ACTORSCHARACTERSSTARTEPISODES

EPISODE 139

Kevin visits Doreen and tells her that he wants a divorce, causing her to become suicidal.

First broadcast ... 1980 (Melbourne)
Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) Tuesday 23rd September 23:45
DVD release: volume 9 disc 3 (AUS)
Duration: 00:47:10



Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne
Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt
Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance
Erica ~ Patsy King
Bea ~ Val Lehman
Jim ~ Gerard Maguire
Doreen ~ Colette Mann
Vera ~ Fiona Spence
Margo ~ Jane Clifton
Kevin ~ Ian Gilmour
Kay ~ Sandy Gore
Agnes ~ Lois Ramsay

  • Written by Denise Morgan
  • Directed by Michael Pattinson
  • The final credits are played over Doreen in sickbay rather than the usual shots of the lockup officer.

    This episode is the source of an out-take seen on British TV in "It'll be all right on the night" - when Doreen tries to break the mirror the whole cabinet falls off the wall.

    Doreen's second suicide attempt includes dialogue and brief clips from the wedding in (116) - an episode also written by Denise Morgan.

    Kevin realises that Doreen intended to let him think the baby was his, and he is equally appalled at the thought that she let someone else have sex with her to try to get him a job. Kay tries to make peace with Margo as she hopes not to be returning after her trial. Doreen plans to escape in order to be able to talk to Kevin again, and Judy offers to go with her to look after her. Bea asks Meg to put in a word in support of Doreen getting day release, but Erica tells Meg she won't be able to get approval in time. Kay realises that Judy is not intending to return after her escape, as she has told Bea she would. Lizzie's singing makes the officers leave the shower block to give the women time to finalise the escape plan. Kay offers to give her clothes to be adapted as a disguise, and Bea insists that both Doreen and Judy have to be back by 4 o'clock. Erica tries to persuade Kevin not to give up on Doreen and invites him to talk to Doreen in her office at half past twelve. Lizzie overhears Kay telling Vera about the escape, and manages to get outside to warn Doreen and Judy in time. The escape attempt Vera is expecting fails to take place. Doreen is called to Erica's office: Kevin tells her he's leaving her and wants a divorce. Doreen makes a good show of being noble about it, but afterwards goes to her cell and drafts a note to Bea, Lizzie and Judy. She pretends to be sick when Vera finds her in the cell, and in the shower block, she is about to cut her wrists with a piece of mirror when Meg interrupts and takes her to talk to Agnes. Agnes gets it all wrong and apologises for not arranging the day release yet, and Doreen has to tell her she's too late once again. Agnes accuses Meg of keeping her in the dark deliberately, but Meg tells her she would have been up to date if she'd read the reports on her desk. Doreen pretends she's back with Kevin to stop the other women bothering her with questions. Bea takes a vote on whether to fix it so Kay is imprisoned, and the vote is carried. Lizzie pretends to steal from Vera's handbag in the staff room so she can get caught and give false information about needing something to pay back her debts to Kay for the poker school Kay is supposed to be running. Bea invites Kay to a poker game in the rec room, and even offers her half her buyup back to give her something to bet with. As soon as the poker game starts, Doreen leaves the rec room and goes to the shower block to look for the pieces of broken mirror, but the bin has been emptied. The women set Kay's mind at ease by demonstrating how quickly the poker game can be swept away and hidden if the officers arrive, but when the time comes the winnings are swept up and dumped in Kay's lap, accompanied by a staged argument so that even the stupidest officer could figure out who to blame. Meg notices Doreen is missing and tells Bea about Kevin wanting a divorce. Officers and inmates join forces to search for Doreen, who is ripping up sheets in the laundry to make a rope to hang herself . Vera and Meg arrive just after she has jumped off the folding table and they cut her down and revive her. Erica tells Kay that she will tell Dr Weissman that in her opinion Kay has no intention to reform herself. Kevin tells Doreen he is willing to give their relationship another chance: she insists that he must not do it out of duty or pity, and she feels it is probably already too late.

    ***


    Storyliners: Dave Worthington, Alistair Sharp
    Script Editors: Ian Smith


    (138)


    Updated