EPISODE 581Broadcast on Carlton/LWT Thursday 09 April 1998 23:40; Meridian Monday 07 June 1999 23:20; Channel 5 Sunday 16 January 2000 04:10. Nora encounters her `dead' mother, and Ann learns that Reb's personality change was not caused by ECT. Lou sabotages Lexie's make-up and causes Jennifer to withdraw from the contest.![]() Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Nora ~ Sonja Tallis May ~ Billie Hammerberg Willie ~ Kirsty Child Daphne ~ Debra Lawrance Eve ~ Lynda Stoner Reb ~ Janet Andrewartha Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Jenny ~ Jenny Lovell Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Lou ~ Louise Siversen Pippa ~ Christine Harris Ben ~ Kevin Summers Alice ~ Lois Collinder Insp Ron Gordon ~ Neil Thompson ![]() Mrs Davis ~ Rosie Sturgess Dr Green ~ Robin Cuming ![]() Mrs Graham ~ Dawn Klingberg | Julie and Willie agree that Lady Brooke-Giddings does look a bit like Lexie (the optician will be around shortly). Lou points out she'll feel right at home considering how many "rich bitches" Wentworth can currently boast, but Lexie backs down and seems to regret mentioning it. Pippa refuses to go out for dinner with Ben until she can show Ann the article on Reb. May finds Nora alone in her cell thinking about the news Meg gave her about her mother and wondering why she feels she misses someone she never knew. Ann is reluctant to get involved in Reb's case and warns Pippa not to leak the news to the press as she so disastrously did in Daphne's case. Alice tries to score some beauty products from Willie (as well as some plastic fruit, for reasons that will become apparent later). Their conversation fills in some of Alice's own background for the first time. Some of the other women have their minds on the forthcoming contest: Daphne is planning to play the "Moonlight" sonata and Willie practises an aria from "Madam Butterfly" in the shower. Pippa gets a call from her silent friend Roddy Jones in London about a job offer for three months. May tries to hint Willie shouldn't try to expose her singing "talent" to the wider public, but her thoughts have now moved to another Puccini opera altogether. Lou and Alice review the field for the talent contest: no-one has so far bet on Julie, Jacko or Ronnie. Joan catches Daphne handing the paper to her mother after making a mess of explaining to her what she should do with it. Lexie makes up Julie as Boy George ![]() When Ann presents the copy of the "Wentworth Free Press" to the camera, the article boldly headed "REB KEAN - VICTIM!" It is odd that the members of her family that Lurch mentions are her father and sister, but when Lou breaks out and drops in on them at the family farm, there is only Lurch's brother and mother there. Mark Caffrey adds "Lurch's sister is married to a plumber - they have five kids. Apparently, his rejection of Lurch indirectly fed into her conviction for armed robbery." Lou fluffs a line and accuses Lexie of acting "Lady Beautiful" (rather than Bountiful) Mark Caffrey notes another fluff: "When Nora is chatting to May in the rec room following the meeting with her mother, Kirsty Child fluffs some rec-room ambience in the background and winds up in fits of laughter; to the amusement of Jackie Woodburne and Lynda Stoner" |
EPISODE 582Broadcast on Carlton/LWT Thursday 16 April 23:40; Meridian Monday 14 June 1999 23:25; Channel 5 Saturday 22 January 2000 04:10. May and Willie escape whilst on their way to Barnhurst. Julie is triumphant. Reb appears to have committed suicide following suggestions from Joan.![]() Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpartick Ann ~ Gerda Nicholson Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Nora ~ Sonja Tallis May ~ Billie Hammerberg Willie ~ Kirsty Child Daphne ~ Debra Lawrence Eve ~ Lynda Stoner Reb ~ Janet Andrewartha Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Jenny ~ Jenny Lovell Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Lou ~ Louise Siversen Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne Alice ~ Lois Collinder Ben ~ Kevin Summers Pippa ~ Christine Harris Dr. Weissman ~ Bryon Williams Tom Harley ~ Vince Gill ![]() Pat Slattery ~ Dorothy Cutts Roddy ~ John Larking Cynthia ~ Beverley Dunn Thanks to Tim Coward for transcribing the credits from the Carlton broadcast. | Lexie's face is red raw from the stuff Lou put in her powder, but she refuses Julie's help and tells her to get ready for the concert herself. The end of the rec room has been transformed with a mini stage with Eve fussing around getting the contestants ready, Willie and May discuss the main improbability with the police's plan: all their potential rivals will have to be arrested so the art thief has no option but to choose them for the job. May insists that Wilie sticks to their agreement with the police and doesn't tell anyone about the escape. The contest begins: Willie performs a Laughing Aria to rival Florence Foster Jenkins ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Thanks to Chris W in the Digest for pointing out the following unusual extra credits:-
Alice's song must therefore be a pastiche Carmen Miranda song rather than a mix of real ones badly performed. According to the Internet Movie Database the only collaboration between Pinne (composer) and Battye (writer) is the 1971 Australian film "A city's child" which is about a middle-aged woman (played by Monica Maughan) escaping into a fantasy world. However, it was not written for film or TV. Mark Caffrey points out that "On the DVD commentary, Lois Collinder reveals that the song was composed especially for It happened in Tanjablanca - 'they "didn't have to worry about rights" by using it again for PRISONER." Thanks also to Noel Baxendale for pointing out in Digest 1102 that they also co-wrote the theme for "Sons and Daughters".
Charles Marawood is also listed in the IMDb as the composer of the scores for two Australian films: Weekend of Shadows (1978) and The Irishman (1978)
EPISODE 583Broadcast on Carlton / LWT Thursday 23 April 1998 23:40; Meridian Monday 21 June 1999 23:20; Channel 5 Sunday 23 January 2000 04:10. Reb is still alive, but Pippa leaks news of her to the press. May and Willie are still on the run.![]() Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Nora ~ Sonja Tallis May ~ Billie Hammerberg Willie ~ Kirsty Child Daphne ~ Debra Lawrance Eve ~ Lynda Stoner Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Jenny ~ Jenny Lovell Lou ~ Louise Siversen Alice ~ Lois Collinder Tom Harley ~ Vince Gill Howard Simmons ~ Reg Evans David Adams ~ Richard Moss Max Rogers ~ Peter Freunt Noddy McDougal ~ Jack Perry ![]() Pat Slattery ~ Dorothy Cutts Keith Fagan ~ Geoffery Pullen ![]() Farmer ~ Bill Richardson Policeman Driver ~ Steven Gunn One of more rarely seen background officers is called "Miss Davis" by Ann. Thanks to Peter Schofield for transcribing the credits broadcast by HTV | Meg announces to the women that Reb is in no danger and asks if Reb said anything to suggest she was worried. Nora suggests it could have been that she feared being sent back to a mental institution after seeing Dr Weissman. Pippa passes the report on Reb to a journalist, but he is dubious about using it without documentary evidence. Willie and May hitch a ride on a farmer's truck ![]() ![]() Mark Caffrey comments "'Sane people don't slash their wrists' is ironic coming from Lou given her increasingly unstable state post-riot that leads her to slash her own wrists in a frame-up/escape attempt in [606]" |
EPISODE 584Broadcast on Carlton/LWT Thursday 30 April 1998 23:45; Meridian Monday 28 June 1999 23:20; Channel 5 Saturday 29 January 2000 04:40. Jennifer is finding freedom hard to cope with. David has nightmares about Eve's guilt. Ben and Pippa fall out over their wedding plans.![]() Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Nora ~ Sonja Tallis May ~ Billie Hammerberg Willie ~ Kirsty Child Daphne ~ Debra Lawrance Eve ~ Lynda Stoner Reb ~ Janet Andrewartha Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Jenny ~ Jenny Lovell Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Lou ~ Louise Siversen Alice ~ Lois Collinder Ben ~ Kevin Summers Pippa ~ Christine Harris David Adams ~ Richard Moss Tom Harley ~ Vince Gill Chuck Cooper ~ Duke Bannister ![]() Dan Russell ~ Gary Samolin ![]() Howard Simmons ~ Reg Evans Lady Brooke-Giddings ~ Gabrielle Hartley ![]() Dr Weissman ~ Bryon Williams Insp Ron Gordon ~ Neil Thompson Off. Radcliffe ~ Marion Dimmick Cynthia ~ Beverley Dunn Sarah Adams ~ June Martin | Tom Harley explains to Willie and May that he has been allocated by Inspector Gordon to see that no harm comes to them: they agree to keep a low profile until the Yank makes enquiries about them. The Yank looks for accomplices, and finds that most of his preferred candidates are in prison. Howard Simmons brings Jenny round to Ann's, as she has found she can't bear to live alone in her grandmother's house. Pippa invites her to stay, and Ann agrees. Nora is suspicious of Willie and May's ability to have carried out the escape without help. Cynthia is displeased with Joan's failure to finish off Reb, and Joan has to tell her she isn't willing to go any further and risk a murder charge. Nora tries to get Lou and Alice to agree on the facts about Reb's history to help her get her memory back, and as a result some of the detail is wrong: Julie decides to borrow Reb's file instead. David has a nightmare in which he relives Robin's shooting, this time with himself as the victim. Reb comes back from hospital. Ben notices David has a photo of Eve. Eve sprays hand cream on the floor while Lou is on cleaning duites to prove to her that she's no longer frightened of her, and tells Lou she can always tell the officers the scars and say Lou did it. Joan catches Julie in reception filing in the wrong cabinet drawer (which never ever happens otherwise, of course). Nora explains to Reb she can avoid being committed by learning what Lou and Alice tell her about her past to make it look as if she has regained her memory. Jenny phones Lady Brooke-Giddings on Lexie's behalf: when she mentions Lexie ("Alexis") she is invited to tea the same afternoon. Julie finds Reb's file on Ann's desk, but unfortunately Ann walks in and catches her reading it. She pretends she was looking for a progress report on Daphne, and Ann accepts the explanation. David tells Ben he knows that Eve is guilty of murder, but is unsure what to do next. Tom gives Willie a pile of papers with information she must learn, but May is not pleased to see that he has brought her an exercise bicycle and weights to get in shape. Reb is upset by what she is told about herself and when Nora finds her in her cell later she has now remembered fully: it was Cynthia who beat her up at Blackmoor, not the women. Nora warns her not to tell anyone about it and especially not Joan. Danny calls on May and Willie to take them to meet Chuck Cooper. Ben and Pippa have further arguments about their wedding when he sees her design for her wedding dress and finds out the whole thing will have a Japanese theme ![]() Willie and May must feel very much at home in Noddy's room: when Tom Harley hops out of their window we can see good old Wentworth brickwork directly opposite. |
When Julie looks at Reb's file we can not only see that her surname is indeed spelt "KEAN", but there is also a mysterious number 7654 (her Blackmoor number, maybe?) . Some trouble has been taken to make the file look a bit plausible, but it wasn't ever intended to survive close inspection, so not surprisingly some of the details are wrong: "Charged with armed robbery 15 months" (countersigned "Ann Reynolds") which seems a very light sentence - Lou in this same episode is right to insist it was seven years (422); "Charged with escape (further twelve months)" whereas it was really six months - in episode (431). The page itself is headed "CENTRAL CORRESPONDENCE COLLEGE" with the line above hastily scrubbed out in black felt tip (presumably the name of the college?). When Julie turns the page
, part of the one underneath is readable and begins: "LAWSON, D" (the doctor's name?) "Has severe psychological problems. Heavy trauma". The front cover of the file has the name "KEAN, Rebecca Ann" on it.
EPISODE 585Broadcast on Carlton/LWT Thursday 07 May 1998 23:40; Meridian Monday 05 July 1999 23:20; Channel 5 Sunday 30 January 2000 04:45. A new inmate causes a stir at Wentworth. Jennifer is accused of blackmail when she goes to see Lexie's mother. May and Willie's lives hang in the balance when they are tested by their captors.![]() Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Nora ~ Sonja Tallis May ~ Billie Hammerberg Willie ~ Kirsty Child Daphne ~ Debra Lawrance Eve ~ Lynda Stoner Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Jenny ~ Jenny Lovell Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Lou ~ Louise Siversen Reb ~ Janet Andrewartha Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Pippa ~ Christine Harris Ben ~ Kevin Summers Tom Harley ~ Vince Gill David Adams ~ Richard Moss Lady Giddings ~ Gabrielle Hartley Dr Weissman ~ Bryon Williams Slasher ~ Slasher ![]() Dan Russell ~ Gary Samolin Chuck Cooper ~ Duke Bannister Waiter ~ Nicholas Trinder ![]() | May disarms Danny and struggles with him. Willie finds the gun is not loaded: it was just a test of their abilities, which surprisingly they have passed with only a little bit of flailing about and shrieking. The women vote to dissolve the Council, and Nora reminds them she isn't going to be top dog for much longer. Nora reassures Julie she has no intention of letting Lou take over. Joan announces to the women that Reb was being examined for potential release, but with their help that chance has been taken away from her. Reb loses her temper with Nora, and grabs her by the lapels but she is frightened by her own reaction and runs away to her cell. Nora at first assumes that Reb had been faking after all, but is convinced when Reb tells her she has no control over it. Jenny visits Lady Brooke-Giddings, who assumes Jenny is trying to blackmail her, and tells her she wants an explanation or she'll call the police. To get Reb off the hook, Nora decides to admit to the Governor what the women did to try and help her. Ann picks up on a slip Nora makes when she implies she's no longer top dog and demands to know if anyone else is trying to take over. Jenny is forced to admit the truth to Lady Brooke-Giddings, but it turns out she already knew Lexie was in prison. The women lose buyup for two weeks for the con over Reb. David returns the keys to Ann and asks to see Eve. Willie and May are accepted into the art gang and tell Tom the job is set for the following day. David tells Eve he has found the bullet: Joyce gets suspicious when Eve bursts into tears and opens the door suddenly. Eve takes a new tack with David and pretends that Robin was violent towards her: he says he will still defend her and try to win. Ben pleads with David to drop Eve's case when he finds out from Ann that David has been to Eve's flat and realises he must have found the bullet. Jenny visits Lexie to tell her that she been to see her mother but she already knows she's in prison and has refused to visit her. Lexie says she understands and if she'd made such a great improvement in her own social status as her mother had, she wouldn't want to rock the boat either. David has pangs of conscience and starts to phone the police but hangs up. Eve is worried and asks David if he thinks Ben will tell the police about what he knows: she tells him there's another key taped under her car, and hints that he should go back to her apartment and destroy the evidence. Lou tries to recruit Reb to support her in her takeover bid. David replaces the mattress in Eve's apartment. Julie studies a psychological text from the library to see if there is anything in it to help Reb. Jenny objects to Ben's cynical remark that David should "dump" Eve and let someone else take on her case: she points out that if every lawyer had taken that attitude she would still be in Wentworth herself. Ann takes a phone call that Wentworth is getting two new prisoners, but that the police van has attracted an escort of bikies. Dr Weissman interviews Reb again and is convinced that she is changed. The bikies stop at the gates of Wentworth and a trall leather jacketed woman steps out of the van, yelling and giving a clenched fist salute ![]() Julie claims there's a book in the library called "Psychological systems elaborated" by Jung. It sounds good, but there's no such title. |
Story Editor: Coral Drouyn
Script Editor: Alister Webb & Ian Smith (581); Kit Oldfield (582); Alister Webb (583); Kit Oldfield (584); Alister Webb (585)
Storyliners: Coral Drouyn, Tony McDonald, John Coulter, Kelly Bermingham
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