vera, The Reign of Queen Bea and The Trials of Erica.
Two behind-the-scenes books were published in the UK during the early 1990s. Prisoner: Cell Block H – Behind the Scenes was written by Terry Bourke and published by Angus & Robertson Publishers, who published similar books about soap opera's Neighbours and Home and Away. Bourke documents the show's genesis and development, and the book has many stills and character profiles. Hilary Kingsley's Prisoner Cell Block H – The Inside Story emphasises more on plot and characters.
A limited-edition book, The Inside Story, was published in 2007 as part of the full-series DVD release in Australia. Written by TV journalists Andrew Mercado and Michael Idato, the commemorative book has the series' background, year-by-year storylines, character details and quotes by cast and crew. It was available as part of The Complete Collection DVD set.
Biographies and memoirs of cast members
There are also several published autobiographies, biographies and memoirs of cast members:
- Colette Mann published 2 books, It's a Mann's World in 1990 and Give Me a Break in 2002
- Betty Bobbitt self-published From the Outside, in 2011, which are her memoirs of her career which included playing the role of Judy Bryant on Prisoner.[23]
- Sheila Florance biography titled "On the Inside" was published in 2016 by Helen Martineau, which details her career as an actress and performer, including her role as Lizzie Birdsworth on Prisoner.
- Maggie Kirkpatrick, published her own autobiography in 2019, about her performing career, titled The Gloves Are Off, named after the iconic leather gloves that she occasionally wore as Joan Ferguson on Prisoner.
DVD releases
The complete series of Prisoner is available on DVD format in both Australia and the United Kingdom. On Region 4 in Australia, distribution company Shock Records released the series over forty volumes, and a complete collection, comprising these volumes; the UK editions, from FremantleMedia, made the series available over twenty volumes (doubling-up on the Australian sets). In 2016, ViaVision acquired the rights to re-release the series in Australia and made the decision to release the series in their original season formats. See above for a full listing of VHS and DVD sets available. The following is an overview of Prisoner releases in their seasons formats.
| DVD title | Episodes | Discs | Release date | Runtime (minutes) |
ACB rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 4[24] | ||||||
| The Complete Season One | 79 | 20 | 2 November 2016 | 3555 | M | |
| The Complete Season Two | 86 | 21 | 11 January 2017 | 3949 | M | |
| The Complete Season Three | 81 | 21 | 8 February 2017 | 3596 | M | |
| The Complete Season Four | 80 | 21 | 8 March 2017 | 3600 | M | |
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