EPISODE 498Ann and Meg are taken to a deserted building by Brian Lowe, who intends to kill them as soon as he receives the ransom money. Len and Joan are furious when Joyce is appointed Acting Governor.First broadcast ... 1984 (Melbourne) |  |
 Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicholson Myra ~ Anne Phelan Reb ~ Janet Andrewartha Len ~ Maurie Fields Pixie ~ Judy McBurney Bobbie ~ Maxine Klibingaitis Marlene ~ Genevieve Lemon Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Sam ~ Robyn Gibbes Phillip ~ Steve Kuhn Chris ~ Gregory Ross Sarah ~ Nell Johnson Off. Bailey ~ Maureen Edwards Det. Insp Rouse ~ Paul Karo William Coleby ~ Hu Pryce Brian ~ Mathew King Mrs Lowe ~ Patsy Martin ){kind=small} Mrs Cleary ~ Babs Wheelton Plain Clothes Cop Reg ~ Bill Fozz ){kind=small} Plain Clothes Cop 1 ~ Helmut Jensen Media Man No. 1 ~ Peter Elliot Media Man No. 2 ~ Graeme Bowman Media Man No. 3 ~ Peter Tandy Pre-Teen Boy No. 1 ~ Tibor Kaman ){kind=small} Pre-Teen Boy No. 2 ~ Tamlyn Lord "Phillips" again - still, too late to correct it now (snigger). There are allusions to Helen Smart and Erica in connection with the prisoners in isolation. | Lowe forces Meg at gunpoint to drive them all to a hiding place ){kind=small} : he is furious that he only found out Phyllis was in hospital when got out of prison and says that after he killed the policeman he can do anything else "free". Phil rings Joyce at the prison saying he's worried that he can't get any reply to a phone call to Meg's. Phil and Greg drive round there and the police have already been called: Inspector Rouse tells Phil he believes Ann and Meg are being held hostage. Lowe ties up Meg and Ann in a derelict warehouse: as he leaves, he tells them he has rigged up the warehouse with trip wires and explosives. William Coleby tells the officers that the Department has received a ransom demand for $250,000 dollars. He announces that Joyce is to take over as Acting Governor, in spite of both Len and Joan offering to help. Lowe returns the next morning and tells Meg he's dumped her car miles away. Meg isn't cowed and tells him he won't get away with it, as even an intelligent criminal wouldn't get his plan to work. Myra tells Pixie to try to get up to solitary to see who the mystery prisoners are. Len and Joan bicker about why neither of them were promoted to Acting Governor. Ann is tied up again after being fed, and tries to distract Lowe by falling over moaning so Meg can attack him, but Lowe gains the upper hand and ties them both up again muttering "you bitches are going to pay". Phil loses his temper with Mr Coleby about his attitude to his staff. Meg pulls her gag off with a doorknob and starts calling for help but falls flat on her face (fortunately the floor is made of sponge rubber!). Joan catches Pixie "cleaning" the security gate to isolation. Ann notices two boys on bikes outside and yells to attract their attention, but they are having a crafty illicit fag and she scares them away. Joyce gets tough with Joan when she complains about short staffing. Meg tries to cut through her bonds in time honoured fashion by scraping t something behind her back, but feels faint suddenly and falls forward. Lowe phones the prison to reiterate his ransom demand, but Mr Coleby demands proof that the women are still alive. Len reports the press are gathered outside the gates, and suggests stopping all visits and phone calls for the women. Pixie finds the old radio and Bobbie tries to get it to work: she has just got it going when Len walks in and confiscates it. Inspector Rouse announces that they traced the call to a phone box and have identified the caller from fingerprints as Lowe. Phil overhears and realises he used to visit the family and knows the mother, Hazel Lowe. Phil asks Chris to give him a lift and has to punch a reporter to get away from the press outside. Inspector Rouse gets rid of the press by saying he will make an announcement later that evening. The police surveillance team spot Phil arriving at Mrs Lowe's house. Lowe hears on the radio that the police have released news of Ann and Meg's kidnapping: he makes a detour and drives to his mother's home. The women are eventually let outside for an exercise period and Marlene and Bobbie catch a frog ){kind=small} to race it, but Joan makes her get rid of it. Lowe climbs over the back fence and finds Phillip trying to get Mrs Lowe to tell him where he is ){kind=small} . Lowe pushes Phillip away but accidentally knocks his mother over: he turns his back on Phillip to see if she is all right, but a sudden movement from Phillip makes him fire his gun, and he shoots Phillip in the chest.
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Channel 5 decided that their Spring 1999 schedules should include more extended through-the-night sports coverage and dropped the weekday morning showings of Prisoner from the last week in March.
The Pot Noodle sponsorship also ended with episode (498), which may or may not be connected. However, the sponsorship may have been for a year only, as it started with episode (235), which was broadcast on Channel 5 on Tuesday 24th March 1998.
ITV regional broadcast dates:-
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