The Monday morning episode was dropped on Channel 5 this week, and Prisoner continued to be shown six days a week.
EPISODE 28Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 29 April 1997 Tues 4:40 a.m. Bea is stabbed![]() Jean ~ Christine Amor Lynn ~ Kerry Armstrong Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Greg ~ Barry Quin Steve ~ Jim Smillie Vera ~ Fiona Spence Karen ~ Peita Toppano Susan Rice ~ Briony Behets Anne Yates ~ Kirsty Child Officer ~ Jean Cain Syd Butterfield ~ Alan Rowe Mrs Grant ~ Penny Shelton ![]() Prisoner ~ Penny Stewart Dr Weissman ~ Bryon Williams The message from the garden is tapped onto an outside wall by Kate Jason and received (by some mutation of the laws of sound transmission) on an inside wall near the laundry by Penny Stewart. Doreen's aim at the keyboard is very poor: I think this | Bea warns Lynn not to mess up the work experience scheme for other women. Doreen knows she won't get much of a chance as she still awaits trial for escaping with Franky, but she and Lizzie plan to steal a work release form for Lizzie from Erica's office and Doreen will forge the signature. Anne ("Rosemary") Yates arrives at Wentworth as a prisoner ![]() ![]() ![]() |
EPISODE 29Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 30 April 1997 Wed 4:40 a.m. Jean hears bad news![]() Jean ~ Christine Amor Lynn ~ Kerry Armstrong Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Greg ~ Barry Quin Steve ~ Jim Smillie Vera ~ Fiona Spence Karen ~ Peita Toppano Monica ~ Lesley Baker Susan Rice ~ Briony Behets Jason Richards ~ David Bradshaw Geoffrey ~ David Cameron Anne Yates ~ Kirsty Child Ben Carstairs ~ Lindsay Edwards ![]() George Lucas ~ Bill Hunter Martha Eaves ~ Kate Jason ![]() Mrs Henries ~ Natalie Raine Syd Butterfield ~ Alan Rowe Officer Barry ~ Joy Westmore ![]() Booth Announcer ~ Adam Joseph Monica (who suddenly turns up again in this episode without explanation) says that "Alice" and "Madge" were chasing Anne but lost her. Probably she means these two familiar faces | Jean phones Steve and finds out that interim custody of Susan's children has been given to her husband. Anne rescues herself from two heavies by calling for Vera and tells her that Bea is sure what she's inside for now she's seen her file. Bea salts Anne's dinner accidentally on purpose while Vera is on duty to see it. Jean visits Mrs Henries again: the children have already been taken by one of their father's employees and Susan is gone. Anne demands that Vera get her something like a knife so she can defend herself. Instead, the best Vera can do is to lock Anne her in her cell. Anne gives Vera the file back so she can put it back in the filing cabinet. The women vote to watch Jason Richards on TV: Meg and Jean are also watching at home. Meg spots Susan in the audience. Susan gets up from her seat, dashes onto the stage ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
EPISODE 30Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 01 May 1997 Thurs 4:40 a.m. Erica calls the police![]() Jean ~ Christine Amor Lynn ~ Kerry Armstrong Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Greg ~ Barry Quin Steve ~ Jim Smillie Vera ~ Fiona Spence Karen ~ Peita Toppano Monica ~ Lesley Baker Officer ~ Jean Cain Geoffrey ~ David Cameron Judith-Anne ~ Kim Deacon Charles Baldwin ~ Michael Duffield ![]() Det Sgt Grace ~ Terry Gill George Lucas ~ Bill Hunter Policewoman ~ Delva Hunter ![]() Noeline ~ Jude Kuring Clara ~ Betty Lucas Syd Butterfield ~ Alan Rowe Kathleen ~ Penny Stewart Mum ~ Mary Ward Product placement corner: presumably this | Anne is thought to be missing, but Erica cannot accept she has just disappeared into thin air. Meg suspects she may have got hold of uniform and points out she could have had help from a friend on the staff. Vera swallows hard and says absolutely nothing. Erica decides to call the police. At home, Meg has to calm Jean down from informing Erica straight away about Vera's association with Anne. Jean is invited by Steve for dinner: she agrees but only so she can tell him what she thinks of him over his behaviour in the Susan Rice case. Vera tells George that Anne is missing: he reminds her of the letter Anne's solicitor has, which could possibly incriminate them both. Monica is planning to take over as top dog, assuming that's what Bea would have wanted. At dinner, Steve tells Jean that he has only invited her to introduce her to Clara Goddard who is a potential charitable benefactor for a halfway house. Clara rejects Jean's suggestion that she gives her money to the Salvation Army and says she wants the house to be run by the women themselves. Jean becomes suspicious when Karen is mentioned as a possibility to run it. Monica has to take on Noeline ![]() ![]() ![]() |
EPISODE 31Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 02 May 1997 Fri 4:40 a.m. Bea plans to escape![]() Jean ~ Christine Amor Lynn ~ Kerry Armstrong Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Greg ~ Barry Quin Steve ~ Jim Smillie Vera ~ Fiona Spence Karen ~ Peita Toppano Monica ~ Lesley Baker Geoffrey ~ David Cameron Doctor ~ Doug Bennett ![]() Judith-Anne ~ Kim Deacon George Lucas ~ Bill Hunter Nurse ~ Jackie Keren ![]() Noeline ~ Jude Kuring Announcer V/O ~ Adam Joseph Clara ~ Betty Lucas Syd Butterfield ~ Alan Rowe Officer 1 ~ Ann Sutherland Officer 2 ~ Sue Silver ![]() Mum ~ Mary Ward Det Sgt Maloney ~ James Wright ![]() Policewoman ~ Carole Yelland | Clara confesses she's been guily of a little "creative accounting" for charitable purposes and her firm have just called in external auditors after discrepancies were noticed the books. Vera visits Bea in hospital to tell her she's going back to Wentworth. Bea starts saving her tablets. Lizzie and Doreen think that Noeline is scary and Lizzie calls her a "desperate woman". Noeline warns Karen to stay out of her way, but Karen insists she's not about to take sides between her and Monica. Monnie enlists the help of Lizzie and Doreen to trap Noeline in a scalding shower ![]() ![]() |
Credits for "Storyliner" and "Script Editor" appear for the first time: see the end of this page. It is interesting that this follows on the introduction of several new regular prisoner characters, like Noeline, Martha and Kath.
EPISODE 32Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 03 May 1997 Sat 4:40 a.m. Bea leaves a clue![]() Jean ~ Christine Amor Lynn ~ Kerry Armstrong Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Greg ~ Barry Quin Steve ~ Jim Smillie Vera ~ Fiona Spence Karen ~ Peita Toppano Monica ~ Lesley Baker Geoffrey ~ David Cameron Judith-Anne ~ Kim Deacon George Lucas ~ Bill Hunter Martha ~ Kate Jason Noeline ~ Jude Kuring Male Guard ~ Brad Lindsay Clara ~ Betty Lucas Syd Butterfield ~ Alan Rowe Jeweller ~ Colin Vancao ![]() Receptionist ~ Nanette Wallace Mum ~ Mary Ward | Meg is only dropping in to check how Mum is, but takes the opportunity to ask her if she's heard about Bea's escape. When picking up her bag to go, she notices Bea's cigarettes (strange that she didn't notice them when she plonked her handbag right on top of them). Mum quickly and unconvincingly claims they are hers as she's taken up smoking since she left prison. Geoff kisses Lynn when he gives her a lift back to Wentworth, which gets her into trouble with Vera. When Jean asks to see her to talk about what going on between her and Geoff, she assumes it's Vera who's been talking. Unfortunately, Jean has to tell her that Syd has asked for her not to go to work at the nursery any more. Noeline admires Clara's makeup mirror so Clara takes the hint and lets her take it. Karen sees the incident and tells her she should stand up for herself or her stay inside won't be pleasant. Vera reads about George's arrest in the newspaper ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The credits broadcast on Channel 5 and on previous showings int the ITV regions really belonged to episode (33), where they were repeated exactly. 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, which I have used above. The only changes I have made are cutting character surnames where they aren't usually used and omitting Lizzie and Doreen, who do not appear in this episode.
EPISODE 33Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 04 May 1997 Sun 4:40 a.m. Erica finds Vera![]() Lynn ~ Kerry Armstrong Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Greg ~ Barry Quin Steve ~ Jim Smillie Vera ~ Fiona Spence Karen ~ Peita Toppano Monica ~ Lesley Baker Det Carter ~ Charles Gilroy Col ~ Brian Granrott Valerie ~ Billie Hammerberg Noeline ~ Jude Kuring Clara ~ Betty Lucas Officer 1 ~ Jean Cain Judith-Anne ~ Kim Deacon Policeman ~ Ian Hickey Estate Agent ~ John McCallum-Howell ![]() Lisa ~ Tracy-Jo Riley Det Sgt Gleason ~ Peter Stratford ![]() Officer 2 ~ Ann Sutherland Receptionist ~ Nanette Wallace Mum ~ Mary Ward Jean Vernon does not appear in this episode. "Lisa" is a mistake for "Leanne", which is how the character is later credited and how she is referred to in dialogue. Clara seems to be smoking the brand of slim cigarettes known in the UK and US as "More". | Mum is just assuring Judith-Anne that Meg didn't suspect a thing when Bea returns to the flat furious at being deceived by Judith-Anne. Mum tries to calm her by saying that she will go back to the shop and find Val's current address, but Judith-Anne says it would be better if she went and Bea agrees. When Erica gets no reply by phoning Vera, she decides to call in on Vera on her way home, and is about to leave when Vera kicks over a table to signal to her that there is something wrong. The police gain entry to Vera's flat and she tells them it was George Lucas who tied her up. Erica tries a no-nonsense approach and scoffs at Vera's insistence that George was "tender" to her, pointing out that George left her "trussed up like a turkey". She adds that Vera will now have to face the consequences of associating with criminals. Monica annoys the women with her dictatorial ways and they start to pine for Bea's return. When the officer asks them to return to their cells, Monica makes the women stay put, but Karen breaks ranks and stands up. Greg comes to collect Jean to go to the theatre, but asks Meg out instead (possibly aroused by her blue flannelette dressing gown ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Storyliner: Dave Worthington (31)-(33)
Script Editor: Anne Lucas (31)-(33)
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