ACTORSCHARACTERSSTARTEPISODES

EPISODE 48

Jim makes a deal.

First broadcast ... 1979 (Melbourne)
ITV broadcasts: Yorkshire Mon 17 Mar 1986 23:00 ; TVS/Channel Thu 4 Dec 1986 22:30 ; Central Mon 10 Aug 1987 23:05 ; other regions
Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 22 May 1997 Thurs 4:40 a.m.
DVD release: volume 3 disc 4 (AUS)
Duration: 00:49:02



Jean ~ Christine Amor
Monica ~ Lesley Baker
Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne
Jim ~ Gerard Maguire
Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance
Erica ~ Patsy King
Bea ~ Val Lehman
Doreen ~ Colette Mann
Greg ~ Barry Quin
Vera ~ Fiona Spence
Karen ~ Peita Toppano
Edith ~ Colleen Clifford
Peter ~ Carrillo Gantner
Det Sgt Grace ~ Terry Gill
Martha ~ Kate Jason
Denise ~ Lynda Keane
Joyce ~ Judy Nunn
Melinda ~ Lulu Pinkus
Tom ~ Hu Pryce
Bob ~ Paul Glen
Policeman ~ Brian Hickey
Officer ~ Judith McGrath
Leila ~ Penny Ramsay
Carol ~ Judith Roberts

  • Written by S.E. Unsworth
  • Directed by Philip East
  • Thanks to Bjorn Wallgren for providing the credits above from the Swedish second run on 2nd February 2001, as most other showings seem to have an incorrect version: see below for further comments. Doreen is credited but does not appear in this episode.

    Colleen Powell unlocks the cells in the morning instead of Jim, but she's a new officer and doesn't know much about the reasons why Jim isn't there. Jim goes to meet Blossom and he agrees to go to a motel room with her, a room which she has booked. Tom meets Peter outside Wentworth (purely so he can offer an opinion on Vera as she passes - "a raving lez"): he tells Peter he has decided to end the affair with his student. Vera gloats to the new officer that Jim was suspending for having it off with one of the prisoners. After having sex with Blossom , Jim pressurises Blossom into telling him where the key is. Joyce wants Martha to get a message to Harry that Jim is after the money. Jim phones Sgt Grace with the information about the key, but naming Joyce as the person responsible for hiding the key. Jim gives Blossom some money and tells her to get a plane out as he's told the police in order to get the reward money. Erica foolishly tells Peter about the reasons for Jim's suspension. Tom tries to break it off with Melinda, but she refuses to let him and tells him she has taken incriminating photos. When he says he wants to leave anyway, she demands money instead or she will send copies to his wife. Martha reports back to Joyce that she can't get a message to Harry as he is under arrest for drunken driving in Adelaide. Erica is forced to reprimand Jim, but he assumes he will be reinstated. Grace interviews Monnie again about the money and charges her with being an accessory to armed robbery. Monica's plan to keep quiet falls down when Grace tells her that her husband won't be charged with involvement in the robbery as Harry Martin has taken all the credit: Fred will therefore be out earlier than her and have plenty of time to get to the money before she does. Greg allows Lizzie to get out of bed. Jean sees Edith about her forthcoming release and where she might go. Even with the reward money, Leila won't come back to Jim: he finds she in bed in the middle of the afternoon with a new man friend "Bob". Karen tells Peter that Meg was born in prison, which makes him even keener to get hold of the officers' files. After Karen suggests Jim must have an Army file, Peter realises he has a contact who might be able to help him with that. Edie looks after Lizzie in their cell and makes sure she has her pills where she can reach them. Lizzie calls for help for Edie who seems to be sobbing in her sleep (or maybe that's just the actresses strange performance): she confesses to Jim she was upset by Jean's questions about her future. Melinda sends the photos to Tom's wife and then phones her up to make sure she opens the parcel. She then phones her husband to find out whether he knows what the parcel is, and realises it must be photographs. Jean sees Joyce about her transfer to D block, but Joyce turns on her heel and leaves. When the parcel arrives, Carol opens them and finds the photos and a demand for $5,000. Jim confronts Jean about upsetting Edie, but she attacks his assumption that old people need special treatment. Tom arrives home to find the photos torn up and Carol no longer in the house.

    Erica tells Peter that "all staff files are held at the Department". Why? Must make administration a bit difficult, surely?

    If Meg is so mumsy, how could she resist reaching over and tucking in Greg's collar in this scene ?

    ***


    Another bad day in the credits department? The credits attached to this episode (see left column below) on all UK broadcasts I know of and in the recent Australian Foxtel re-run (thanks to Robert for checking) are incorrect. They appear to be the same as for (46) apart from the first screen which has been updated to reflect Jean Vernon's re-appearance in (47). Kathleen and Doreen are not in this episode, and several characters are missed out.

    Thanks to Steve West of "Blockade - The Prisoner Magazine" (PO Box 63, Pinner, Middlesex) who sent a typed sheet of the credits prepared by Grundy's publicity department (see right hand column below - character surnames omitted). As can be seen, even this doesn't correspond to the correct broadcast credits: Det. Insp. Grace isn't in either set, for instance.

    CREDITS AS BROADCAST
    Jean ~ Christine Amor
    Monica ~ Lesley Baker
    Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne
    Jim ~ Gerard Maguire
    Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance
    Erica ~ Patsy King
    Bea ~ Val Lehman
    Doreen ~ Colette Mann
    Greg ~ Barry Quin
    Vera ~ Fiona Spence
    Karen ~ Peita Toppano
    Edith ~ Colleen Clifford
    Peter ~ Carrillo Gantner
    Denise ~ Lynda Keane
    Joyce ~ Judy Nunn
    Leila ~ Penny Ramsay
    Kathleen ~ Penny Stewart
    GRUNDY'S TYPED CREDITS
    Bea ~ Val Lehman
    Jim ~ Gerard Maguire
    Denise ~ Lynda Keane
    Vera ~ Fiona Spence
    Monica ~ Lesley Baker
    Greg ~ Barry Quin
    Tim ~ Hu Pryce
    Peter ~ Carrillo Gantner
    Erica ~ Patsy King
    Jean ~ Christine Amor
    Karen ~ Peita Toppano
    Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne
    Leila ~ Penny Ramsay
    Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance
    Edith ~ Colleen Clifford
    Carol ~ Judith Roberts
    Melinda ~ Lulu Pinkus
    Bob ~ Paul Glen


    Storyliners: Dave Worthington
    Script Editor: Anne Lucas


    ITV regional broadcast dates:-
    YTV Mon 17 Mar 1986 23.00; TVS ... ; Channel ... ; TSW ... ; Central Mon 10 Aug 1987 23.05; Thames Thu 09 Jun 1988 23.35; STV Fri 19 Aug 1988 23.05; Anglia ... ; Granada Sun 24 Jul 1988 23.35; Tyne Tees Thu 15 Jun 1989 23.05; Border ... ; HTV ... ; Grampian ... ; Ulster ...


    (47)
    (49)

    Updated