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EPISODE 181Broadcast on Channel 5 Wednesday 07 January 1998 4:40 Margo tries to see Bea, and Georgie returns to prison after the operation. 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 Wayne ~ Vince Gil David ~ Serge Lazareff Georgie ~ Tracey Mann Bob ~ Anthony Hawkins Jeannie Baxter ~ Leila Hayes Charlie ~ John Bishop  | Vera wants to censor a letter from Ken Pearce to Bea when she sees it contains praise for Bea for setting his daughter straight, but Meg persuades Vera to let Bea have the letter uncut. Meg also passes on to Bea the message from Margo, so Bea realises that Margo had come to get her money. After hearing about the latest scene with Georgie, Bea advises Judy to stick to her own age group in future. Judy asks Bea what she would do if her own daughter had been lesbian, and Bea answers honestly that she'd prefer any of her kids not to be gay, if only because of the unhappiness it seems to have brought Judy. Erica agrees to David's suggestion to encourage Bea to look after Georgie by putting Georgie in to share a cell. To make room, Doreen has to be moved out to share with Judy. Vera can't help herself and makes the obvious remark: that Judy might have more luck with Doreen in view of her past experience of "warped" relationships. Georgie taunts Judy by pulling down the shoulder strap of her overalls as if she's going to do a strip for her: Judy slaps her face, and unfortunately Vera happens to walk in at that moment and come to the wrong conclusion. Meg is overheard by Vera trying to arrange a job for Margo using the staff room phone. Doreen uses David's class to make a protest about the way he's having her moved around like a piece of furniture, and goads Georgie into a fight. David asks Bea to come outside to discuss Georgie, thinking they are too far away for her to hear, but forgetting Georgie's lip-reading skills. He tells Bea she can help Georgie just as she helped Debbie Pearce. Margo hangs around by the perimeter fence until she can talk to Bea, who tells her to be in the same place later that afternoon if she wants her money. Lizzie overhears Vera reduce Judy to tears with a series of insults, culminating with "lumbering 40 year old degenerate". Bea asks Judy to arrange for Margo to have her money using the same tennis-ball trick as was used for Helen to get the plans inside. Georgie pretends to be dizzy so Meg lets her go and lie down, but instead she follows Judy to see what she's up to. Georgie is just examining the hollow tennis ball stuffed with Margo's money when she's caught red-handed by Vera, who demands to know who's really behind the set-up. Having found out who's responsible, Vera lets the fake tennis game ahead and matches to catch Doreen and Margo as well as Judy. Margo's money is confiscated and Judy loses two days privileges. Meg pleads with Erica to let Margo have the money, but Erica won't give in. However, she offers Meg the job of careers officer, and says she can help recently released women too. Bea takes up David's challenge to do something to help Georgie, but then finds out from Doreen that it was Georgie who lagged. She goes to their cell and lays down the law to Georgie and seems about to back it up with a bashing till Georgie quotes back her own words that Georgie was a "bad seed". Georgie's mother is meanwhile being processed in reception  on a seven day sentence for living off immoral earnings. Georgie has just finished her apologies to Judy and Doreen when Jeannie comes into the rec room and tells everyone that Georgie is her daughter. Next day, Judy refuses to let Jeannie sit down at the table with her. Wayne's mate Charlie offers Margo a job as a stripper, so when Margo calls round to offer her a job as cleaner, she's able to tell Meg to stick it. Jeannie attacks Georgie for humiliating her, but Bea intervenes and sends Jeannie packing. Meg calls on Margo on her way to work to find out more about her job as a "night club dancer". Jeannie defends the way she brought Georgie up in face of Bea's criticisms, but Doreen is showing clear signs of jealousy over the interest Bea seem to be taking in Georgie. Margo is practising her strip routine (though thankfully without taking any clothes off  ) when Wayne comes home to tell her he's got a job washing dishes. Doreen once again taunts Georgie into attacking her but this time Bea tells Jim and Vera that the fight was Doreen's fault. On her way to solitary, Doreen tells Judy that Bea lagged on her. Judy warns Bea that if she ever treats Doreen like that again, she will have to answer to her for it. |
EPISODE 182Broadcast on Channel 5 Friday 09 January 1998 The argument between Judy and Bea escalates. And Margo discovers that Wayne owes $6,000 in gambling debts.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 Wayne ~ Vince Gil David ~ Serge Lazareff Georgie ~ Tracey Mann Bob ~ Anthony Hawkins Jeannie Baxter ~ Leila Hayes Bazza ~ Tim Hughes  Mouse ~ Jentah Sobott UNCREDITEDHazel ~ Belinda DaveyRestaurant Worker ~ Alan Pentland  Maxie ~ Bruce Kerr  | Hazel comes to Judy's cell to see if she's all right, and has to listen to a tirade against Georgie for her trouble. Bea cuts Georgie short for crowing over Judy's humiliation, but when Hazel stops by Bea's cell in an attempt to act as peacemaker, Bea is equally unrepentant and unwilling to apologise or stand down. The atmosphere in the laundry is fraught with tension and Judy asks to work in the garden to get away from the conflict. Mouse is given permission to go with her. Erica calls Doreen childish for bearing a grudge and takes away her privileges for a week. Mouse tells Judy that most of the women are on her side, but Judy doesn't want to be pushed forward to take over Bea's place as top dog. Doreen is refused permission to join Judy in the garden and has to work in the laundry: several times violence seems about to break out. Hazel warns Doreen that stirring up trouble will only backfire on her. Judy fills Doreen in about what happened while she's been away in solitary. Hazel tries to stay neutral as Mouse urges her to join Judy's side. Georgie tries to intimidate Hazel into saying that she's on Bea's side, which has exactly the opposite effect. Lizzie tries to share her worries about the situation with David: she tells him about Franky Doyle and the riot as a way of indicating what will happen if there's a challenge to Bea's authority. Hazel tells Judy she's on her side, and Georgie tries to stir things up by switching off the TV: Judy challenges her to a fight any time she likes. Doreen falls out with Lizzie because she's sharing a cell with Georgie, but they make up their differences. David tries to find out from Judy what's going on: she tells him to get Bea to stop protecting Georgie and adds that she thinks David has been duped by Georgie. David's suggestion that the two rival groups of women are separated during recreation time is rejected by Erica who is keen to pretend that the rivalry does not exist. She says that she will attend the pottery class as usual. Bea warns Georgie to stop throwing her weight around. During the pottery class, Georgie throws a lump of clay at Doreen, but it misses and lands near Erica, splashing her all over with dirty water  . Erica says she won't punish the offenders but now agrees to open the library in the evening so that the two groups can be separated. Georgie fools Jim into thinking that a group of women headed by Judy are chasing her to bash her, so he takes away the privileges of Judy and her supporters. After coming off stage from her fan dance strip routine  , Margo is confronted by Maxie who demands that Wayne pays up his gambling debts and is is horrified to find they come to $6,000. Judy tries to calm down the women who are with her in the library: she tells them to wait for her there as she's going to go for a talk with Bea alone. After hearing Georgie's version of the incident with Jim, Bea is convinced it was a misunderstanding, and tells her supporters they will have to share their buyup with Judy's group. However, when Judy tells her what really happened, Bea takes this as an accusation that Georgie is lying and tells the women not to share their buyup after all. Margo goes to find Wayne at the restaurant where he works, but is told he only turned up on the first two days and hasn't been seen since. She waits up all night to confront him when he eventually gets home. Margo phones Meg to ask if the cleaning job is still available, but Meg tells her she'll have to check and ring her back. Bea sends Mouse and Hazel out with the laundry truck, and they decide to compensate themselves for their lost buyup by stealing from the cells of Bea's supporters: they hide the goods in the library. Margo tries to persuade Wayne to take a loan to pay off his debts then take on extra work to pay the loan off. Lizzie finds her cigarettes and biscuits have been stolen. Wayne's mate Bazza warns Margo not to get involved with loan sharks: he says he's set up a payroll job to get the money to pay off Wayne's debts. Margo agrees only after Bazza promises that they will not be carrying guns. At breakfast, Mouse stubs out a cigarette on Georgie's plate which is the cue for a full scale brawl. Judy stops the women when she notices that Bea is lying unconscious on the floor  . |
EPISODE 183Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 10 January 1998 04:40 Bea is taken to the prison hospital. And David starts an intensive course to teach Georgie to read and write.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 Wayne ~ Vince Gil David ~ Serge Lazareff Georgie ~ Tracey Mann Jeannie Baxter ~ Leila Hayes Bazza ~ Tim Hughes Mrs Mitchell ~ Beverley Dunn Mrs Dyson ~ Hannah Govan Police Patrolman ~ Selwyn Crockett  Hazel Kent ~ Belinda Davey Paymaster ~ Noel Mitchell  Neighbour ~ Jack Perry  UNCREDITEDSister Johnston ~ Gael Andrews | Meg is also injured and the women are locked in the dining room: Judy asks for the gate to be opened so that Bea can get medical attention. Erica wants Bea taken to hospital for X-rays. The women are locked in their cells, and Judy says she won't take any blame for the incident. Bea now has a nasty abrasion on her left temple  (which wasn't there at the end of the previous episode!) and Sister Johnston wants her transferred to hospital, but the Department won't give permission for Bea to be moved in view of her past record of escapes. Bea comes round and refuses to go to hospital anyway, so Erica insists that she signs a statement that she has refused medical treatment. Meg finds out that the cleaner's job is still available. Jim suggests that Bea doesn't want to leave Wentworth in case anyone takes over while she's away. Wayne tells Margo the details of the payroll job. Erica addresses the women in the rec room and tells them they have all lost buyup for two weeks and a fine will be deducted from all their wages. Judy apologises to Erica and Meg for the trouble the violence caused: Georgie is contemptuous and says she wouldn't have apologised, as she isn't sorry for what happened. Margo suggests that to divert suspicion they should carry on working after the payroll job, but Wayne doesn't look convinced. Bea is returned to her cell, still looking groggy, and realises that she was wrong about Judy and that they will share their buyup after all. Meg calls on Margo but no-one is home: a neighbour tells her they've gone out in the car. Jeannie tells Doreen she now regrets the childhood Georgie had to put up with. Bea has breathing difficulties from a nightmare about being back in the tunnel. Doreen tries to make up with Georgie and asks her to forgive her mother but Georgie refuses. Jeannie thanks Doreen for trying to help them get back together. Bea is about to make peace with Judy, but collapses in a faint and is taken to hospital. Margo and Wayne observe the woman delivering cash to the bank: Margo notices that the case is handcuffed to her wrist and says they will need bolt cutters. David starts to give classes for Georgie on her own. When Jeannie is released, Georgie asks David to get permission for them to say goodbye to each other. The payroll job goes ahead, but the woman accompanying the paymaster seems to have studied martial arts and fights back. Margo has to step in and knock out the paymaster and bundle him into the car. The bolt cutters have been left behind at the scene, so they have to force him to tell them where his keys are. After they leave him behind at the roadside they are involved in a car chase with the police and are forced to take shelter in the nearest shop - a haberdashery run by two old women  . Bazza fires at the police to make them keep their heads down. The briefcase is booby trapped and sprays green dye all over Wayne and the money. There is much less in the case than they expected anyway, and Mrs Mitchell points out that the boot makers are on strike, so no wages will be being paid. Wayne shouts to the police that they are holding the old ladies hostage, and Bazza collects more guns and ammunition from the car. |
EPISODE 184Broadcast on Channel 5 Sunday 11 January 1998 04:40 The siege continues, and Bea is returned to Wentworth.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 Wayne ~ Vince Gil David ~ Serge Lazareff Georgie ~ Tracey Mann Mrs Mitchell ~ Beverley Dunn Bazza ~ Tim Hughes Mrs Dyson ~ Hannah Govan John Kempsey ~ William Rose  Det. Insp. Thorne ~ Peter Aanensen  Det Sgt Marsh ~ Sydney Jackson  Sally Dean ~ Debra Lawrance  The television station covering the siege is the real life Channel 10 Big moment for one of the unnamed extras | Det. Insp. Thorne arrives to control the handling of the siege, and snipers and gunmen take up position all around the building. Margo tells Wayne she's worried that Bazza will snap and open fire at the slightest provocation. Bea is returned to Wentworth, and Vera asks her if she isn't worried that someone might have taken over while she's away. Georgie is persuaded to carry on with David's classes. The two women react differently to being taken hostage: Mrs Dyson  whimpers in a corner while Mrs Mitchell  is excited that her shop will get free publicity by appearing on TV, and happily sets about making cups of tea for everyone. The women at Wentworth see the TV report on the siege, but Margo is not identified by name. The police phone the shop and Wayne demands a getaway car. Erica tells Meg that Margo has specifically asked for her as a go-between, and orders her not to take part - in vain. Meg goes into the shop to talk to Margo. Vera lets the women know that it's Margo who's involved in the siege. Mrs Dyson faints and Meg persuades Wayne and Bazza to release her and offers to take her place as a hostage. Meg comes out of the shop with Mrs Dyson and passes on the demands to the police: she goes back in after warning the police about Bazza's edginess. Bazza asks Meg to eat the food she's brought back in first, in case it's been drugged. Erica tells Sally Dean, the new trainee officer that the emphasis at Wentworth is on rehabilitation and introduced her to Vera, who is to supervise her. Vera immediately starts to show off in front of Sally, putting a prisoner on loss of privileges for being in a corridor unaccompanied by an officer. Mrs Mitchell suggests to Wayne that he should phone up a TV station with his demands: he is so amazed to be put straight through to the news room that he increases his demand to $100,000 as well as the getaway car. Vera meets her match in Bea, who manages to convey to Sally who's really running the show without giving Vera any grounds to put her on a charge. Jim is disgusted by Sally's admission that she only decided to become a prison officer as a last resort. At the classification meeting, David announces that he's already made out his report on Georgie: he recommends that her parole is deferred to give him more time to teach her to read. Sally finds Bea alone in a corridor and tries to put her on a charge, but Bea points out she's on her way from the rec room to her cell and she is allowed to do that without having an officer accompany her. Vera's spite gets the better of her and she tells Georgie that David thinks she's such a poor student that he's going to try to stop her getting parole. Det. Sgt. Marsh ignores his superior's orders not to start anything while he's away and provokes Bazza into trying to shoot his way out. Bazza wounds a police officer in the arm and he  and Wayne are both shot in the stomach. Meg tells the police to hold their fire and she and Margo rush to see how Wayne is  . |
EPISODE 185Broadcast on Channel 5 Tuesday 13 January 1998 04:40 Margo is back in prison. And the women decide to retaliate against David's intention to stop Georgie's parole.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 David ~ Serge Lazareff Georgie ~ Tracey Mann Mouse ~ Jentah Sobott Sally Dean ~ Debra Lawrence Newsreader ~ Bruce Mansfield  The book Georgie reads from is Poor Cow | Georgie interrupts the TV news about the siege to tell the women her own news about David's decision on her parole. Bea won't accept Judy's defeatist attitude that there's nothing they can do about it. Margo is brought back to Wentworth. Vera's isn't very sympathetic to Sally's complaints about finding it hard to handle Bea. Vera confirms the story about Georgie's parole. Bea says they won't go to any more classes and leads the women in preparation for other protests. Jim is surprised by Bea's request for an extra exercise period for all the women. Meg objects to David's insistence on blocking Georgie's parole. Vera passes on a message to Meg to give to Margo, which she says she will want to pass on personally. The message turns out to be that Wayne is dead. Bea warns Margo not to do anything silly during the protest. The women stay in the grounds after their exercise period and refuse to go inside until David comes out to talk to them. Sally runs back inside as she's unable to control the women on her own, but when the other officers follow her outside, the women are sitting down on blankets concocting their lists of demands as if they were having a picnic. Bea hands over the list to David, and points out that if the women boycott his classes he won't have a job. Georgie leads the women in throwing tennis balls and other objects at him as he leaves. Jim goes back inside and loads a rifle, and orders armed guards to be posted around the fence. David challenges Vera and she admits that she told Georgie and that, unlike him, she isn't a hypocrite and doesn't go behind the women's backs. Lizzie is taken ill during the protest because the food they put aside from the kitchen is off, but they find themselves at the wrong end of a gun barrel when they try to get help for Lizzie. Margo cracks when she hears that the police are being called again and rushes towards Vera  who fires her rifle...  Bea shows the stick Margo was holding to Sally to prove to her that Margo wasn't holding a knife. Bea calls off the protest and the women go back inside: in the privacy of their cell, Bea tells Georgie that she will teach her to read herself if that's what it takes. Erica isn't impressed with Sally's claim to have been threatened by Bea and points out that the phrase Bea used "too dangerous to have around" may just be true. David asks for Erica's help to get the women to return to his classes, but she says he will just have to win their trust again by himself. Judy suggests a way Georgie can seem to be able to read. Mouse lets slip to Margo that it was Georgie who lagged on the attempt to smuggle out her money. Sally overhears the women coaching Georgie to memorize a passage in a book so she can pretend to read it. Vera's advice to Sally is to let the women think they're getting away with it for now. Bea passes the book to Mouse and tells her where to put it in the rec room so Georgie can appear to select a book at random. Erica and David are called to the rec room to hear Georgie read, but Vera exposes the trick by giving her another book to read and Georgie refuses. Margo encounters Georgie in a corridor and attacks her, shouting that she's a lagger. Erica decides to move Margo to A Division. Sally brags to the women that it was she who discovered the trick over Georgie, and Judy suggests she's becoming a minor version of Vera so they ought to call her "Vinaigrette". Bea thinks of a way to get back at both Sally and David at once. Mouse drops a tray of crockery outside the library and pretends to have cut herself to get David to help her to the infirmary and leave the library empty. Bea stirs up Sally's suspicions by asking if Vera's taken all the credit for her discovery, and then arranges for Sally to overhear Georgie saying she'd hidden some "stuff" in a false bottom of one of the pots. Sally rushes at once to the library and smashes a few pots  . When she finds nothing she smashes all the others in a rage. David finds her doing this and demands to know what she thinks she's doing. |
Script Editor: Ian Smith (181); Patrick Amer (182)-(183); Ian Smith (184)-(185)
Storyliners: Dave Worthington, Alastair Sharp (181)-(185), Peter Brennan: from (185)
| (176) to (180) |
