EPISODE 616Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 20 May 2000 04:40 Steve Ryan's mother doesn't know he is in love with a prisoner. Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Nancy ~ Julia Blake Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Lou ~ Louise Siversen Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Alice ~ Lois Collinder Bob ~ Peter Adams Dan ~ Sean Scully Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne Steve ~ Peter Hayes Kath Maxwell ~ Kate Hood Pat Slattery ~ Dorothy Cutts Officer Hagen ~ Christine Andrew Bongo ~ Shane Connor Grub ~ Ingle Knight Heather Ryan ~ Julia McDougall  Amy Ryan ~ Penny Ramsay  Det. Insp. Barrett ~ Ian Walker  Det. Waters ~ Steven Hutchinson  Deidre Sims ~ Patti Perkins  Ward Sims ~ Nicholas Trinder Photographer ~ Elwin Bradshaw Inspector Barrett takes the keys from Ann and throws them to the fingerpints man for checking. Unsurprisingly after such careless handling, we are told later there were "no clear prints" on them. | Ann and Meg inspect Lou's dead body  : there is a broken bottle next to it, which seems to have been the murder weapon. Ann points out that it would be wrong to assume that it had to have been one of the women who was responsible. Rita, Alice and Lexie all fail to conceal their delight that Lou is dead. The women are put back in their cells until the police can question them. Julie and Lexie discuss who had the motive and opportunity to kill Lou: Lexie thinks that Alice will be the chief suspect, but Julie has to point out to Lexie that the same logic and a similar motive would make her a suspect too. Lexie assumes that Julie can give her an alibi, but Julie reminds her that they weren't together the whole time. The laxative is starting to take hold of Alice when Bob locks her in her cell. The police arrive and Ann sketches out for Inspector Barrett the women's backgrounds and their possible motives for killing Lou. Bob assures Kath he didn't kill Lou. Joyce is worried that the events will overshadow her wedding day and admits to Ann that she is nervous about getting married again. Joan reports Bob's relationship with Kath to Ann before she leaves for her two days off. Steve gives Mervin and Joyce a picture frame as a wedding present. Bongo and Grub lurk outside Wentworth, with Bongo unwisely yelling at the top of his voice his plan to break Rita out of Wentworth. Alice's alibi is that she and Rita were hanging up a banner on a security gate, which is confirmed by Pat, who says she helped them do it. Steve goes home to his mother and sister and meets some of his mother's posh friends coming away from a dinner party. Steve's sister tells him their mother will be furious when she finds out why he has really stayed on at Wentworth. Inspector Barrett questions Lexie aggressively and incompetently: for instance, in the heat of the moment he lets slip what the murder weapon was, which is a bit of evidence you'd have thought he'd have wanted to keep quiet from potential suspects. Lexie is convinced that the police want to frame her for the murder in revenge for accusing Bassinger. Ann is annoyed with Dan for holding back evidence which might implicate Rita and says it doesn't bode well for the success of his chaplaincy. He responds to her remark that she has to be able to trust him by pointing out that the women will have to trust him too. Det Insp. Barrett seems satisfied that Lexie is the killer, especially when Julie has to tell the truth about Lexie going to the toilet block on her own, a fact that Lexie had omitted to mention to them. Nancy reads Rita the entry in her diary about the wedding party and Lou's death. Julie tells Lexie she was silly not to tell the police the whole truth in the first place. While the women are cleaning up the dining room next day, Rita suggests they should try to find out what the people were doing who didn't come to the party: such as Janet Williams or "the kid killer". Or even, as Rita suddenly realises, Joan. Steve has a row with his mother about his work at Wentworth when he finds her reading his notes and she tells him he obviously has quite enough material already. Bongo comes to see Rita with a fake story that Ida is in hospital after swallowing a rusty nut, but he's really come to tell her he's going to break her out the same afternoon. Rita tries to persuade him not to go ahead with the plan, suspecting that his brain is addled with drugs. After a little heavying from Lexie, Kath provides Lexie with a partial alibi as she says she heard the noise that could have been the officer being knocked out not long before laughter and cheers from the rec room. Kath tells Bob she won't stand for being pushed around any more and that she is quite prepared to stand up to the next person who tries to bully her. Mrs Ryan phones Ann to tell her the truth about Steve. Bongo prepares for the escape. |
EPISODE 617Broadcast on Channel 5 Sunday 21 May 2000 04:40 In a clumsy attempt to free his sister Rita, Bongo Connors, speeding on his motor bike, runs into Ann's friend Dan.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Nancy ~ Julia Blake Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Alice ~ Lois Collinder Jessie ~ Pat Evison Janet ~ Christine Earle Kath ~ Kate Hood Bob ~ Peter Adams Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne Steve ~ Peter Hayes Officer Radcliffe ~ Marion Dimmick Officer Dixon ~ Maureen Edwards  Bongo ~ Shane Connors Grub ~ Ingle Knight Amy Ryan ~ Penny Ramsay Jim Barry ~ Iain Murton Det. Insp. Barrett ~ Ian Walker Judge O’Grady ~ George Dixon Nurse 1 ~ Meredith Abbot  Tony Browning ~ Bradley Croft  [R]Minister ~ George Viskich Gate Guard Trevor ~ Brad Lindsay Gate Guard Greg ~ Rod Allen Gate Guard Roger ~ Bryon Dolan Truck Driver ~ Alan Barrett  Fight & Stunt Co-Ordinator ~ Glenn Ruehland UNCREDITEDDan ~ Sean ScullyThe credits list Det. Insp. "Thorne" instead of Barrett and Officer Dixon should really be Officer Bailey. Lurch takes Lou's place in the mugshot credits. Ann's mysteriously intermittent heavy cold reveals several scenes that must have been shot on a different day than the rest. In these scenes, her blouse collar is also tucked inside her jacket collar rather than worn outside it as in the other scenes. | Joyce and Mervin get ready for the wedding, with much "comic" business from Mervin in trying to avoid seeing Joyce in her wedding dress before the ceremony. Rita frets that Dan won't get her message in time. Judge O'Grady plots with Jessie to arrange her escape to entrap Bassinger to come after her. Kath makes a statement to the police, but it is not as helpful to Lexie as she hoped, especially when Kath admits that she only came forward because Lexie asked her to. Alice drags Kath to the laundry to get her to tell the women what she said. Lexie attacks Kath, who fights back, pushing Lexie away violently so that she is winded by the folding table. Rita watches with interest but refuses to get involved. Steve's mother tells him there's been a call from the prison asking him to go in urgently. He realises that she has blown his cover and tells her he's moving out. Joyce's son Jim arrives for the wedding. Lexie is charged with Lou's murder and is sent to solitary. The new gym equipment is delivered. Ann sacks Steve with immediate effect for working at Wentworth under false pretences and allocates Meg to keep an eye on him until he leaves the premises. Bob goes to the police with new information, telling them about Lou and Janet's blackmail attempt and suggesting Janet should be interviewed. Somehow this information merely has the effect of angering Inspector Barrett and he shouts at Bob that he is lucky not to be facing charges himself. Alice overhears Steve talking to Meg in the staff room about why he has to leave Wentworth. Janet is interviewed by the police, and is tricked into confessing to Lou's murder with an outburst about Bob: "I should have killed him too"  . Julie is angry when she finds out about Steve's deceit from Alice's garbled report of the conversation she overheard. Steve manages to talk to Julie in the visitor's room (despite Ann's explicit order that she shouldn't speak to any of the women) and Julie rightly lets him know how she feels about his behaviour and attitude to the women. She tells him she regards their relationship as over. Lexie hears Janet being brought to solitary as Meg also comes to release her. Nancy comforts Julie when she finds her crying in her cell. "Mervin John" and "Joyce Edith" plight their troth in church with handfuls of Vaseline slopped on the camera lens and harps plashing in the background. Ann belatedly tells Dan that Rita wants to see him: he realises something is wrong when Ann tells him Bongo's reason for visiting, as he'd seen Ida only a few hours ago and she certainly hadn't been in hospital. Bongo and Grub hijack a truck on a deserted country road. Bob tells Kath that he won't see her again before he leaves. Rita decides to foil Bongo's escape plan for her by keeping the women inside for the exercise period. Dan tells Ann on their drive back to Wentworth that he wants to marry her. Alice tells Rita that some of the women from C block have been sent outside to exercise as a punishment and is worried that Bongo will mistakenly think Rita is among them. Rita and Alice dash outside, for no very good reason and alarmingly easily, getting past reception with a transparent lie to the officers on the desk. As Ann and Dan are walking to the main building, the van driven by Grub arrives and Bongo rides his bike out of the back looking for Rita. Dan tries to reason with him  and is run over  . As Ann and Rita tend to Dan, Bongo and Grub escape on the bike. |
EPISODE 618Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 27 May 2000 04:40. Nancy naively starts to keep a diary recording everything that goes on in prison. Steve has big plans for Julie.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Nancy ~ Julia Blake Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Alice ~ Lois Collinder Jessie ~ Pat Evison Kath Maxwell ~ Kate Hood Janet ~ Christine Earle Bob ~ Peter Adams Dan ~ Sean Scully Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne Steve ~ Peter Hayes Taps ~ Valma Pratt  Uncle Perc ~ Vic Gordon  Sister Hall ~ Gael Andrews James Dwyer ~ James Condon Tom Harley ~ Vince Gill Nurse ~ Nicki Woolmington  Jim Barry ~ Iain Murton Mitch ~ David Le Page Male Prison Officer ~ Bill Tisdall Secretary ~ Jenny Ryan  Ambulance Man ~ Ray Hutchinson Ambulance Driver ~ Campbell Higgins Fight Co-Ordinator ~ Glenn Ruehland Gerda Nicolson still has a cold, particularly noticeable in the scene near the end with Rita. Jessie says she hopes Ann "POQs": Pisses Off Quick? Lexie's remark "Just like that other Weasel" is picked up by other writers as a nickname for Janet Williams. The first rec room scene is supposed to be at night, but it looks like it has been lit by Uncle Perc, with a very strong side light apparently coming from the direction of the rec room cupboard. The actor who plays the "Male Prison Officer" in fact appears to be John Allen (Officer Green) | Dan is taken to hospital after croaking in Ann's ear that she should go easy on Rita, as the escape was not her idea. Ann tells Bob to call in some officers from leave (including Joan) to cover for her absence. The wedding reception continues, videoed by Uncle Perc - with an old style video camera that requires there to be extra lighting in the shape of a studio spotlight. He may well have shot the wedding video too, as he actually asks (without any detectable trace of sarcasm) for some Vaseline to smear on the camera lens. Steve tells Meg he intends to propose to Julie before her parole hearing to give her something to look forward to. Lexie gets Alice to threaten Janet when delivering her tray to solitary: as a way of getting her own back, Janet lets Joan know about Bob and Kath's relationship. Although Joan already knows or suspects as much, it is obviously a surprise to Alice. At the hospital, Ann is told that Dan has suffered two broken legs and a spinal injury and needs to be put in traction. Alice tells the women about Kath, and a deputation is sent to ask Kath some "polite questions". Joan confronts Bob with Janet's allegation, but he tells her that Ann already knows about his friendship with Kath. However, Bob realises that if their secret has become public knowledge, then Kath is in danger. Rita, Alice and Lexie find Kath in the gym (where she has conveniently wandered, apparently to conduct an inspection of the equipment) and threaten her. Kath grabs a barbell to defend herself  , but is stopped by Bob and Joan's arrival. Bob asks that all the women should be assembled in the gym, as he wants to tell them something. Joan catches Nancy writing her diary and sees her hurriedly hide it under her pillow. Mervin and Joyce are at last left alone after managing to persuade Uncle Perc to leave. Joan reads Nancy's diary  and finds out about the cocaine and whisky smuggling and photocopies the relevant pages. Bob tells the whole story to the women, including the fact that he told Ann about his friendship with Kath to get Lexie off the hook. Kath asks to go to solitary for her own protection. Nancy manages to persuade Rita to leave Kath alone, but Lexie and Alice disagree, so Rita calls for a vote. Joan phones the Minister to blow the whistle on Ann's lax security measures and makes an appointment to bring him the evidence. The vote goes in Kath's favour and Rita tells the women that they all have to abide by it. Joan tells Julie she has a visitor and when she finds out it is Steve, she at first decides not to see him, but her friends persuade her otherwise. Julie chases after Joan to tell her she's changed her mind and has to threaten to tell the Governor that she's been refused permission to see a legitimate visitor to make Joan open the security gate. Steve and Julie talk in the visitor's room under Joan's supervision: he proposes, she accepts, Joan sneers. When Joan complains to Meg about the way she has been treated recently, Meg responds that Joan is showing signs of stress and that is why she was sent home. One of Jessie's old friends Taps visits her in hospital: she is asked to help in Jessie's escape, though Jessie is a little taken aback when she hears from Taps that the Governor of Wentworth is waiting in the corridor outside. Taps is told to meet Tom Harley and together they create a diversion, while Jessie dresses and is pushed out in a wheelchair by another accomplice. Joan takes the photocopy of Nancy's diaries to the Minister  and he is duly horrified. Joan uses the interview mainly to discredit Meg with the Minister as a way of pushing her own claims as Deputy Governor and coyly mentions that she hopes to be Governor some day. Ann tells Rita she knows she was not involved in the escape plan, but Rita refuses to help the police capture Bongo. The Minister decides to cancel his appointments and drop in on Wentworth to investigate further. Joan asks him to keep the diary quiet and he agrees so Joan decides to push the matter further and tries to ruin Julie's chances of parole by asking the Minister to intervene with the Parole Board. The Minister thanks Joan for her information and says he thinks it will be the start of a "fruitful collaboration"... |
EPISODE 619Broadcast on Channel 5 Sunday 28 May 2000 04:40. If Julie is freed after facing the parole board she will be able to marry Steve.Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Nancy ~ Julia Blake Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Alice ~ Lois Collinder Jessie ~ Pat Evison Janet ~ Christine Earle Kath ~ Kate Hood Vicki ~ Rebecca Dines Debbie ~ Ellie Nielsen Bob ~ Peter Adams Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne Steve ~ Peter Hayes Taps ~ Valma Pratt Tom Harley ~ Vince Gill James Dwyer ~ James Condon Mary Burns ~ Trish Mulholland Thelma Hawkins ~ Paula Langlands Albert James ~ Alan Rowe Michael Brennan ~ Norman Handcock  Gate Guard Bob ~ David Bickerstaff The dance marathon tracksuits get another airing for the volleyball game. Vicki and Debbie don't seem to have any dialogue: I assume they are credited because they are on the prisoners' volleyball team. | Lexie challenges the other women to a race using some roller skates she "found in a toy box" and got someone in the workshop to repair. Joan barely pauses to congratulate Merv and Joyce on their wedding before launching into a tirade against the officers versus prisoners volleyball match. Ann gets a postcard from Pippa from the latest stage on her world tour. Meg asks Bob to inform Lexie about Jessie's escape, but she isn't in the laundry as she's off on her leg of the roller-skate race. Julie is keeping count of the time for her by counting under her breath. Lexie arrives back in the laundry just after Bob has left. The Minister arrives at Wentworth to give Ann a roasting, and she realises from his comments that he has inside information. He demands that Joan is made Deputy Governor and when Ann says she refuses to work with Joan, he says she'd better think it over, as Joan will be Deputy with or without her as Governor. Kath comes out of solitary and thanks Bob for the women's changed attitude towards her. Bob eventually manages to find Lexie and tells her about Jessie's escape: at first she is delighted but them remembers Bassinger and worries that he'll be tracing Jessie's whereabouts already. In fact, Jessie is in hiding with Taps guarded by Tom Harley. Rita has a go on the skates, a little shakily at first, but Julie has lost count for her by the time she gets back to the laundry as Lexie has come in to tell everyone the news about Jessie's escape. Meg is angry to be demoted and considers resigning but Ann points out it will leave Joan in unchallenged command if they both leave. Ann suggests that they accept the situation for now and try to gather evidence of Joan's incompetence or corruption. Bob gets a dressing down from the Minister but is told he will be staying at Wentworth for the time being because of the staff shortage. Tom reminisces to Jessie about May and Willie, but significantly fails to mention how it all turned out in the end: Jessie would be justifiably a bit nervous if she knew. Joan pretends to be surprised at her appointment as Deputy Governor, but there are a few uneasy looks amongst the other officers gathered in Ann's office for the Minister's announcement. Bob tells Kath he is staying at Wentworth, but they will have to have no contact other than as officer and prisoner. Ann tells Joan she can't work with her and adds that she will be working to get Meg back as Deputy. Alice has a go on the skates and collides with Joan: Joan takes the skates back to the laundry as an excuse to tell the women that she's the new Deputy Governor. Meg and Ann work out that one of the women must be working with Joan and feeding her information. At Julie's parole hearing, she is questioned about stealing files from reception, involvement in smuggling and fixing the radio controlled car: from the look on Ann's face much of the information is news to her. The officers play the prisoners at volleyball  : Alice has to join the officer's team to even the numbers up to five a side and Janet is the referee. Julie's parole is put back six months and she goes back to her cell to comfort herself with a miniature Smurf. Ann asks the Parole Board Chairman where he got his information and is unsurprised when he admits it was from the Minister. Joan refuses to let Steve visit Julie: Lexie has come inside from the game for a toilet break and overhears. She goes to find Julie and tells her to get outside quickly if she wants to see Steve. Joan allows Julie to go outside when Julie points out there is still ten minutes left of exercise period, but refuses to let Lexie follow her. Julie sees Steve lurking by the perimeter fence and runs towards him: she has to be dragged away by the officers. The women suspect either Kath or Janet of lagging on them. Rita favours Kath and says that if it's true, she will be out to get both Kath and Bob. |
EPISODE 620Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 03 June 2000 4:40Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Nancy ~ Julia Blake Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Alice ~ Lois Collinder Jessie ~ Pat Evison Kath ~ Kate Hood Janet ~ Christine Earle Bob ~ Peter Adams Vicki ~ Rebecca Dines Amy Ryan ~ Penny Ramsay Amelia Bassinger ~ Barbara Burder Taps ~ Valma Pratt Steve ~ Peter Hayes Tom Harley ~ Vince Gill Judge O’Grady ~ George Dixon Harry Bassinger ~ John Frawley Gas Company Man ~ Frank Sheenan  The actress playing Amelia Bassinger does not seem to be the same as before: I suspect she is actually Judith Roberts. Joan remarks "the Board was light on Lumsden" - another previously unmentioned prisoner, presumably from D block? It sounds odd for both Jessie and Ann to use "Judge" as if it were Mr O'Grady's real Christian name rather than a job title. Nora and Barnhurst are both mentioned in dialogue. Marie Trevor should have stuck to her role as producer: the second half of this episode is simply badly written, and the direction and dodgy camerawork make matters even worse. Joan finds comfort wherever she can | Ann tells Joan she should have allowed Steve's visit and makes her phone him to tell him he can visit in future. Steve tells his mother he's in love with someone at Wentworth. She assumes (not having seen any of them) that he means one of the officers: she is appalled to be told it is actually with a prisoner and tells him he is throwing his life away. Janet is dragged to the rec room to be questioned as a possible lagger, but she manages (surprisingly easily) to convince Rita that she is innocent. Rita manages to work out that if Kath has been passing on information about things that happened before she arrived, then someone must have told her about it. She asks if anyone has been talking to Kath and Nancy has to admit she has mentioned the radio controlled car to Kath, but she is sure she didn't say anything about the cocaine. Joan lords it over Meg, citing rules and subsections to justify petty confiscations from the women's cells. Meg warns Joan that if she is using an informer she is playing a dangerous game, which could put the life of the prisoner concerned in question. Taps visits a shopping mall in a lurid red ensemble hoping to attract the attention of Harry Bassinger. Even though Taps seems to have left the hat topped with a neon sign reading "FOLLOW ME" at home, Bassinger can be seen lurking behind a tie rack observing her every move. Alice holds Kath while Rita bashes her. Nancy tries to intervene, but this only alerts Meg to the situation. Meg takes Rita and Alice to the Governor's office along with Lexie, who was acting as lookout. Rita and Alice are sent to solitary and Lexie is given extra cleaning duties. Harry Bassinger follows Taps home: she has now topped off the red ensemble with a bright yellow umbrella just in case he is at risk of losing her. It doesn't say much for her street wisdom that she is actually completely unaware that she is being followed. Ann wants to talk to Steve before he sees Julie: she asks him if anyone could have got the details used against Julie at her parole hearing from reading his thesis. Kath tells Bob his presence in Wentworth puts her in greater danger. Bassinger's wife begs him to go on holiday to get away from the publicity generated by the latest escape: this seems to indicate that she knows very well of his involvement in the previous murders of escapees and worries he is already tracking down Jessie. Nancy apologises to Lexie for getting them all into trouble and they make up over discussing names for Lexie's baby. Kath asks Ann for a transfer, but Ann refuses as she knows there is overcrowding in other prisons. Ann's refusal hardens Kath's attitude and she warns Ann she will have to defend herself in any way she knows in future. Steve shows Julie the engagement ring (to a sleazy jazz cocktail piano accompaniment). Lexie is just about to get heavy with Kath when Janet happens along, but Kath rebuffs Janet's offer of help. Ann advises Bob to consider a transfer himself for his own good as well as Kath's. Bassinger calls the gasman and reports a gas leak at the house where Jessie is staying, so that he can find out the time the engineer is expected to call. Kath refuses to let Nancy play the Good Samaritan and tells her to go away and leave her alone. When Ann leaves Wentworth to visit Dan in hospital, Joan makes a point of asking for a contact number just in case there are any decisions to be made that she can't be trusted to handle on her own. Bassinger gets into Taps' house through the back as the gasman calls at the front, and overpowers Tom. Joan reminds Lexie that this time she's in prison for a long stretch, so she won't stand for any insolence from her. Bassinger makes Jessie tie Tom up and pulls a knife to kill Jessie. With one bound, Tom is free, overpowers Bassinger and Bassinger is taken away. Tom has to pretend to talk to the inaudible off-screen police officers not catered for in the script. Bob makes his decision: he tells Ann and Kath  that he is leaving Wentworth. Jessie comes to visit Lexie to tell her that Bassinger's in prison and the assault charges against her will be dropped. Jessie is able to thank Bob for believing her before he leaves. Kath again refuses Nancy's friendly overtures and tells her to pass on her friends that with Bob gone she will have nothing else to lose in defending herself the best way she can. |
Story Editor: Bevan Lee
Script Editor: Quincy McQuade (616), (617); Alister Webb (618), (619); Quincy McQuade (620)
Storyliners: Bevan Lee, Tony McDonald, John Coulter
| (611) to (615) |
