EPISODE 281Broadcast on Channel 5 Friday 29 May 1998 04:40 Jackie is under pressure to admit she put Judy in prison and Colleen finds it hard to hide her feelings towards Carol.CREDITSMeg ~ Elspeth BallantyneJudy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Steve ~ Wayne Jarratt Susie ~ Jacqui Gordon Margo ~ Jane Clifton Helen ~ Caroline Gillmer Carol ~ Elisabeth Crosby Jennifer ~ Sarah Machin Patrick ~ Rob Steele Jackie ~ Catherine Lynch Matt ~ Peter Dunn Wendy ~ Helen Noonan Mr Walton ~ Clive Hearne  Off. Bailey ~ Maureen Edwards | Jackie follows the other women to the rec room after the meal. Judy asks her if she remembers who she is, but when Jackie claims she doesn't, Judy announces it to everyone in the rec room and says that Jackie is going to get her out by telling the truth. Erica questions Colleen's decision to put Jackie in with Margo, and tells her that she must be swapped with Carol, who seems more able to look after herself. Colleen goes to tell Jackie and finds Judy in her cell trying to persuade Jackie to tell the truth. Judy realises that if Jackie continues to deny the truth, there isn't much she can do about it. Margo wants to bash Jackie, but Bea and Helen tell her that would be no help to Judy. Wendy goes to a bar after her dental appointment and meets Matt Thomas: he says he was hoping to meet Steve and get a copy of the Stir, so Wendy lets him take hers. Bea and Helen go to talk to Jackie: Bea tells her she has to go to Erica and clear Judy, and Helen adds that with her contacts she can arrange to make it very difficult for Jackie when she's released. Patrick warns Colleen that she must forget work when she gets home, as her attitude is upsetting Jenny. Matt Thomas shows his boss Bea's article about Helen and gets permission to offer Helen a substantial amount for her story if she can come up with proof. Helen and Judy compare their chances of proving their innocence. Colleen puts Carol on cleaning duty, overruling Margo's protest that Carol is a remand prisoner by saying that doesn't give her the right to choose what work she will do. Bea tells Jackie her time is up and she needs to be taught a lesson: she puts Jackie's head under the press to give her a taste of what is to come. Erica refuses permission for a visitor's pass to be given to Cindy Potter, as she'd been inside for soliciting, and tells Wendy to draft a memo that Helen is not be allowed any visitors or phone calls. Matt and his boss become suspicious when they phone Wentworth and are told that no-one apart from family and lawyers can visit Helen. Colleen inspects the rec room after Carol has cleaned it, and undoes all her hard work. Wendy tells Steve she gave Matt a copy of the Stir, and they agree they have to keep quiet about it. Colleen sends Steve to check up on Carol's work, but the women have already found the mess. As Carol insists she left the rec room clean and tidy, Colleen holds all the women responsible for messing it up again and takes away their privileges. Judy is too preoccupied to help with the still, so Helen takes her place, though Judy's joke suggestion that they store the grog in the fire extinguishers is taken up a serious proposal. Margo tells Carol not to trust Colleen and wonders why she has put Carol on kitchen duty. Lizzie and Helen mix up a brew in the disconnected boiler.  Meg catches them outside the boiler room, and tries the door, but finds it locked. Jackie admits to Susie that it was Judy who helped her deal with the drunk, but Helen overhears and tells Jackie she has little choice in the matter than to clear Judy as she's likely to get as long a sentence if she were to be revealed as Judy's "accomplice". Colleen reports food missing from the kitchen and Erica orders an immediate cell search. Margo and Doreen agree that Jackie needs to be made to confess by force. Wendy leaves for another dental appointment. Jackie tells Susie she has decided to write out a statement to clear Judy. Steve finds the missing items from the kitchen in the rec room: Colleen calls off the search and tells the women to assemble there in ten minutes. Margo points out to Doreen that this is a perfect opportunity to teach Jackie a lesson and they go with a couple of other women to her cell and work her over. Colleen once again makes all the women suffer because no-one will own up to the kitchen theft, and takes away buyup for the week. Doreen warns Carol to watch out, as it's the second time she's got them all into strife. Judy has been told the good news about Jackie's confession by Susie and she passes it on to Meg. Helen is taken out into the garden for a meeting with her "brother". Margo tells Steve that he should keep an eye on Colleen as she's setting Carol for things she doesn't do: when he questions her, she challenges him to see if Colleen can look him in the eye and deny it. Helen's visitor is Matt Thomas: Wendy returns to work after the dentist and sees them talking in the garden. Helen accepts $5,000 in return for access to her bank account and financial records. Meg and Judy go to see Jackie but find her curled up on her bed. Meg whispers "is this to do with Bryant's confession?" and Jackie says yes. Wendy comments to Colleen that the restrictions on Helen's visitors must have been lifted. When Colleen finds out who Matt Thomas is, she races out into the garden to call a halt to Helen's visit. |
EPISODE 282Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 30 May 1998 04:40 Judy blasts Doreen and Margo for ruining her chances of release by bashing Jackie, and Matt closes in on Harry as the man who framed Helen Smart.CREDITSMeg ~ Elspeth BallantyneJudy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Steve ~ Wayne Jarratt Margo ~ Jane Clifton Helen ~ Caroline Gillmer Carol ~ Elisabeth Crosby Jennifer ~ Sarah Machin Jackie ~ Catherine Lynch Patrick ~ Rob Steele Matt ~ Peter Dunn Off. Bailey ~ Maureen Edwards Det. Sgt. Burke ~ Neil Thompson Harry Stanfield ~ Blaise Antony  Secretary ~ Tanya Simonow  UNCREDITEDSusie ~ Jacqui GordonErica does not appear in this episode | Colleen orders Matt inside to be searched. When he protests that he has rights, she tells him that he'd better not also have any message from Helen on him. Judy tells Meg she had nothing to do with Jackie's bashing: Meg says she has already phoned Sen. Det. Burke to get him to hear Jackie's confession. Colleen takes Helen to solitary and shrugs off her complaint that she wants proper legal representation. Steve confirms that he found nothing on Matt in the search. Bea wants to know who was responsible for bashing Jackie: a few of the women in the rec room suddenly find their shoes very fascinating. Right on cue, Doreen waltzes into the rec room and brags that she's sorted out Judy's problem with Jackie. Judy explodes and tells Doreen exactly what she's done. Susie tells Judy not to give up hope. Doreen takes her frustration out on Carol, and gives her a punch in the kidneys as she is passing in the corridor. Meg sees her clutching her side and asks what the matter is. Carol points out the facts about Colleen's campaign of persecution against her and invites Meg to draw her own conclusions. Judy decides to forgive Doreen, but tells her not to try and do her any more favours. Susie finds out that Helen is in solitary, but none of the women can work out why. Matt goes to interview Harry Stanfield, who acts the innocent. As Matt is leaving, he sneaks a look at the notepad on the secretary's desk and sees that Mr Stanfield has just had a phone call from Sen. Det. Ryan. Meg becomes suspicious at Colleen's smug reaction when she hears about Carol being punched. The women discuss how to get a message out about Helen: Carol suggests that they write a message on the sheets with laundry marker. Unfortunately, the message is discovered during Meg's routine inspection of the outgoing laundry  . Doreen sarcastically comments that Carol is jinxed, but Carol lists the evidence that suggests another interpretation. Bea takes note and sees how Colleen's face changes from a smile to a frown when Margo comes to sit next to Carol in the dining room. As a test, Bea invites Carol to come and sit at her table. Sure enough, Colleen tackles Bea later for her "unfortunate choice of company". Bea says she understands how Colleen must be feeling, but she's taking it out on the wrong person. Colleen threatens to put Bea on a charge for insolence, but Bea tells her she is happy to repeat what she's just said to the Governor if necessary. Carol gets a letter from Jenny Powell thanking her for looking after her. Sen. Det. Burke comes to see Judy, but he keeps referring to Jackie as Judy's "friend". Judy realises too late that he isn't interested in clearing her, but only wants Judy to identify Jackie as the passenger in her cab so that Jackie can also be charged with assault and theft. Meg tells Jackie she could help both Judy and herself if she just told the truth. Steve shows Meg the reply Carol writes to Jenny's letter, but Colleen overhears, snatches the letter and rushes out without even signing off. Lizzie shows Doreen how to skim the scum off the top of the brew and warns her it needs doing regularly. Colleen tells Jenny her letter to Carol could be used in court to get her a lighter sentence. Bea is dubious when Doreen tells her the brew is going along so well that she's added extra yeast. Jackie is taken outside for an exercise period and Meg sends Susie over to talk to her and persuade her to confess. Steve is fed up with having to follow regulations, and lets Lizzie into solitary to talk to Helen. Doreen checks on the brew and finds it is foaming down the side of the boiler (cue "comic" scene of her falling on her arse cleaning it up  ). Jackie hands Meg a written statement to clear Judy. Meg tells Steve that he shouldn't bend the rules, or at least not in front of the prisoners. Doreen comes to dinner smelling a bit yeasty. Lizzie reports back that the newspaper need a written authorisation from Helen to give them access to her bank account. Bea says that if Helen isn't released next day they will have to work out a way to get it out to them. |
EPISODE 283Broadcast on Channel 5 Sunday 31 May 1998 04:40 When Erica sends Jackie's confession to the police, the prospects look brighter for Judy's appeal. Bea tries to persuade Steve to help her smuggle Helen's letter to the press.CREDITSMeg ~ Elspeth BallantyneJudy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Steve ~ Wayne Jarratt Susie ~ Jacqui Gordon Margo ~ Jane Clifton Jackie ~ Catherine Lynch Helen ~ Caroline Gillmer Carol ~ Elisabeth Crosby Patrick ~ Rob Steele Jennifer ~ Sarah Machin Off. Barry ~ Joy Westmore Det. Sgt. Ryan ~ Will Deumer Mrs Beamish ~ Carmel Millhouse  Solicitor ~ David Kendall  | Bea thinks that they will have to involve an officer if they are to get Helen's statement out of the prison, and that Steve is the most likely to help. Jackie asks Steve if she can go back in with the other women for her last four days. Erica tells Judy she's sending Jackie's confession to Judy's solicitor for him to send on to the police. However, Judy will have to re-apply for a parole licence before she can be released. Bea tells Steve a whole lot of stuff about Helen that he already knows (doesn't he read the Stir?), but he is not convinced to risk his job taking out a message from Helen. Sgt. Ryan spins Erica a yarn about Helen needing to be kept in solitary in case the drug gang try to get to her. Steve asks if Helen is to be let out of solitary, but Erica says she must stay there, although her priveleges will be restored. For no apparent reason at all, Sgt. Ryan comes to interview Helen again, but she merely repeats what she has already told him. Steve sees how distressed Helen becomes when she finds out she must stay in solitary. Sgt. Ryan tells Steve he's finished with the case anyway, as he's leaving the police force to become manager of a security company called Guards Incorporated. Judy tastes the first drops of the brew and finds them satisfactorily strong. Steve thinks something is wrong with Sgt. Ryan's story and phones Matt Thomas for information on Guards Incorporated: he is told it is a subsidiary of Stanfield Industries. Helen asks Steve for a pen and paper and offers to "service" him in return. He declines, and Helen says she'll just have to try her luck with Erica, but with her luck even if Erica were a lesbian Helen would probably turn out not to be her type. Judy thanks Jackie for her statement. Meg tries to find a place for Susie in a church hostel for young girls: the warden Mrs Beamish is initially hostile until Meg shows her the newspaper article about Susie. Steve brings Helen a transistor radio to cheer her up, but it only makes things worse with a cheery little song about a "ball and chain".  Jackie gets ready to go to court. On arriving at work, Colleen goes straight to Carol's cell and orders Margo out so she can have a "private chat" with Carol. She demands that Carol gives her the letter from Jenny. Margo brings Meg to check that Colleen isn't bashing Carol. Colleen takes the letter to the staff room and burns it in an ashtray. Susie tells the women the parole board have brought her case forward, but she's worried that she doesn't have a job. Carol's solicitor wants to use Jenny as a sympathetic witness to get Carol's charge reduced to manslaughter. Margo suggests they could get to Helen by bashing the lock with a hammer, and Judy says she will organise all the women to make a loud enough racket at a pre-arranged time to drown out the noise. Jackie gets a $500 fine and is released. Lizzie checks up on the brew and gives it a thorough tasting.  Carol's solicitor calls to see Jennifer at home, but Colleen tells him Jenny is not at home. Margo has to duck under the stairs on her way to solitary to avoid Colleen and Officer Barry. She drops the chisel and Colleen goes back to check on the noise, but doesn't see Margo. Colleen is about to leave the prison to attend Carol's trial when the women start up with their diversionary noise. Margo starts to bash the locked security gate. Colleen remembers the noise on the stairs and goes back to check: from there she can clearly distinguish the noise Margo is making and goes up the stairs to investigate. |
EPISODE 284Broadcast on Channel 5 Tuesday 02 June 1998 04:40 Doreen decides to hide the spirits in the fire extinguishers, and Lizzie's plans for Susie's farewell are scuppered by Colleen.CREDITSMeg ~ Elspeth BallantyneJudy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Steve ~ Wayne Jarratt Susie ~ Jacqui Gordon Margo ~ Jane Clifton Helen ~ Caroline Gillmer Carol ~ Elisabeth Crosby Jennifer ~ Sarah Machin Patrick ~ Rob Steele Judge ~ Arthur Barradell-Smith  Prosecutor ~ Kristopher Steele  Defence Counsel ~ Earl Francis  Parole Board Chairman ~ Lawrence Held  Mr Strachan ~ Gerry Thomas  Bailiff ~ Peter Black  Photographer ~ Alan Pentland  UNCREDITEDLil (Judith McLorinan) has one line ("Screws!") | Colleen approaches Margo even though she can see she's armed with a heavy mallet,  and manages to face her down. Erica orders the women in the laundry to be quiet. After a suitable pause to show who's boss, Bea signals them to stop. Bea is brought to Erica's office along with Margo, but Bea tells Erica she wants answers about why Helen is being denied legal representation. Bea goes too far and accuses Erica of being on Harry Stanfield's payroll, so Erica sends Bea and Margo to the rec room with the others and tells them she will talk to all the women. She phones Helen's solicitor and tells the women that in his opinion Helen has no chance of winning an appeal. Even though it is clear who started the protest, Erica tells them they will all be punished. At Carol's trial, the judge announces that the charge has been reduced to manslaughter and therefore Carol will be pleading guilty. Doreen brings a plastic bucket of grog to the laundry to bottle in empty shampoo bottles. Steve hints that he will look the other way if the women work out a way to get to solitary. Susie reminds Doreen of the idea about putting the grog in fire extinguishers, and this time she is determined to do it. Bea has the idea of leaving a pen and paper wrapped in polythene for Helen in a shower cubicle, as she is taken for her shower later in the day than the rest of the women. Susie gets a telegram inviting her for a job interview: Meg says she will try and arrange a half day release for her so she can go. Jenny gives evidence: the prosecutor forces her to agree that Carol did nothing to help her escape, but the defence barrister allows her to say how much Carol helped her in other ways and that she couldn't do anything or Doug would beat her. Colleen looks mortified during Jenny's evidence, and at breakfast next day is downright snotty with the whole family. Bea fixes the other shower taps so they can't be turned on to make sure that Helen will go to the right cubicle. Helen finds the packet and slips it in her dressing gown pocket. The women find an empty fire extinguisher and fill it up with grog. Carol is sentenced to three years for manslaughter to be served concurrently: Colleen gapes in disbelief. Meg insists that the pizza chain owner, Mr Strachan, must put his job offer to Susie in writing so the parole board can see it, and is perplexed when he calls in a photographer to take a snap of him and Susie together. Erica brings transfer papers to reception for Carol and Margo: they are both to go to Barnhurst. Susie comes back from her job interview bubbling over with her good luck. Lizzie insists that they all have a party for Carol and Susie. Meg tells Steve she doesn't trust Mr Strachan, and suspects he's only employing Susie as a publicity stunt. Bea notices how Colleen is glaring at Carol and decides she will need a bit of protection until her transfer. Lizzie steals food from the kitchen for the party, and lays out the grog on the rec room table. Colleen walks into the rec room, and though the grog is hidden in time, she sends the women back to their cells for the recreation period. Helen sticks the paper back on the shower cubicle door, and Bea collects it later. Colleen finds Lizzie asleep with a hangover and an empty grog bottle beside her. Carol and Margo are transferred to Barnhurst as Colleen arrives in reception to report finding the booze. Carol tries to apologise, but Colleen freezes her out. Lizzie tries to claim that alcohol is a natural ingredient of her shampoo, but Erica realises it is distilled spirit and orders a thorough search to find out how it was made. Bea immediately suspects the search is for Helen's letter, which she hid in a coffee jar in her cell, and asks Doreen to organise a small fire as a diversion to give her time to recover it. The parole board chairman is displeased by an advert for the pizza chain using the photo of Mr Strachan and Susie. Doreen pulls a mattress to pieces and sets it alight in an empty cell.  Bea alerts Colleen to the fire, and she calls Steve to help put it out. Bea manages to get the letter back. Doreen realises that Steve has got the fire extinguisher filled with spirits, and she and Bea go to warn him not to use it. Steve can't get the extinguisher to work and throws it aside, spilling the contents all over the floor. Bea has to wrestle with Colleen to get past her to try to warn Steve. But it is too late, the stream of spirits catches fire and the extinguisher explodes. The force of the blast blows Steve face first into a wall and knocks him out. |
EPISODE 285Broadcast on Channel 5 Wednesday 03 June 1998 04:40 When Doreen's bright idea starts a fire, Bea rescues Steve. Meanwhile Chrissie falls out with her sister-in-law and finds her dole fiddle on shaky ground.CREDITSMeg ~ Elspeth BallantyneJudy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Steve ~ Wayne Jarratt Susie ~ Jacqui Gordon Helen ~ Caroline Gillmer Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton Brenda ~ Jan Friedl  Mr Douglas ~ Ian Smith Sister Franklin ~ Diana Greentree Wendy Scott ~ Helen Noonan Faye Quinn ~ Anne Lucas  Parole Board Chairman ~ Lawrence Held Off. Barry ~ Joy Westmore Social Security Insp. ~ Neil McColl  Solicitor ~ Robin Cuming Fireman ~ Robert Ruggiero  Counter Officer ~ Ian Walker  I have corrected the credit for "Fay" "Quin" played by "Anna" Lucas | Colleen and Bea find Steve lying unconscious in the corridor. [This is strange as he was facing a cell wall when the explosion occurred, so the blast seems to have knocked him sideways!] Joyce is sent to tell Wendy to call the fire brigade and ambulance. Susie's parole board continues with a fire alarm ringing in the background. Meg speaks up for Susie and says the parole board must recognise her initiative in getting the job for herself. This convinces them and they grant Susie's parole. Sister Franklin tends to Steve's burns, which she says are only superficial, but that he still needs to go to hospital. Colleen drops a heavy hint to Erica that Bea knows something about the fire, so Erica sends Bea to solitary. The fire officer says the fire was started deliberately. Colleen's suspicions about Bea are based on hearing her shout a warning to Steve. While she is being questioning by Erica in solitary, Bea notices the note from Helen is poking out of her jacket pocket, but trying to hide it only draws it to the attention of Colleen who pounces and grabs it. Erica confines her to solitary and tells her she may have to speak to the arson squad. Meg asks the parole board chairman about Judy's parole licence, and he says he can see no problem in reinstating it exactly as it was before if her appeal is successful. Susie overhears Erica in reception talking about the confiscated note to Wendy and asking to be informed when the post will be sent off as she wants to send it to Det. Sgt. Ryan. This information is passed on at lunch, but Judy says they also have to worry about the officers finding the still. Erica is amazed to meet Ted Douglas, who has already been told about the fire and comes to give Erica another little lecture on security. He leaves Erica stunned and resentful: she immediately phones Wendy and tells her to keep their conversation private, as she's decided to do something else with the letter. She puts it back in its original envelope, addressed to the Despatch,  and sticks a stamp on it. Meg agrees to help Judy by trying to get her taxi cab licence back, but warns her to stay out of trouble, and well away from any stills. Doreen and Judy decide the still has to be dismantled immediately and while Faye keeps watch they duck inside the boiler room. Judy reconnects the pipes to drain the contents away, pours in some bleach to disguise the smell and hides the copper coils and other paraphernalia inside. Only just in time, as they have to hide while Colleen and Officer Barfield search around and actually look inside the boiler. Helen is brought back to the dining room with the others, and is very disheartened to be told that the letter has been confiscated: she can't even be bothered to write another as she thinks the officers will make sure it never gets out. In the laundry later, Helen finds that the brew has been flushed through the system into the water supply for the washing machine, and even after several rewashings the sheets still stink of it. Lizzie has to spill some bleach on the floor to cover up when Meg comes in. She has bad news for Judy: the transport board won't renew her taxi licence. Bea returns from solitary and urges Helen to write another letter. Meg goes to the CES to enquire about a job for Judy and runs into Chrissie there signing on. The desk clerk reacts with surprise when Meg refers to Chrissie as Latham, and it's obvious she has just used a false name to sign on. When Meg leaves, he is straight on the phone to report it. Doreen finds the article about Helen has been splashed all over the Dispatch: no-one is more puzzled than Bea who recognises it is basically her article for the Stir, but with an extra bit at the end about Det. Sgt. Ryan. Chrissie tells her sister-in-law Brenda she's going to live in the country and take Elizabeth with her. Brenda already knows about Chrissie working as well as claiming benefit, and she looks spitefully pensive when Chrissie brags that there's nothing she can do to stop her leaving. Shortly afterwards, a Social Security Inspector calls round while Chrissie is at work, and Brenda tells him about Chrissie's job as a casual barmaid. When she returns and finds out about her unexpected visitor, Chrissie panics and tells Brenda she's claiming unemployment benefit under three different names. Helen is persuaded by Meg and Judy to see her ex-solicitor when he visits Wentworth. He apologises for his previous attitude blaming "pressure of work", but still refuses to lodge her appeal, telling her she has no hope of proving that Det. Sgt. Ryan is lying. He invites her to plead guilty but Helen refuses and tells him to pass that on to his friend Harry Stanfield. |
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