EPISODE 536Broadcast on Meridian Tuesday 10 March 1998 23:40; Channel 5 Saturday 14 August 1999 04:40. Anita confesses to Joan and bids farewell to a hostile counterpart. Merv thinks his luck is in but discovers that Joyce is horribly confused.![]() Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Myra ~ Anne Phelan Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Dennis ~ Nigel Bradshaw Anita ~ Diane Craig Lou ~ Louise Siversen Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Alice ~ Lois Collinder Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne Ruth ~ Mary Murphy Tammy ~ Gloria Ajenstat Nursing Sister ~ Sarah Ryan ![]() Ruth and Tammy seem to be credited purely for a bit of wordless mucking around in the kitchen. | Lexie tells Myra the women are waiting to see what she will do about Anita for lagging. No-one can get in contact with Joan, and Ann suggests they try phoning the hospitals. Anita talks to the women through the laundry gate before her release: she pleads with them to understand her motives, but Myra tells her they can't forgive her and points out the hypocrisy of allowing the Church to pay her bail. Joan comes round after the operation and refuses to see Ann or anyone else from the Department. Joyce is pre-occupied with her own problems with Norm and confesses to Meg she is bored with him. Dennis lets Myra know he is disgusted with her for using Joan's illness against her: Myra replies she would do the same again any time. To start off the flood of flashbacks, Myra tells Lexie about Meg, who she knew when she was inside before the start of the series. Myra mentions Franky Doyle coming along after she left, leading to a flashback to the riot and Bill Jackson's murder (3) and a scene of Meg at home after the murder (4). Anita visits Joan in hospital and Joan tells her she can't see her getting her job back. Anita asks Joan that if she does return to Wenwtorth she should try to help the women. In the rec room the women reminisce: Lou mentions Vera and her nickname given to her by Franky - though the clip from (1) seems to contradict that, as Franky maliciously says the nickname was Bea's idea. Alice and Lou lead the reminiscences which take in further clips of Joan's body search on Paddy Lawson (323), Jock Stewart telling Judy exactly how he killed Sharon (119), Judy's final revenge on Jock (258). Joyce has to tell Mervin she can't stay for supper. The reminiscences continue with Franky wrecking the rec room and shouting to Doreen from solitary (1), Karen teaching Franky to read (12), Franky's death (20), Lizzie getting drunk on Joan's miniatures (288?), the pantomime and the escape (165), Lizzie collecting for the Salvation Army (111), Bea burning Lyn's hand in the press (1), Bea visiting Debbie's grave and shooting her husband (2), Bea explaining to Maxine why she bashed her (351), Bea's final confrontation with Joan and her final scene (400). Myra tells the women she went to see Bea few times in Barnhurst and she asked about all of them - even Lou Kelly. All this is to mark the end of an era: Ann is told there has been a riot and a fire at Barnhurst and prisoners are being transferred to other prisons. When Meg asks if anyone was hurt, Ann tells her that Vera is in hospital and Bea has died in the fire trying to stop the riot. Thanks to Leo for pointing out I had Jock "Murray" originally... (whoops) and identifying the episode number for one of the flashbacks. Myra says that Bill Jackson was the "prison shrink" - maybe this is the source of one of Terry Bourke's mistakes? Myra also says that Franky and Doreen tried to hold up a bank, but in fact it was a hardware store. Lou and Alice appear to have been in Wentworth much longer than we realise: Lou even claims to have helped dig the escape tunnel. |
EPISODE 537Broadcast on Meridian Tuesday 17 March 1998 23:45; Channel 5 Sunday 15 August 1999 04:40. Ann enforces a security clampdown, Myra and Lou clash over top-dog position, and an immediate cell-search is announced.![]() Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Myra ~ Anne Phelan Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Dennis ~ Nigel Bradshaw Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Lou ~ Louise Siversen Willie ~ Kirsty Child ![]() May ~ Billie Hammerberg ![]() Daphne ~ Debra Lawrence ![]() Nora ~ Sonja Tallis ![]() Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne ![]() Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne Alice ~ Lois Collinder Andrew Fry ~ Howard Bell Pat Slattery ~ Dorothy Cutts Kath Deakin ~ Michele Sargent Barnhurst Officer ~ Lorraine Kindler ![]() Nurse 1 ~ Gaytana Adorna ![]() Nurse 2 ~ Christine Lucas ![]() The actual credit for Dennis is Nigel "Breadshaw" (thanks, Leo). | Myra and Lexie are both missing their cellmates. Ann leaves a note for Joan at the hospital to let her know about her reinstatement when Joan still refuses to see her. Lou warns the women not to count on Myra to save them from Joan when she returns and admits she is angling for top dog. Eight women arrive transferred from Barnhurst. Five of them are lodged in H block:- Willie (Wilhelmina) Beecham, May Collins, Nora Flynn, Julie Egbert and Daphne Graham. Ann corrects Meg sharply when she hopes Myra can sort them out. The newcomers promptly establish their characters: May and Willie bicker like an old married couple, Julie's shyness and the laugh that suggested her nickname "Chook". The women ignore Myra in the laundry and Lou tells Myra the women want a change of top dog. Ann addresses the new arrivals ![]() ![]() The Barnhurst women sent to other blocks are "Jane Coulter, Nancy Groob and Fay Osicka". One of the paintings in the staff room has been changed. |
EPISODE 538Broadcast on Meridian Tuesday 24 March 1998 23:40 Ann continues to throw her weight around and make things tough for the new inmates and staff, Myra and Lou continue to struggle for top-dog position and a new arrival at Wentworth proves impressive.![]() Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Myra ~ Anne Phelan Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Dennis ~ Nigel Bradshaw Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Lou ~ Louise Siversen Willie ~ Kirsty Child Ruth ~ Lindy Davies May ~ Billie Hammerberg Daphne ~ Debra Lawrence Nora ~ Sonja Tallis Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Kath ~ Michele Sargent Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne Andrew Fry ~ Howard Bell Pat Slattery ~ Dorothy Cutts Federal Cop No. 1 ~ Scott Lucy ![]() Federal Cop No. 2 ~ Chris Hallam ![]() Di Hagen ~ Christine Andrew Wentworth Mother ~ Estee Naylor ![]() Barnhurst Officer ~ Andrea Swift ![]() Barnhurst Mother ~ Lyn-Marie Smith ![]() Sister Vaughan ~ Peggy Rush ![]() Dr Leary ~ Paul Wentford Tracy ~ Hollie Woeller Sister ~ Lily Steiner ![]() Nurse ~ Glenda Walsh ![]() Nurse ~ Jessica Norton ![]() | Ann supervises the cell search and tells Joyce to confiscate a couple of items from Willie's pile of junk. Joan is eager to leave the hospital but the doctor insists she will have to stay there for two weeks. Ann shows the officers a collection of potentially dangerous items recovered in the search ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The percentage of the worldwide drugs trade supposedly controlled by Arnold Ballinger has dropped from 95% in the last episode to a not much less absurd 80% here. The backgrounder inducted as Mary Vaughan is called "Jill" |
EPISODE 539Broadcast on Meridian Tuesday 31 March 1998 23:40 Ruth sees a way of using the women's friendship to her advantage and is given the go-ahead from her lawyer to turn informer on selected criminals. Anne tries to help Daphne, who sinks further into depression and hurts herself.![]() Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Dennis ~ Nigel Bradshaw Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Lou ~ Louise Siversen Willie ~ Kirsty Child Ruth ~ Lindy Davies May ~ Billie Hammerberg Daphne ~ Debra Lawrance Ettie ~ Lois Ramsay Nora ~ Sonja Tallis Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Alice ~ Lois Collinder Andrew Fry ~ Howard Bell Pat Slattery ~ Dorothy Cutts George Costello ~ Peter Stratford ![]() Sadie Grimshaw ~ Helene Jacoby Delivery Man No 1 ~ Michael Brooks ![]() Delivery Man No 2 ~ Terry Brittingham Lexie is removed from the mugshot credits, Myra and Lou shift up one and Nora is tagged on the end. | After seeing her cocky attitude in the rec room, Lexie and Nora suspect Lou of framing Myra: Nora says she saw Lou and Kath in the corridor outside Myra's cells. Alice tells Lou she'll support her if she's going for top dog. Lexie sees the state of Ruth's cell and offers to help her clean it up. When Ruth offers her a lipstick as a gift, Lexie is suspicious, so suggests Ruth should cut cards with Lexie for it. Ruth takes the cards from her and shuffles them herself, then draws the higher card. Willie weeps over a soap on TV (see below). May tells Lou she won't back her as top dog as she knows she set Myra up. Julie explains to Lexie that she beat her at cards by memorising the cards played and working out what was left in the deck. She then amazes Lexie with her detailed recall of Arnold Ballinger's profits. Lou offers to help Ruth if someone is planning to stage an escape and gets a smack across the face when she pushes it too far by being familiar about her husband. May and Willie find their cell wrecked when they return from their morning shower. Ruth employs Daphne to clean her cell, and then tries to bribe Dennis to help her out occasionally. Ann arrives in reception to find it piled high with boxes of stuff for Ruth. Joan returns to work. May is annoyed at having her wool unravelled and bashes Lou to make her tidy it up. Ann lets Joan know she isn't pleased to see her back and warns her not to bend the rules for her own benefit. Nora feels faint in the laundry. Andrew Fry refuses Ann's suggestion that Joan should be transferred to Barnhurst. Ruth demands a private phone in her cell: Ann turns her down. Joan takes a tour round the building and introduces herself to the new prisoners in the laundry. While the women are distracted, Daphne sneaks over to the press and burns her hand. Ann tells Daphne she won't punish her but she must see a psychiatrist. The women get a postcard from Ettie. A newspaper headline about Ballinger claims he has "dumped" his wife ![]() The backgrounder called Jill in the last episode is called "Brodie" at mail call. Meg tells Ettie they have had nine (not eight) prisoners from Barnhurst. The dialogue from the soap "Yesterday, today and tomorrow" that Willie watches on TV is a cruel parody:
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EPISODE 540Broadcast on Meridian Tuesday 07 April 1998 23:40; Channel 5 Saturday 28 August 1999 04:40. Nora announces to the women that she is pregnant. Ettie, still homesick for the security of prison life, thinks of another plan to get back into Wentworth![]() Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Myra ~ Anne Phelan Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Dennis ~ Nigel Bradshaw Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Lou ~ Louise Siversen Willie ~ Kirsty Child Ruth ~ Lindy Davies May ~ Billie Hammerberg Pippa ~ Christine Harris Daphne ~ Debra Lawrance Jenny ~ Jenny Lovell Ettie ~ Lois Ramsay Nora ~ Sonja Tallis Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne Alice ~ Lois Collinder Kath ~ Michele Sargent Terri Malone ~ Margot Knight ![]() Fed. Sup. No. 1 ~ Scott Lucey Fed. Sup. No. 2 ~ Chris Hallam ![]() Sadie ~ Helene Jacoby Manager ~ Brian Worth Plumber ~ John Adams ![]() Police Sgt ~ Peter Black ![]() Billy ~ Rick Ireland ![]() Sally ~ Melanie Boxshall Michele Sargent is credited as "Cath" | Daphne finds a geranium in the garden and is about to dig it up to take it indoors when Lou tries to put her off by telling her about the bodies supposedly buried in the garden. When Daphne turns round she sees that Lou has crushed the geranium underfoot. Ettie decides to rob a bank, but sees an opportunity closer to home when a plumber working at the flats leaves his radio playing and his van door wide open. Ettie makes a big show of stealing it but no-one takes her seriously. Willie and May find another geranium and give it to Daphne to cheer her up. Joan ironically tells Myra of the lessons of patience and forgiveness she learnt from Anita: this is to indicate that she won't be looking for vengeance immediately, but will make Myra wait. Sadie inadvertently gives Ettie the idea of confessing to a crime committed by someone else. Myra is back with the women. Julie scores the highest in Dennis' general knowledge quiz, but keeps quiet about it. Sadie and Ettie scan the newspapers and find a case of a woman cashing forged pension cheques. There is even a photo, which looks a bit like Ettie (perhaps because it is of Lois Ramsay as a younger woman? ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Story Editor: Coral Drouyn
Script Editor: Kit Oldfield (538)-(540)
Storyliners: Coral Drouyn, Neil Luxmoore, Tony McDonald, John Coulter
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