EPISODE 316Broadcast on Channel 5 Friday 17 July 1998 04:40 Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Steve ~ Wayne Jarratt Erica ~ Patsy King Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Bea ~ Val Lehman Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton Barbara ~ Susan Guerin Margo ~ Jane Clifton Neil ~ Adrian Wright Paddy ~ Anna Hruby Maxine ~ Lisa Crittenden Sally ~ Liz Harris Peter ~ Peter Carmody Michelle ~ Michelle Saundry Tony ~ Alan Lee Cookie ~ Judi Connelli Fred (Foreman) ~ Reg Evans Errol ~ Stewart Faichney  Detective ~ Patrick Aimer  Police Officer ~ Bill Binks  Police Officer ~ Rohan Glen Stunts (Peter's) ~ Archie Roberts Stunts (Driver) ~ Glen Rowland T.V. Newsreader ~ Rob Maynard UNCREDITEDErrol's "girl"friend: identified independantly by two people on the Digest as Lucinda CowdenFour extras reacting furiously Nancy Banks-Smith's Guardian review of this episode suggests a broadcast date on Carlton of Friday 10th July 1992 | Neil takes Chrissie inside the house and unpacks a picnic for her "last meal" as he explains why he has to kill her. Steve tells the police about Neil's place in the country. The women hear on the news about Chrissie's "escape". Margo comments that Chrissie must have done it to have a go at getting inside Neil's shorts: Bea replies that in that case Chrissie is even more stupid than she thought. The police surround Neil's house as he moves in for the kill: Chrissie makes a run for it, Neil catches her on the front porch, and the police open fire. Despite the fact that he is holding her in front of him, Chrissie somehow escapes injury but Neil is carried away on a stretcher. When a policeman remarks that Neil would be better off dead, Chrissie says sadly that he was the only man who'd ever treated her as if she were worth anything. Barbara tells the women what she's overheard about Neil and Chrissie but they don't believe her: especially Lizzie who commends Neil for his "lovely manners". Steve leaves  as Chrissie is brought back to Wentworth under sedation. Joan pays Chrissie a special visit to taunt her that her "boyfriend turned out to be a psycho". Colleen suggests to Meg that if she feels so strongly about the way Steve was treated, she should complain. As Bea is leaving for her work release, Joan is just coming on duty and shrugs off Bea's insinuation that Steve was the wrong person and someone else should have resigned. Cookie and Bea make friends again: Cookie tells Bea about her troubles with her daughter Kerry, who is doing badly at school and arguing all the time with her father. Sally's husband cancels a lunch treat and she hits the bottle. Cookie is called away from work when her daughter walks out of school. Judy tells Erica about the concert, and after initial misgivings, she says she is happy for the Wentworth women to be involved. Maxine finds out how empty Sally's life is. When Meg tries to complain to Erica about Steve's treatment, she is told she is on suspension for two weeks until the Department's investigation is over. Colleen finds she's been volunteered for liaison over the Woodridge concert. Maxine is sacked again - this time by Peter Dempster, when Maxine blames Sally's drunken state on him letting his wife down over the lunch date. Colleen tells the women about Steve's resignation and asks for volunteers for the concert. Only Lizzie volunteers, as Colleen deliberately doesn't say where the concert is to be given, for fear that the women will volunteer just for the contact with men. Bea goes home for lunch with Cookie: they find her husband Errol smuggling out a young woman he's been sleeping with. Back at work, Bea tells Cookie a cautionary tale about a "neighbour" who killed her husband's lover and then her husband. Cookie cottons on when she notices the neighbour's daughter is called Debbie: she thanks Bea for her honesty and agrees she will try to make her marriage work. Sally drives Peter to the airport then, as he walks away from her after an argument  , she starts the car up again and knocks him over  . |
EPISODE 317Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 18 July 1998 04:40 Tony and Judy prepare for the official opening of the Halfway House and the women prepare for the concert auditions.Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton Margo ~ Jane Clifton Helen ~ Caroline Gillmer Tony ~ Alan David Lee Maxine ~ Lisa Crittenden Barbara ~ Susan Guerin Paddy ~ Anna Hruby Sally ~ Liz Harris Kerry ~ Keely Macarow Phyllis ~ Reylene Pearce Richard Vercoe ~ David Hursthouse  Mr Douglas ~ Ian Smith Shirley Halliday ~ Vivien Davies  Federal Policeman ~ Eric McPhan  Meg's "suspension" means she does not appear again until (319). Bea also seems to take a little holiday.... The opening credits feature a new set of mugshots for Judy, which now include her prisoner number 387558 The writer of this episode was also a longtime storyliner, hence perhaps the reference to Margo's experience as a stripper. | Sally is arrested. Lizzie comforts Chrissie and tries to cheer her up by suggesting that she puts her name down for the concert. Joan pours scorn on the concert idea, which convinces Chrissie to change her mind and she volunteers. Sally sees her solicitor Richard Vercoe: she refuses bail as she can't face the idea of going home. Colleen tells Joan she has deliberately not mentioned that the concert is in a men's prison. Helen and Tony prepare for the opening of the halfway house: Helen fusses around with a feather duster (only the French maid's outfit - and accent - are missing). Maxine is finally convinced to report Sally to the Child Protection Agency. Sally is taken to Wentworth and is put to work in the laundry. Tony gives Erica a script for the concert. The women in the laundry approve of Sally's action in running her husband over. A woman from the Child Protection Agency calls to see Maxine about Sally and is told she is too late, as Sally is in prison. Joan tells Margo the concert is at Woodridge in order to involve a few trouble-makers. The guests arrive for the official opening of the halfway house. Maxine speaks to Erica to warn her about Sally's history as a child basher, and reminds her what will happen when the women find out. Colleen forces Phyllis to volunteer for the concert by threatening to send her to solitary for slacking on cleaning duty if she doesn't. Maxine gets drunk on the free champagne, but she's not the only one... Ted Douglas makes a drunken speech. Judy announces that the name will be Driscoll House after its first resident. Margo, Ronnie and Lil volunteer for the concert - to Colleen's dismay. A young girl comes to enquire what Driscoll House is: Tony explains it's for ex-prisoners and other women in distress. Chrissie comforts Sally when she finds her weeping in her cell, but Sally makes the mistake of admitting to hitting Michelle. Chrissie's attitude changes in a flash, and she gives Sally a slap round the face to demonstrate what it feels like. She then goes to the rec room and tells them all about Sally's confession. Joan is told that Ted Douglas has decided that she will act as Colleen's second in command during Meg's absence. Judy is woken up by an intruder at Driscoll, the young girl who visited earlier in the day  . Margo and a few other women pin Sally down and throw a cup of boiling hot coffee over her. Phyllis is stopped from going to Woodridge when Joan pushes Colleen into asking her what her attitude to the concert is. Next morning, the girl tells Judy her name is Kim, but Tony arrives at work and recognises her, so she scuttles upstairs. Judy tells Tony she doesn't want to phone the police until she can get "Kim" talking and get a better idea of her problems. Sally reports Margo to Joan, who warns her to keep her mouth shut and tells her the women's attitude to laggers. Joan goes to Margo and tells her she knows what she did to Sally: in return for not reporting it, she tells Margo she wants her to ruin the concert. Paddy is apprehensive about getting in the van, and threatens Margo when she mocks her. Chrissie starts a sing-song to defuse the situation as the van drives through the gates. |
EPISODE 318Broadcast on Channel 5 Sunday 19 July 04:40 The concert party meets its male counterpart and Sally learns that Peter has started divorce proceedings.Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton Margo ~ Jane Clifton Helen ~ Caroline Gillmer Maxine ~ Lisa Crittenden Sally ~ Liz Harris Tony ~ Alan David Lee Paddy ~ Anna Hruby Kerry ~ Keely Macarow Benny ~ Peter Ford Geoff ~ Danny Adcock  Lou ~ Kevin Summers  Andy ~ Ric Herbert  Richard Vercoe ~ David Hursthouse Duncan Campbell ~ Chris Orchard Male Prisoner ~ Vince D'Amico Despite heading the cast list, Judy does not in fact appear in this episode (thanks Mark Caffrey) The lineup outside Woodridge is (r to l): Lizzie, Chrissie, Margo, Tina, Ronnie, Angie, Babs, Paddy, "Worth", "Barker", Lil | Sally is taken to see Erica about the scalding but she is wise enough not to lag: Erica puts her in isolation. The women arrive at Woodridge  for a rehearsal. Colleen asks Geoff Carlson to take charge while they are there, which he does with a stern speech to the women about fraternising with the men. Chrissie spots Benny among the male prisoners: she last saw him in the siege at Hannah Simpson's mother's house. "Kim" decides to stay at Driscoll, but Tony doesn't believe her claim to be 17. Andy Hudson is made stage manager, with Paddy as his assistant. Margo sings a blues number (the ever-lovin' "Midnight Special"). Andy is taunted by the male prisoners: Paddy urges him to stand up for himself, but when they continue their taunts Paddy turns on them and threatens them with a hammer. Andy is not pleased as it makes him look even worse to seem to rely on a woman to defend him. Chrissie is alarmed to find that Neil is in the hospital at Woodridge. Back at Wentworth, Margo talks to Sally through the bars of isolation and threatens to have something put in her food. Benny and Lou torment Andy about him not fancying women and say that they should club together to pay for a session with Paddy if he isn't interested. Margo sounds out Chrissie about the possibility of an escape during the concert. Helen warns Maxine not to ride her bike without a licence. Chrissie hints to Benny that she wants Duncan Campbell to pay her too to keep quiet: Benny agrees to contact Duncan for her and get him to visit Wentworth. "Kim" admits to Maxine that it isn't her real name and asks what trouble Maxine was in at home. She tells Maxine that nothing would make her go home to her own parents. Lou grabs Paddy while she is pressing costumes and she burns him on the arm with an iron. Andy backs off from defending Paddy physically but tells the other men to leave her alone. "Kim" overhears Helen and Tony discussing Maxine and how they feel she is a bad influence on "Kim", though Helen says she thinks "Kim" is more likely to open up to Maxine than to either of them. Duncan Campbell visits Wentworth pretending to be Chrissie's solicitor: Joan recognises him and checks with the Governor before allowing the visit. Joan puts further pressure on Margo to wreck the concert and suggests she might try to escape. Chrissie demands five thousand dollars from Duncan Campbell: he counters with threats to Elizabeth, but she tells him she doesn't believe it would be worth his while to hurt Elizabeth just to save five thousand dollars. He agrees to pay her through Benny, but goes to Woodridge to tell Benny he holds him responsible for the trouble Chrissie is giving him and tells Benny the five thousand will be deducted from his payoff. Tony gets "Kim" to admit she's only 14, but can't get anything else out of her, so he phones the police to report her as a runaway. Sally sees her solicitor: he tells her Peter is divorcing her and applying for custody of Michelle. Benny offers Lou $5,000 to kill Chrissie. |
EPISODE 319Broadcast on Channel 5 Tuesday 21 July 1998 04:40 Sally becomes depressed after news of the divorce. Meanwhile, Lou decides to find out about Neil.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton Margo ~ Jane Clifton Tony ~ Alan David Lee Maxine ~ Lisa Crittenden Barbara ~ Susan Guerin Paddy ~ Anna Hruby Sally ~ Liz Harris Kerry ~ Keely Macarow Neil ~ Adrian Wright Benny ~ Peter Ford Lou ~ Kevin Summers Andy ~ Ric Herbert Geoff ~ Danny Adcock Cookie ~ Judi Connelli Errol ~ Stewart Faichney Policewoman ~ Liz Stevenson  The end of this episode seems to have been one of the few sequences involving attempted suicide by hanging that has never been cut in any UK broadcast, possibly because it is suggested rather than shown, despite a gruesomely explicit soundtrack and a very brief shot of Sally Demspter's face while she is choking | Colleen notices how withdrawn Sally is when she accompanies her back to isolation. Maxine reassures "Kim" that Tony wouldn't tell anyone how old she really is, but is worried when "Kim" seems more than just hung over and jokes that anyone would think she was pregnant. "Kim" tells Maxine that she fears that might be true: her period is a month late. Judy is furious that Tony has informed on "Kim" and points out that it could undermine all the work of the halfway house if it got to be widely known as a "dob-in" centre. A policewoman arrives to talk to "Kim" and produces a photo of her taken with her family, telling her that she knows her real name is Kerry Brodie. Benny talks to a new prisoner mopping the corridor at Woodridge: the shambling wreck turns round eventually to reveal that he is Neil Murray  . Colleen asks Joan to keep an eye on Sally, but Joan has very little sympathy and tells her she thinks it's a waste of time. Colleen says she hopes she is making herself clear: she is giving Joan an order to check on Sally regularly. Lou thinks he knows who Neil is, but has Andy talk to an officer to confirm his identity, and looks well pleased with the information. Judy tells Kerry she can call at any time if she wants to talk as Cookie and Errol come to collect Kerry from the halfway house. Lou gets Neil worked up by offering to fix him up with one of the women from Wentworth, then deliberately suggests Chrissie as a possibility. He tells Benny he hopes to set Neil up to kill Chrissie then collect the cash himself. When Kerry gets home, she seems about to tell her mother something, but clams up when her father walks into the room. Margo collects Sally's uneaten meal from her cell in isolation then demonstrates to her that it wasn't poisoned by eating some of it in front of her. Joan reports to Colleen that Sally is "off her food". Colleen persuades Erica that it would probably be safe to move Sally out of isolation provided that she is watched closely. Colleen takes Sally to the rec room, then underlines to all the women that if there is any trouble, the concert will be cancelled. Meg visits the halfway house and tells Judy that she won't let Joan push her out of the job. Paddy talks to Sally when the other women ignore her, but her suggestion that her own violent impulses had their roots in her childhood only makes Sally worse. She frets that she may have damaged Michelle for life and says that she only wanted a happy married life, not the life of a nothing like her own mother. At this all the women fall silent and listen: even Margo looks thoughtful. Meg visits Wentworth to talk to Colleen: she suggests that in the interests of better staff relations she thinks they should make an effort to get to know Joan better and proposes that she invites Colleen and Joan to dinner at her house. When Colleen has picked her jaw up off the floor, she says she has no confidence at all that the idea will work, but if Meg wants to give it a go, she will come. Chrissie wants to know where her money is, but Benny claims he hasn't been in touch with Duncan Campbell yet. Meg visits Joan at home and gets a frosty reception: Joan thanks her for her attempt to clear the air, but turns the dinner invitation down flat. When she arrives at work, Joan hears Erica ask Barbara to do some filing in her office, and demands that Barbara checks her file to see if there is anything written in it about the recent attempt to set her up. Barbara protests that she wouldn't be likely to be able to see an officer's file, but Joan reminds her that she still has Barbara's papers. Colleen suggests that Doctor Weissman should be asked to talk to Sally. Joan is ordered to try to persuade Sally to go back to work to get her mind off her problems: she interprets this very loosely and taunts Sally for idling around and tells her to get off her backside and do something. Benny offers to give Margo information on Woodridge to help her escape: in return he wants her to stage a little diversion during the concert. Sally wakes up and notices a pipe (somewhat implausibly) running along the ceiling of her cell. She rigs up a noose with a pair of tights  , climbs onto the edge of her bed and kicks it away  . |
EPISODE 320Broadcast on Channel 5 Wednesday 22 July 1998 04:40 Colleen saves Sally from strangulation; Chrissie's cheque is hidden backstage.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton Margo ~ Jane Clifton Paddy ~ Anna Hruby Maxine ~ Lisa Crittenden Sally ~ Liz Harris Barbara ~ Susan Guerin Kerry ~ Keely Macarow Geoff ~ Danny Adcock Benny ~ Peter Ford Lou ~ Kevin Summers Andy ~ Ric Herbert Neil ~ Adrian Wright Peter ~ Peter Carmody Cookie ~ Judi Connelli Errol ~ Stewart Faichney Phyllis ~ Reylene Pearce Julie ~ Christine Jack Off. Wilson ~ Ross Williams Thug ~ Rod Densley  Paul White ~ Gary Roonan Dempster Child ~ Michelle Saundry Julie There is a handy roll call of the background prisoners when Meg counts them back in on their return from Woodridge: Barker; (Ronnie) Kennedy | Phyllis happens to pass by Sally's cell and raises the alarm: she and Colleen support Sally while the noose is untied. Meg returns from holiday just as the phone call comes through to reception about Sally's suicide attempt. Sally is able to speak but Colleen refuses to give her an easy ride: she berates Sally for causing trouble for everyone and looking for sympathy - or in finding a way to get back at her husband that he could not answer. Lizzie warns Paddy that prison romances never last, though she is forced to admit that her own (with Sid, we assume) didn't turn out so badly. Colleen calls Peter to the prison to talk to him about Sally, but is infuriated when his main concern seems to be the potential effect on his clients: she tells him the conversation is useful because it helps her to understand why his wife tried to kill herself. She urges him to speak to her and admit his own responsibility for some of Sally's problems. Peter and Sally are duly reconciled and he agrees to help her in court by taking the blame for provoking her. Meg brings a scarf for Sally to hide the bruises on her neck for her court appearance. Sally is not very confident that she will be able to cope but becomes more optimistic after a pep talk from Meg. Errol gives Kerry a lift to school and checks out that she hasn't told anyone about their "relationship", but he explodes in a jealous rage after she hops out of the car to talk to a boy from school. Benny tells Chrissie he has hidden her cheque backstage. Paddy gives Andy an excuse to sneak away with her for a quick canoodle, but has to force herself to overcome her fear of the dark confined space he chooses for them to hide in. Peter takes Sally home after she is freed by the court. Lou takes Neil with him on the rounds with the tea trolley so he can smuggle him into the rehearsal room where Chrissie is. Benny sends Chrissie off to look for her money just when the tea break is announced, and signals to Margo to start her diversion to distract the officers. Chrissie cannot find what she looking for, but is startled to come face to face with Neil. Paddy hears them talking and Andy goes to investigate, just as Lou pushes Chrissie forward into Neil's arms  . Paddy and Andy rescue Chrissie and Neil is dragged away by male officers. Andy's state of undress reveals what he has just been doing, but Carlson seems willing to turn a blind eye. Neil admits it was Lou who led him to Chrissie. Kerry returns to the halfway house to talk to Maxine after an argument with her father: she tells Maxine she wants an abortion, but refuses to discuss who made her pregnant. Judy calls Kerry's parents to the halfway house and tells them about Kerry's pregnancy. Errol blames Kerry's friend Paul White, but from Kerry's reaction when he asks her directly who the father of her child is, Judy seems to realise the truth. Later, Maxine and Judy swap impressions and agree that they both suspect Kerry's father of incest. Colleen is smug and Joan is miffed when Erica decides that the concert will go ahead. Joan protests that it is common gossip that Paddy is having an affair with a male prisoner, but Erica puts on her steeliest manner to remind her that if all decisions were made on the basis of gossip very few would escape blame - present company very definitely included. Lou and Benny are transferred out of Woodridge. Joan puts more pressure on Barbara to hurry up and get hold of her file, so when Barbara is left alone in reception for a moment, she calls Phillip, gives him Joan's address and tells him to do something to get Joan off her back. Margo tries to stall when Joan repeats her demand that she should get the concert stopped. A workman with a clipboard calls at Joan's house and after briefly checking the security, he throws something over the fence to her dog. Judy tells Kerry about Chrissie and how her life was ruined by being raped by her father, and urges Kerry to at least tell her mother the truth. The "workman" returns to Joan's house after dark and breaks in. Judy tells Kerry she will be able to have an abortion if that is what she wants. Joan gets no response when she calls for her dog ("Hanno"?) on arriving home: she finds him dead in the back yard and falls grieving upon his body. Kerry tells her mother she doesn't want to have the baby, but Cookie's proposal that she and Errol could bring the child up as their own makes Maxine lose patience and hint at the truth so clearly that even Cookie can no longer ignore it  . Cookie reacts immediately by slapping Kerry's face, but then takes her in her arms to comfort her. |
Script Editor: Barry Main (316)-(317); Ian Smith (318); Barry Main (319)-(320)
Storyliners: Dave Worthington, John Mortimore, Andrew Kennedy, Patrea Smallacombe
| (311) to (315) |
