ACTORSCHARACTERSSTARTEPISODES

EPISODE 618

Nancy naively starts to keep a diary recording everything that goes on in prison. Steve has big plans for Julie.

First broadcast ... 1986 (Melbourne)
Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 27 May 2000 04:40
DVD release: volume 37 disc 5 (AUS)
Duration: 0:43:21



Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne
Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick
Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson
Joyce ~ Joy Westmore
Nancy ~ Julia Blake
Rita ~ Glenda Linscott
Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne
Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor
Alice ~ Lois Collinder
Jessie ~ Pat Evison
Kath Maxwell ~ Kate Hood
Janet ~ Christine Earle
Bob ~ Peter Adams
Dan ~ Sean Scully
Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne
Steve ~ Peter Hayes
Taps ~ Valma Pratt
Uncle Perc ~ Vic Gordon
Sister Hall ~ Gael Andrews
James Dwyer ~ James Condon
Tom Harley ~ Vince Gill
Nurse ~ Nicki Woolmington
Jim Barry ~ Iain Murton
Mitch ~ David Le Page
Male Prison Officer ~ Bill Tisdall
Secretary ~ Jenny Ryan
Ambulance Man ~ Ray Hutchinson
Ambulance Driver ~ Campbell Higgins
Fight Co-Ordinator ~ Glenn Ruehland

  • Written by John Clifford White & Bevan Lee
  • Directed by Kendal Flanagan
  • Gerda Nicolson still has a cold, particularly noticeable in the scene near the end with Rita.

    Jessie says she hopes Ann "POQs": Pisses Off Quick?

    Lexie's remark "Just like that other Weasel" is picked up by other writers as a nickname for Janet Williams.

    The first rec room scene is supposed to be at night, but it looks like it has been lit by Uncle Perc, with a very strong side light apparently coming from the direction of the rec room cupboard.

    The actor who plays the "Male Prison Officer" in fact appears to be John Allen (Officer Green)

    Dan is taken to hospital after croaking in Ann's ear that she should go easy on Rita, as the escape was not her idea. Ann tells Bob to call in some officers from leave (including Joan) to cover for her absence. The wedding reception continues, videoed by Uncle Perc - with an old style video camera that requires there to be extra lighting in the shape of a studio spotlight. He may well have shot the wedding video too, as he actually asks (without any detectable trace of sarcasm) for some Vaseline to smear on the camera lens. Steve tells Meg he intends to propose to Julie before her parole hearing to give her something to look forward to. Lexie gets Alice to threaten Janet when delivering her tray to solitary: as a way of getting her own back, Janet lets Joan know about Bob and Kath's relationship. Although Joan already knows or suspects as much, it is obviously a surprise to Alice. At the hospital, Ann is told that Dan has suffered two broken legs and a spinal injury and needs to be put in traction. Alice tells the women about Kath, and a deputation is sent to ask Kath some "polite questions". Joan confronts Bob with Janet's allegation, but he tells her that Ann already knows about his friendship with Kath. However, Bob realises that if their secret has become public knowledge, then Kath is in danger. Rita, Alice and Lexie find Kath in the gym (where she has conveniently wandered, apparently to conduct an inspection of the equipment) and threaten her. Kath grabs a barbell to defend herself , but is stopped by Bob and Joan's arrival. Bob asks that all the women should be assembled in the gym, as he wants to tell them something. Joan catches Nancy writing her diary and sees her hurriedly hide it under her pillow. Mervin and Joyce are at last left alone after managing to persuade Uncle Perc to leave. Joan reads Nancy's diary and finds out about the cocaine and whisky smuggling and photocopies the relevant pages. Bob tells the whole story to the women, including the fact that he told Ann about his friendship with Kath to get Lexie off the hook. Kath asks to go to solitary for her own protection. Nancy manages to persuade Rita to leave Kath alone, but Lexie and Alice disagree, so Rita calls for a vote. Joan phones the Minister to blow the whistle on Ann's lax security measures and makes an appointment to bring him the evidence. The vote goes in Kath's favour and Rita tells the women that they all have to abide by it. Joan tells Julie she has a visitor and when she finds out it is Steve, she at first decides not to see him, but her friends persuade her otherwise. Julie chases after Joan to tell her she's changed her mind and has to threaten to tell the Governor that she's been refused permission to see a legitimate visitor to make Joan open the security gate. Steve and Julie talk in the visitor's room under Joan's supervision: he proposes, she accepts, Joan sneers. When Joan complains to Meg about the way she has been treated recently, Meg responds that Joan is showing signs of stress and that is why she was sent home. One of Jessie's old friends Taps visits her in hospital: she is asked to help in Jessie's escape, though Jessie is a little taken aback when she hears from Taps that the Governor of Wentworth is waiting in the corridor outside. Taps is told to meet Tom Harley and together they create a diversion, while Jessie dresses and is pushed out in a wheelchair by another accomplice. Joan takes the photocopy of Nancy's diaries to the Minister and he is duly horrified. Joan uses the interview mainly to discredit Meg with the Minister as a way of pushing her own claims as Deputy Governor and coyly mentions that she hopes to be Governor some day. Ann tells Rita she knows she was not involved in the escape plan, but Rita refuses to help the police capture Bongo. The Minister decides to cancel his appointments and drop in on Wentworth to investigate further. Joan asks him to keep the diary quiet and he agrees so Joan decides to push the matter further and tries to ruin Julie's chances of parole by asking the Minister to intervene with the Parole Board. The Minister thanks Joan for her information and says he thinks it will be the start of a "fruitful collaboration"...

    ***


    Story Editor: Bevan Lee
    Script Editor: Quincy McQuade (616), (617); Alister Webb (618), (619); Quincy McQuade (620)
    Storyliners: Bevan Lee, Tony McDonald, John Coulter


    ITV regional broadcast dates:-
    ---


    (617)
    (619)

    Updated