ODD JOB MEN

The men wielding the monkey wrench at Wentworth over the years are:-

Sid Humphries, Stanley Dobson, Neville Sloan and Steve Ryan.

PAMPERED PRISONERS

The first "Mrs Big" to get special treatment in Wentworth was gang boss's wife Toni McNally. Years later a similar plot idea gave us that careworn sophisticate Ruth Ballinger.

PENPALS

This is an idea first used for Doreen and her friendship with Peter Hope (192)-(194). A similar plot idea is used later for Pixie who puts a personal ad in a newspaper and aks all her correspondents to visit her at the same time. Her penpals are Mike Farely, Joe Timmons, Philip Bates, Bob Barker and
Tony Rowlands. The first four of them also play other roles in Prisoner.

PETS

Some animal actors are so talented they even make the credits in their own right. These stars include Pocco, Harry, Major and of course Nicky. Uncredited animals include Vera's stray dog "Lady" (alias "Chips" alias"Strudel") in episode (107), Cass' pet mouse "Snoopy", Marlene's racing cockroach and Merle's mouse.

PLAYING DEAD

Considering how much some of the backgrounders do and never get credited, they must have been spitting feathers to see how easy can be to get a credit if the writers have mentioned your character in the script. It is even possible to be credited while your character is, at the point where the camera turns on you and some acting might normally be required, stone cold dead. Among these lucky few are the actors playing William Roberts, Gate Guard and Freddie de Young

POISONERS

Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, no-one has yet been able to find the time to write anything on it. But I understand that someone is working on it and an entry will appear in due course.

PRESS LEAKS

Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, no-one has yet been able to find the time to write anything on it. But I understand that someone is working on it and an entry will appear in due course.

PSYCHO KILLERS

"Prisoner" is commendably economical with serial killers. There are relatively few examples:- Neil Murray, David Bridges (both of whom seem to be versions of Norman Bates) or Bev Baker and Harry Bassinger. More like your common or garden psycho is Dennis Quinn, but mainly because he is captured before he really gets going.

QUARANTINES

Wentworth is put under quarantine not once but twice, after playing host to two carriers of exotic tropical diseases Jenny Armstrong and Glynnis Ladd. In the first of these cases, the symptoms that led to the quarantine had another cause altogether.

RAPES

An explosive theme which is usually treated in a fairly restrained way by the writers (if not always by the directors).

Lynn Warner in a flashback in (6) when she finds she is pregnant as a result; schoolgirl Sarah Roberts in (18); Doreen by Vince during the work release in (130); Judy by Jock Stewart (258); Jenny Powell by Doug (277); Lindy at the halfway house (354); Meg by Peter Wright and an accomplice (483); Bobbie by Neville Sloan (487); Lou Kelly by Len Murphy (503); Pixie by Frank Burke (510); Gloria Scott, a woman who gives Frank Burke a lift when he is on the run (554); Lou Kelly (again) by Alice's brother Sean in (609); Lorelei by male prisoners from Blackmoor (669).

Other characters mention rape as part of their back story: in fact two of the three original prisoners whose stories we focus on first had been raped: Karen by her husband and Lyn by her employer. Chrissie Latham had been raped by her father as a child. Chrissie accuses Steve F of rape (290)ish; Bobbie accuses Rick (440)

RECKLESS DRIVERS

Proving that the automobile in the right hands can be a deadly weapon are:- Catherine Roberts, Sally Dempster and Rachel Milsom. Also driving without due care and attention are:- Lyle Davies, Trevor Priest and Morgan McDermott.

RENT

Landlords don't get a good press in "Prisoner": renting rooms for money seems to make you automatically grasping, mercenary, heartless or even brainless. Try these:- Mrs Bessie, Debbie Phillips, Mrs Gibson. The only exception seems to be Noddy.

RIOTS

Thanks to Shaun Gilbert for this list of riots.

  • Franky and Bea struggle for power (3)
  • The women protest about Sharon's murder by taking to the roof (121)
  • Sandy Edwards starts a riot and Janet Conway and Steve Fawkner are taken hostage (246)-(247)
  • Marie Winter returns to Wentworth and is encouraged to start a riot by Joan (466)
  • Lou Kelly leads a riot during which she tries to force Rita and Joan to fight to the death (600)
  • Rita starts a riot at Blackmoor and burns the place down (600)
  • We also learn in (536) that Bea has died in a fire trying to stop a riot at Barnhurst.

    SHRINKS

    The psychiatrists in "Prisoner" are an oddly-assorted bunch - one regular character who is a "goodie" (Dr Weissman) and two evil manipulative monsters: Peter Clements and Jonathan Edmunds.

    SIT-IN PROTESTS

    Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, no-one has yet been able to find the time to write anything on it. But I understand that someone is working on it and an entry will appear in due course.

    SNIPERS

    Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, no-one has yet been able to find the time to write anything on it. But I understand that someone is working on it and an entry will appear in due course.

    SPURNED WIVES

    No point getting tearful: these women are more interested in getting even for being cast aside by their feckless husbands:-

    Carol Burton, Julie Reynolds, Marion Pearce, Doris Cruickshank and Mrs Sanderson

    SUDDEN DEATHS

    Don't blink or you'll miss these characters altogether:- Rob Summerton, Sally Lee and Horace.