EPISODES (371) TO (375)

EPISODE 371 Broadcast on Channel 5 Friday 02 October 1998 04:40 Maxine tries to double-cross her brother-in-law in an armed hold-up. Joan spreads a rumour about Tracey Belman's disability - then tries to prove it's true. And Lizzie receives a reminder of the past. Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Bea ~ Val Lehman Colleen ~ Judith McGrath Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Maxine ~ Lisa Crittenden Phyllis ~ Reylene Pearce Tracey ~ Alyson Best Wally ~ Alan Hopgood Mikki ~ Christine Keogh Maggie May Kennedy ~ Davina Whitehouse Pauline ~ Linden Wilkinson Roger ~ Bruce Kilpatrick Spud ~ Robert Forza Mrs Daniels ~ Marie Redshaw Lizta Stathopolous ~ Christine Totos Prosecutor ~ Colin Vancao Magistrate ~ Bill Bennett Jerry Steele ~ Peter Harvey-Wright Muriel Baxter ~ Beverly Phillips Spiros Stathopolous ~ Antonios Baxevanidis Mr Millett ~ Murray Smith Written by Bryon Williams Directed by Kendal Flanagan Maggie May's folksy smock has been seen before - in (170) .

Colleen tells Joan that she has to report Tracey's accusation. Litza's father arrives at Driscoll, raves at Wally and collapses clutching his heart: Litza claims he's faking and escapes through a window. Roger tells Pauline that after Mrs Chandler's death, he will have to put the money back in the account, as the dates will reveal that the money went out after her death. Pauline admits that there's nothing left to repay: she's used all the money repaying their debts. Bea and Lizzie see a solicitor: he advises Bea to plead guilty with provocation and Lizzie to protect herself by saying that she only gave Bea the gun for safe keeping or protection. Joan scoffs at Bea's insistence that Zara will give evidence against her. Maxine comes to the halfway house: Judy persuades her to go back home and try to make it up with her family. Joan is cleared of harassing Tracey, but is told she is no longer to look after her: Joan is outraged that this makes it look as if there were some truth in the accusation and Tracey's word is being believed over hers. At Bea's hearing, Meg is forced to admit that Bea admitted to killing Nola and threatened Joan, saying she'd get her next. Joan gives evidence of Bea's hostility towards Nola for pushing here aside and taking over as top dog. Roger decides to do a pay-roll snatch. Mikki makes a mistake when she tells Muriel's husband on the phone that she isn't at the halfway house, as she thinks Muriel shouldn't try to contact him. Muriel is furious and tells Mikki not to interfere. Pauline lets Maxine know about the financial trouble she and Roger are in. The magistrate decides Bea and Lizzie will go trial: Ann decides it wouldn't be right for them to carry on sharing a cell and moves Bea out. The women hear a newsflash about Maggie Kennedy, a 72 year old drug runner, who's been given a 20 year sentence. Maxine suggests to Spud that they do a payroll snatch to help Pauline out. Phyllis and Lizzie overhear Colleen and Joan discussing Tracey's "psychologically induced trauma". Maggie Kennedy is brought to Wentworth. Phyllis tips Tracey out of her wheelchair as she is watching TV in the rec room: Joan refuses to help her up. Roger parks his car and waits in an alleyway with a gun for the man carrying the payroll. Joan makes a move on Tracey, knowing that Ann and Colleen are around to witness Tracey standing up out of her chair and trying to get away from Joan. Spud and Maxine do the pay-roll snatch: Roger goes to see why his victim hasn't turned up and finds the job has already been done. Lizzie meets Maggie, who's been put to share her cell: they realise they know each other and last met 40 years ago, when Maggie's surname was Mullins.

Someone in the props department had great fun in this episode. Not only did they handwrite a list of people Maxine's sister and her husband consider asking for a loan including:

JUDY GARLAND - ELIZABETH WINDSOR - JOHN WAYNE - MARGARET THATCHER and later MOTHER THERESA

WENTWORTH DETENTION CENTRE - INFORMATION FOR AN OFFENCE. Interviewer: Mr A Pennington Defendant: Tracy (sic) Ann Belman SIXTH of July 1983 at WENTWORTH PRISON You know that if you piss on a flea it will follow the stream of your piss right up to your dick and bite it on the knob. I bet not to(o) many of you know that because I just made it up to fill in this report that no one will see anyway because the writing is far to(o) small to read thats if you can read at all the time is exactly twelve o clock the date is the 31st of January 1983 and its 82 degrees outside shit I wish I were out side instead of being stuck in this green room typing all this shit for Grant god is this boring so you [...] Humpty Dumpty was pushed isnt that the biggest load of shit you ever [heard?] well well look who has just arrived get a load of the hairstyle ok she has just gone to answer the [phone?] lets get physical now there goes Chris just like a seedy [...] suggestive[...]

Thanks to Louise in the OTI Recroom who through the magic of the new DVDs and some persistence suggests that a more accurate reading might be:

WENTWORTH DETENTION CENTRE
INFORMATION FOR AN OFFENCE
Informant: Mr G Denniston
Defendant Trac[e]y Ann Belman
The information of G Denniston of Wentworth Detention Centre in the state of Victoria who
that the above named defendant on the SIXTH day of JULY 1983 at Wentworth Prison in the said state did
you know that if you p*ss on a flea it will follow the st[r]eam of p*ss righ[t] up yo your d*ck and bite it on the knob I bet not to[o] many of you know that because I just made it up to fill in this report that no one will see anyway because the writting is far to[o] small to read thats if you can read at all the time is exactly twelve oclock the date is the 31st of Janurary 1983 and its 37 degrees out side sh*t I wish I were out side instead of being stuck in this green room typing all this sh*t out for Grant god is this boring do you know what its like to be rip[p]ed off by your boss Humpty dumpty was pushed isnt that the biggest load of sh*t you have ever Well well look who has just arrived get a load of the hair style ok she has just gone to answer the bkgie[?] lets get physical now there goes Chris just like a strip of suggestive film

As Louise points out, two of the "I"s appear to have been inked over - I suspect to correct that they'd been typed in lower case.

Thanks also to agent warren on the same forum for the inpired suggestion that the mystery word in the last sentence was (or was meant to be) "bugle", as in "answer the bugle", an established usage that some put-upon underling might well use to mean following orders from on high.

Further thanks to Squizz for the suggestion that G (not C) Denniston is likely to be the same as the Grant mentioned in the text, since Grant Denniston is credited for Props for this episode. No way of knowing for sure, but I like the suggestion that a plausible candidate as the author of the statement would be a certain Peter O'Connor, credited as Set Dresser for the same episode?

EPISODE 372 Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 03 October 1998 04:40 Maggie tries to gain popularity by making up a story, with unforeseen consequences. Roger's guilt gets the better of him, and Pauline tries to incriminate Maxine. Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Bea ~ Val Lehman Colleen ~ Judith McGrath Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Maxine ~ Lisa Crittenden Phyllis ~ Reylene Pearce Tracey ~ Alyson Best Wally ~ Alan Hopgood Maggie May Kennedy ~ Davina Whitehouse Pauline ~ Linden Wilkinson Roger ~ Bruce Kilpatrick Spud ~ Robert Forza Mrs Daniels ~ Marie Redshaw Mikki Wallace ~ Christine Keogh Mary Adler ~ Bev Hay Lizta Stathopolous ~ Christine Totos Sister Kelly ~ Liddy Holloway Det. Insp. Grady ~ David Hursthouse Mr Grimmons ~ Charles Gilroy Written by Billie Morton Directed by Kendal Flanagan Maggie's "diary" entry consists of her first line in the scene repeated over and over. This must be a serious contender for the top five worst ever episodes: not only two of the worst characters (Maggie May and Litza) in full flood but also some poor writing for the unutterably tedious Mikki Wallace and her inadequacies as a human being.

Roger runs into his boss near the alley and explains he got the wrong day for his dentist's appointment. Lizzie and Maggie catch up by reminiscing about the old times. Maggie admits to Lizzie she suspected she was carrying drugs, but the pay was so good she didn't care: Lizzie warns her to be careful of Bea. Maxine and Spud split the money. Colleen wonders if recent events might have made Ann a bit more wary about trusting Joan. Lizzie introduces Maggie to the other women in the laundry - Bea isn't impressed, but the others seem interested in Maggie's tall tales and agree that she is right to fight for extradition to be tried in America. Tracey wonders if she killed her husband for nothing if her paralysis had only been psychological. Maxine gives her share to Pauline. Maggie spins another yarn for the women, but Bea cuts her off until she gets onto the subject of drug running. Lizzie tells Bea that Maggie claims she was set up. Roger tells Pauline the man he was going to rob was mugged by someone else, and she shows him the money Maxine has given her. He is worried that he was seen by his boss near the alley where the robbery took place. Colleen finds Maggie writing her diary: Maggie tries to bribe Colleen with a bottle of booze. Meg persuades Wally to help with the educational programme by giving pottery classes for the women. Tracey goes to court and apologises to Joan, telling her she's grateful to her for her help. The police interview Roger: he repeats his alibi about the dentist's appointment, but finds that the police already know of his whereabouts from Mr Grimmons. Lizta returns to the halfway house. Maggie fakes a coughing fit to get hold of some cough syrup, and asks for a particular brand by name that she likes to "keep handy". Judy tells Mikki she might have made a mistake allowing Litza to stay at the halfway house. Pauline asks Maxine if she kept any of the money from the robbery, but she denies it. Bea tells the women that Tracey has been sent to Barnhurst on a three year sentence. Bea decides to help Maggie get extradition by writing to the press. Litza's father hangs up on her when she phones him: Judy sees how the rejection upsets her, but Mikki puts all the blame on her father's attitudes. Spud tells Maxine he's leaving town, and refuses to let her come with him. Meg discovers an empty bottle in Maggie's bed the morning after Lizzie's cough mixture binge. Pauline makes an anonymous call to the police and informs on Maxine for the payroll snatch.

EPISODE 373 Broadcast on Channel 5 Sunday 04 October 1998 04:40 Litza's presence at Driscoll House creates hostility. A meek and mild librarian undergoes a shocking personality change to get herself arrested. Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Bea ~ Val Lehman Colleen ~ Judith McGrath Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Maxine ~ Lisa Crittenden Phyllis ~ Reylene Pearce Wally ~ Alan Hopgood Mikki ~ Christine Keogh Maggie May ~ Davina Whitehouse Mrs Daniels ~ Marie Redshaw Lizta ~ Christine Totos Cliff ~ Robbie McGregor Laura/Brandy ~ Roslyn Gentle Carol ~ Merrin Canning Des ~ Peter Ford Jilly ~ Natasha Love Mr Douglas ~ Ian Smith Ken Harvey ~ Paul Glen Mrs Landon ~ Eve Godley Bruce Fisher ~ David Allshorn Joe Landis ~ Shane Bourne Policeman ~ Peter Black Mrs Toomey ~ Pam Murphy Rob Tennant ~ Don Bridges Frances ~ Wanda Davidson Mr Perkins ~ Earl Francis OTHER CHARACTERS Mrs Stone - interviewing Carol Written by Coral Drouyn Directed by John Gauci Maxine's mugshot replaces Tracey Belman.

Pauline has second thoughts and phones Maxine to warn her the police are coming. Maxine steals a customer's car from the garage forecourt to make her getaway. Ann warns Maggie not to play her for a fool and assume she will get away with anything because of her age. Maggie is warned she will be sent to solitary next time. Lizzie listens at the door of the surgery and overhears Maggie blaming her for the cough mixture incident: she lets Maggie know that she heard every word she said. Maxine calls on Spud's mum and is chased by the police, but runs out of petrol and is arrested. Bea reads out the letter supporting Maggie's claim to be allowed to go back to America: Maggie says she'll get it out to the press through her solicitor. Ann talks to Maxine when she returns to Wentworth. Joan's neighbour Des Coulson complains about Major "crapping" on his lawn (the dog, not Joan's father). Joan refuses to chain Major up but is taken aback when he threatens to shoot the dog if he catches him in his garden again. Lizzie turns against Maggie and starts to contradict everything she says. Maxine tells Bea and Lizzie to stop criticising Maggie as she did what she had to do. Joan talks to Jilly the little girl next door and her mother Carol, and tells her about the threats her husband made. When Carol goes indoors, she walks straight into a row with her husband, in which he blames her for failing to get a job. However, as we see when Carol goes for an interview, she is turned down on the grounds that she is too "nervy". Ann calls Ted Douglas for advice about the press calls for Maggie's extradition: he advises her to ocntinue to make no comment as there is an intention on the Department's part to resist the US in its attempt to extradite Maggie. Meg goes to the library, where one of the assistants is pestered by a collection agent for $1,000 of credit.. Later, we see the assistant walking through a shopping mall where she is irresistably drawn to a glittery red dress in a shop window and stands gazing at it. Lizzie is annoyed (and jealous?) that Maxine is getting on so well with Maggie. Fran tells Judy her story about having her child taken away from her at the age of two, and her frustration boils over when Litza comes back late, saying she's just a spolit kid with no real problems and can't see why she's in the house anyway. Joan's neighbour Des loses money to his mates playing poker, and drunkenly forces Carol to go to bed with him. Maggie sees her solicitor and he takes the letter from the women to the newspaper. Brandy Carter is brought to Wentworth on a soliciting charge ... wearing a certain red glittery dress

EPISODE 374 Broadcast on Channel 5 Tuesday 06 October 1998 04:40 The media responds to Maggie's cry for support. A night out ends in heartbreak for Litza. Joan is a witness to horrific domestic violence. Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Bea ~ Val Lehman Colleen ~ Judith McGrath Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Maxine ~ Lisa Crittenden Wally ~ Alan Hopgood Maggie May ~ Davina Whitehouse Pauline ~ Linden Wilkinson Mikki ~ Christine Keogh Lizta ~ Christine Totos Cliff ~ Robbie McGregor Carol ~ Merrin Canning Des ~ Peter Ford Jilly ~ Natasha Love Mr Douglas ~ Ian Smith Brandy/Laura ~ Roslyn Gentle Newsman ~ Michael Carman Sue Dennis ~ Marie O'Loughlin Manoli ~ George Harlem Written by Dave Worthington Directed by John Gauci You know, those protesters do have good point

Brandy denies that she's been in prison before when Meg thinks she recognizes her. Bea meets Brandy who's been put to share her cell, but Brandy gets up Bea's nose in the laundry later on by slouching around and not working. Ann refuses to move Lizzie out of Maggie's cell. Cliff chats up Litza when he arrives at the halfway house when Mikki isn't there. Mikki says later that she doesn't mind Cliff inviting Litza out with them, but makes it clear that she wants to sleep with him that night, so he'd better not have any other ideas. Bea puts Brandy straight and tells that only Joan would be interested im what's he's got to offer, and no-one deals with Joan for any reason. Pauline comes to see Maxine and tells her she is pregnant. Maxine tells her she needn't worry about Roger being arrested, as she isn't going to say anything. The women notice that Maxine is rather quiet after her visit and so she tells them why she's back inside. Brandy tears a slit up the side of her denim skirt in a vain attempt to look more seductive. Judy asks Mikki to break her date with Cliff to stay and help her with the house accounts. Wally's first pottery class is disrupted by Brandy's attempt to seduce him: her opening gambit is to form a "penis" out of clay and squeeze it between her fingers, which has just the right shyly playful effect and is not at all tarty. Cliff and Litza go out together on their own. Brandy slaps Maxine when she taunts her and a scuffle ensues. The officers break it up and Colleen tells Brandy to repair the rip in her dress. Cliff plies Litza with drink. The Coulsons' baby-sitter leaves Jilly at Joan's house when they fail to come home in the evening. Lizta runs out of the bar when Cliff makes a pass at her. Meanwhile, her fiance Manoli turns up at the halfway house looking for her. Joan takes Jilly back when Des eventually arrives home. Manoli explains that he doesn't agree with arranged marriages, but that he did want to marry Litza anyway. Unfortunately, Lizta turns up with Cliff in pursuit: Manoli loses his temper and slaps Litza. Press and protesters supporting Maggie camp outside Wentworth. Meg warns Ann there is an article in The Dispatch about Maggie and just as she starts to read it, Ted Douglas phones in outrage. Carol tells Jilly to stay home from school as she needs her to help cook a meal for her and Des's tenth wedding anniversary. Maggie compares Australia unfavourably to America and gets a predictable reaction from Lizzie and Bea. Jilly knocks over a vase, and Carol, who is already getting very jittery, sends her outside to play. When Des gets home and finds he has to wait for his tea, he sweeps everything off the table and turns on Carol. Ted Douglas interviews Bea about the press coverage and tells her that despite what she may have been told Maggie is in fact guilty as charged. Joan finds Jilly outside and takes her back to her parents. She pauses outside when she hears a noise and eventually walks in just as Carol stabs Des in the back with a kitchen knife.

EPISODE 375 Broadcast on Channel 5 Wednesday 07 October 1998 04:40 Joan's life is endangered when a hysterical murderess turns on her. Brandy panics when she realises the consequences of her behaviour. Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Bea ~ Val Lehman Colleen ~ Judith McGrath Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Maxine ~ Lisa Crittenden Wally ~ Alan Hopgood Mikki ~ Christine Keogh Maggie May ~ Davina Whitehouse Lizta ~ Christine Totos Laura/Brandy ~ Roslyn Gentle Carol ~ Merrin Canning Des ~ Peter Ford Jilly ~ Natasha Love Mr Douglas ~ Ian Smith Manoli ~ George Harlem Sergeant ~ Paul Karo Constable ~ John Ramsay Neighbour ~ Hannah Govan Greek Youth ~ Con Mathios Policewoman ~ Sue O'Neill Written by Ian Smith Directed by William Templer The silent uncredited officer Mrs O'Shea is referred to as "Helen".

Joan offers to go for help, but Carol tells her not to bother as "the bastard's dead". She says Joan should stay anyway as she hasn't decided yet what to do. Joan is missed at the prison. Jilly comes inside the house after Joan and is grabbed and held hostage by her mother. Joan and Carol have a tense and cryptic conversation over Jilly's head as Joan manages to convince Carol not to kill herself and her daughter. Bea is annoyed with Lizzie for not being straight with her and suggests her loyalties were really with Maggie all along. Lizzie replies that she was worried Bea might crack up completely so soon after the business with Zara. Bea warns Maggie she's in deep trouble, so Maggie tries to pretend she gave her lawyer a letter to be opened in case anything should happen to her inside. Joan is still being held hostage at the Coulsons' when darkness falls. Litza and Mikki argue about Manoli's behaviour then turn to the subject of Cliff. Just as Carol is changing her mind and deciding again to kill Jilly , Meg calls on Joan and finds she isn't at home. After calling next door and seeing what is going on, she calls the police. Joan distracts Carol by turning on the light and gets Jilly away from her. The police officer commends Joan for her bravery, but she snaps at him and says she was just trying to stay alive. Judy tells Mikki that Cliff is no good and she should stop defending him. What's more, she's in no position to help people with their problems if she hasn't sorted out her own. Meg reminds Ann of the trouble they had with Denise Tyler, and worries it will happen again if Carol Coulson is brought to Wentworth and the women find out about her threat to kill her daughter. Bea tells the women the truth about Maggie, and adds that Maggie should by rights be inside for murder. Maggie tells Maxine her story and how she went from a farm in Australia to a farm in America, and only started smuggling drugs to get herself out of the rut. Brandy has a funny turn in the shower, as she goes back to her "Laura" personality and realises where she is. Wally agrees to go and see Manoli to try to persuade him to visit Litza at Driscoll. Maggie is told she is to be extradited, but will face her full sentence. Colleen puts Brandy on a charge for not mending the rip in her skirt as she told her the day before. Carol Coulson is brought to Wentworth on remand. Meg remembers where she has seen Brandy before and confronts her, saying that she saw her in the library. Laura changes back to Brandy and says the only book she'd ever had anything to do with were porn.

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