EPISODE 651Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 23 September 2000 04:40. Lexie is sent off in style. After deciding to tell the truth about her husband's death, Nancy disappears from the prison. Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Alice ~ Lois Collinder Kath ~ Kate Hood Merle ~ Rosanne Hull-Brown Lorelei ~ Paula Duncan Lisa ~ Nicki Paull Wendy ~ Julieanne Newbould Vicki ~ Rebecca Dines Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne Rodney ~ Philip Hyde Marty ~ Michael Winchester Delia ~ Desiree Smith Dan ~ Sean Scully James Dwyer ~ James Condon Spider Simpson ~ Taya Stratton Ida Brown ~ Paddy Burnett Lester Marshall ~ Paul Dawber Detective no 1 ~ Stan Kouros Detective no 2 ~ Frank Lloyd Jeff Goodwin ~ Tom Coltraine Jane Preston ~ Jane Menz Jack Burns ~ Dean Nicols Gate Guard ~ Bryon Dolan Jury Foreman ~ Frank Sheeran Judge Stanley ~ John Ford Off. Radcliffe ~ Marion Dimmick The Jury Foreman and Judge Stanley do not appear until the following episode. Kath takes Lexie's place in the opening mugshot credits. Dan says "the actual telethon will be at Channel 10". The incriminating photo we see on the top of the pile hidden in Lisa's cookbook | Spider refuses to tell Kath where the goods are hidden, which seems to leave Kath in the subordinate position of taking orders for her. Ida visits Rita, who takes advantage of Joyce's temporary absence from the interview room to tell her to send two friends to come and snatch Kath from Wentworth. Rita and Alice tell Lorelei she's mad to conduct her own defence. Dan gives Ann the good news about the telethon: the phone lines (incoming calls only) will be installed, unless the Department vetoes it. Spider checks her stash in the boiler room  , watched by the workman who is her contact  . Kath has no more luck when she tries again to find out exactly what goods Spider can supply. Dan has to point out to Mr Dwyer that there are good publicity reasons for approving the telethon, but he seems preoccupied by another "appointment" he has, and cannot even stay to "check the renovations in B block". The women object to the hike in prices for the black market goods Kath is offering. Lorelei gets an equally hostile reaction when she tries to practice her defence in the rec room. Dan tells the women the telethon has been approved and one of the "celebrities" who will be in the TV studio actually wants to meet them in person. Dwyer's appointment is with the police  : he wants to see them to make sure they cover up a blackmail attempt on his son, an MP photographed in the act with a prostitute. The police check out Lisa Mullins, who is identified from her mugshot pictures  . However, her boyfriend is watching the police setup  and phones her to warn her to dispose of the evidence. After trying to make a run for it, Lisa is arrested and the whole set of photos  are seized. One of the detectives notices crime boss Thomas Gilmour - supposedly dead - in one of them  . The women queue up to collect their black market goods from Kath's cell, and in another nod to the "porn photos" theme in this episode, we see Ronnie showing Jenny and an excitable Tina a copy of "Playgirl" she has bought  . Joan redecorates under Joyce's feet in an attempt to force her and Mervin out. Kath takes the last of Alice's money for some biscuits, then demands protection money on top. The police warn Lisa that Gilmour will have put out a contract on her and her boyfriend for blowing his cover. Alice has to go without paying protection money as she, Lorelei and Rita can only come up with enough money between them to pay for two. Spider offers sell Kath a key to help her fix Alice after lockup. Joyce and Mervin camp down in the front room, with the bizarrely atmospheric sound of crickets chirping apparently inside the flat. Kath gets Merle to knock off the peephole of their cell and uses Spider's key on the lock outside the door. Kath lets Vicki out of her cell and the two of them beat up Alice in her cell, while Spider stands aside and watches. Dwyer gets another blackmail threat from Lester and demands that the police find him and silence him: the police suggest sending Lisa to prison to put her under pressure to name names. Ann arrives at work next day to find Dwyer already waiting for her: he tells her she must accept Lisa as a prisoner along with an undercover policewoman to protect her. Meg overhears Joyce and Mervin complaining to Joan and offers to let them stay with her. Lisa is inducted along with undercover police officer Wendy Glover  , who makes a great show of being insolent to Meg. Kath has two unexpected visitors supposedly friends of her husband, who knock out Rodney, force her to change clothes with the woman visitor  , and the man takes her out through the gate  . |
EPISODE 652Broadcast on Channel 5 Sunday 24 September 2000 04:40. A celebrity visits the prison after the telethon, and a new top-dog takes over.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Alice ~ Lois Collinder Lorelei ~ Paula Duncan Merle ~ Rosanne Hull-Brown Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne Rodney ~ Philip Hyde Marty ~ Michael Winchester Delia ~ Desiree Smith Vicki ~ Rebecca Dines Lisa ~ Nicki Paull Spider ~ Taya Stratton Wendy ~ Julieanne Newbould Dan ~ Sean Scully Celebrity ~ Greg Evans  Newsreader ~ Jennifer Hansen June Hosking ~ Brenda Addie Ivan Hosking ~ Cliff Wood Zoe Wilkinson ~ Ashby Redward UNCREDITEDKath ~ Kate HoodJeff Goodwin ~ Tom Coltraine Also credited in error at the end of the previous episode:- Judge Stanley ~ John Ford | Rodney staggers into reception and Meg raises the alarm: the telethon phones are cut and the women are locked in the dining room as the escape alarm sounds. Kath wants to know why she has been kidnapped, but her abductor simply says it's "a present" from some of her friends. Lisa and Wendy are locked in the showers, giving them the chance to bond, as Lisa offers Wendy some advice to a supposed newcomer. Joan makes an excuse to go and collect the "celebrity", Greg Evans, from the staff room and gets his autograph, supposedly for a child who has the same name. The telethon resumes, but Merle is upset to find Kath has gone. Rita puts Alice forward as the new top dog: this is universally regarded as a joke (even by Alice herself) but Rita insists she is serious and challenges anyone to disagree with her. Greg Evans is mobbed by (a few) screaming prisoners when he appears in the rec room. Wendy sees Ann, and is told to provoke a charge from Meg if she needs to talk to her, but she refuses to help Ann get information about Kath's escape, as that is not part of her brief. Lisa comforts Merle, who is puzzled and distraught by Kath's escape, as Wendy looks on in disbelief. Alice tries to stand up to Spider, but both Mervin and Rita think she is only trying to prove herself. At Lorelei's trial, her decision to conduct her own defence does not go as badly as everyone assumes, and despite a terribly hammy and tear jerking plea she is found not guilty on all charges by the usual six person jury  . Joan is caught off guard and gets a big hug from Lorelei to mark the event. She arrives home to find Gran and Zoe have gone, evidently for a week or more: Joan promises she will help her find them. Merle moves in with Rita and Alice, much to her displeasure, as she still thinks Rita is responsible for Kath's escape. Spider and Vicki move in on the newcomers as potential new customers, but Spider thinks she recognizes Wendy. Fortunately, Meg is listening outside the cell and saves Wendy by putting her on a charge. Wendy is shown Spider's file and works out that she met her on another undercover job. Vicki and Spider are tied to a security gate and showered with kitchen rubbish by Merle  . Joan goes to the police to try to trace Gran and leaves Lorelei in her flat. Wendy makes Spider even more suspicious when she reminds Spider of where they met before, as Spider recalls that Wendy was the only one not to be caught. Dan tells Ann he's marrying Helen in four months' time, and despite Ann's insistence he says he will move out and find somewhere else to live. Joan finds out that Gran has died in hospital two weeks before, but is unable to get any information about Zoe. We then see Mr and Mrs Hosking  , who were looking after Zoe while Gran was in hospital: they have reclaimed her and do not intend to give her back. |
EPISODE 653Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 30 September 2000 04:40. Lorelei makes a frantic effort to regain custody of her child.Marty ~ Michael Winchester Rodney ~ Philip Hyde Delia Stout ~ Desiree Smith Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Alice ~ Lois Collinder Spider ~ Taya Stratton Merle ~ Rosanne Hull-Brown Kath ~ Kate Hood Vicki ~ Rebecca Dines Pat Slattery ~ Dorothy Cutts Andrea Radcliffe ~ Marion Dimmick Sticky Beak ~ Rick Ireland Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Dan ~ Sean Scully Lorelei ~ Paula Duncan Lisa ~ Nicki Paull Wendy Glover ~ Julieanne Newbould Det Sgt Watson ~ Burt Cooper June Hosking ~ Brenda Addie Ivan Hosking ~ Cliff Wood Zoe Wilkinson ~ Asby Redward Mr Brice ~ Phillip Holder Radio Announcer ~ Gary Mac Pamela Madigan ~ Justine Saunders OTHER CHARACTERSKindergarten worker Hotel receptionist  Neighbour of the Hoskings  Two police officers  &  Vicki and Officers Slattery and Radcliffe do not appear in this episode. Nor does anyone might answer to the misspelt description "Sitcky Beak": I think this refers to a character who appears at the end of episode (654). The request for Rita appears to be for a track by AC/DC. | Alice is getting used to being top dog: Merle has even drawn a special picture of her in the "showa" block  . Rita tells her the plan is going well and they should listen for a request from her mate Spanner on a radio request show. The top dog's new power is limited, however, and Spider refuses to hand over her key. Rita steals Lisa and Wendy's clothes as a joke while they are in the shower, but Lisa has two sets of spare undies handy. Kath frees herself and finds someone has left a bag outside the portakabin where she was held with a wad of money sitting on the top. Lorelei is brought back to Joan's by a detective and Joan tells her she has to get some rest. Lisa reveals that she can lip-read, as her parents were deaf. Rita hears a message from Kath's kidnappers disguised as a request on a radio program. Kath phones Rodney from a phone box while he's on reception with Joan standing right beside him: he tells her to give herself up, but she demands a meeting with him in "Higg's Gulley" by the only phone box in town. Alice tells Ann she's the new top dog and passes on the officers versus prisoners sports contest idea. The Hoskings seek legal advice about keeping Zoe, unaware that Gran is dead. Rita canvasses ideas for the sports day and Merle's tussle with a sheet jammed in the washer immediately suggests the idea of a tug of war. Lorelei makes enquiries in a playground and even though the worker there is hostile to her for abandoning her child, she indavertently gives the game away by mentioning the Hoskings. Rodney books a room in a hotel where Kath can hide out: the reception desk has a newspaper on it with Kath on the front page  . Wendy stands up for Lisa by stopping Rita involving her in the tug of war team. Lorelei visits the Hoskings to demand Zoe back: they have never met her before, but is sent away empty handed when the Hoskings deny having the child even though Lorelei notices one of Zoe's toys on a table in the hall. Kath tells Rodney to pay off Spider to help her clear herself of responsibility for her "escape". Lorelei contacts Joan from a phone box near the Hoskings' house to get her to call the police, but sees the Hoskings driving away with Zoe: she steals a car to follow them. Wendy offers to get an unofficial message out to Lisa's boyfriend. Lorelei is stopped by the police and is about to be arrested when Sgt Watson arrives. Rita shows Merle a magic rope trick. Pamela Madigan, an old University friend of Ann's, visits her at home  and tells her she's coming to Wentworth as a counsellor for Aboriginal girls in prison. Lorelei is reunited with Zoe only to have her taken away again when the Hoskings are granted temporary custody. Rodney asks Spider to tape Rita admitting to arranging Kath's "escape": she demands twenty dollars ... in advance. Lisa objects to the teasing she gets when Wendy reveals her boyfriend has a "woofter" name like Lester. Rodney hides the tape recorder in a spong bag in the shower block before the women take their morning shower, and Spider elicits the confession Rodney needs but Wendy and Lisa steal Rita and Alice's clothes to get back at them, along with the sponge bag containing the tape recorder. Pamela is shown around Wentworth by Ann and runs into Alice and Rita naked  . Alice and Rita recover their clothes and find the tape recorder. Both Lisa and Wendy react nervously, but Rita realises from Spider's chumminess that she was the target. Rita plants the tape recorder back in shower block to watch who picks it up, and sees Rodney with it. |
EPISODE 654Broadcast on Channel 5 Sunday 01 October 2000 04:40. Rodney Adams has more on his plate than he can handle. The prisoners give him a dunking he will not easily forget.Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Marty ~ Michael Winchester Rodney ~ Philip Hyde Delia ~ Desiree Smith Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Alice ~ Lois Collinder Spider ~ Taya Stratton Wendy Glover ~ Julieanne Newbould Lorelei ~ Paula Duncan Lisa ~ Nicki Paull Merle ~ Rosanne Hull-Brown Pamela Madigan ~ Justine Saunders Dan ~ Sean Scully Vicki ~ Rebecca Dines UNCREDITEDKath ~ Kate HoodOTHER CHARACTERSSack race announcer Man outside hotel  - I think he is the "Sticky Beak" credited for the previous episode (Rick Ireland). | Spider tells Rodney she still wants to be paid even though the tape is blank, and threatens to inform on him. Lorelei returns from Gran's funeral, blaming herself for what happened: Joan tries to get her to look to the future and look for a job. She even suggests that Lorelei contact the Prison Reform Group. Rita tells the women they will use the tug of war contest to get back at Rodney. Wendy deliberately cheeks Meg to get to see the Governor and tells Ann about the tape recorder planted by one of the officers, but refuses to identify the officer involved as any disciplinary action would blow her cover. The women suspect that the tape recorder was part of an attempt to find out the whereabouts of Lisa's boyfriend. Kath loses her temper with Rodney for failing to get the evidence to clear her: he advises her to give herself up but Kath retorts she would end up in Blackmoor. Joan bursts in on Meg and Wendy in Ann's office, so Meg has to pretend to be administering discipline, though it suspicious in itself that Meg is between the prisoner and the door with her back to it - officers almost always face prisoners with the desk between them. Wendy is not pleased to find that in her absence Lisa has volunteered her to take part in the attempt to fix Rodney. Kath has to calm Rodney down when he seems to take advantage of having her alone in a hotel room. Joan warns Wendy she's keeping an eye on her, and when Ann asks the officers  who was responsible for planting a tape recorder in the shower block, Joan realises the information must have come from Wendy. Joan catches Rodney hiding in the staff room, and lets him know she has worked out who planted the tape recorder. Ann tries to call off the operation with Wendy but is ordered by the Department to co-operate with the police. Dan tells Ann he's moving out, which upsets her more than she expected. Merle wins the egg and spoon race. Lisa and Wendy stay inside for the sports contest and make some mud with the dirt that Alice smuggled inside and then smear themselves with it. Rodney is volunteered to be first on the rope for the officers' tug of war team and is pulled headfirst into the mud  . When he goes back inside, Wendy and Lisa attack him, tie him up in the rec room, and then clean themselves up. Joan finds Rodney pathetically kicking the cupboard to attract attention: he assumes that his attackers were two women from the tug of war team. Ann repeats her offer to Pamela that she could move into the room in her house, which has become free earlier than she expected. Joan reports the attack on Rodney to Ann, just after she has told the Minster there were no incidents during the sports day. The special afternoon tea for the women is cancelled as a punishment, and the women are locked in their cells. Wendy refuses to give Ann any information about the bashing. The women make a noisy protest aimed at Rodney from their cells. Wendy again offers to help Lisa get a message out to Lester. Lorelei's custody case is moved forward to the following day, thanks to the PRG's intervention. Rodney goes to meet Kath to find the police surrounding the hotel and that Kath has evaded them. |
EPISODE 655Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 07 October 2000 04:40. Joan overhears Rodney tell the police where they can find Kath. Lori files for the custody of her child.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Alice ~ Lois Collinder Kath ~ Kate Hood Lorelei ~ Paula Duncan Merle ~ Rosanne Hull-Brown Marty ~ Michael Winchester Rodney ~ Philip Hyde Wendy ~ Julieanne Newbould Lisa ~ Nicki Paull Spider ~ Taya Stratton Vicki ~ Rebecca Dines Pamela ~ Justine Saunders Dr Eastman ~ Bruce Carter Ivan Hosking ~ Cliff Wood June Hosking ~ Brenda Addie Zoe ~ Asby Redward Uncle Ed ~ Robin Dene Mr Brice ~ Phillip Holder Mr Wilmot ~ Earl Francis Judge ~ Richard Butler OTHER CHARACTERSPoliceman (voice on the phone to Rodney)Did dentists still use nitrous oxide in 1986? And isn't it inflammable, so wouldn't the balloons have burst into flames when Joan bursts them with her cigarette? | The women hear of Kath's near escape from the police from Spider. Joan volunteers to be a character witness for Lorelei at her custody hearing, but leaves to go to work as usual first. Kath phones Rodney at work to get him to bring her a change of clothes (size 14?! with that arse?), but instead he phones the police to inform on her. Joan arrives at work and picking up the wrong phone to answer it, she happens to overhear Rodney's call. At muster, Meg tells the women the dentist is visiting for his annual check-up, causing a mass exodus to the toilets, headed by Alice. Lisa asks Wendy to get a message to Lester via another friend Peter Hargreaves. Marty has to coax Merle out from her hiding place in the laundry to go and see the dentist, little suspecting that Alice has been hiding in the skip all the time. Lorelei's custody hearing begins: her criminal record is read out. Her protest that she committed all the frauds to support her daughter is somewhat undermined by the judge pointing out that her earliest conviction was three years before Zoe was born. Alice hides from the dentist, but she is fooled by Meg who realises she is hiding in the skip and gets Marty to push the skip to the queue for Dr Eastman. Spider hears on her radio that Kath has been recaptured. The Hoskings gain custody of Zoe, reviewable after six months. Mr Hosking approaches Lorelei after the hearing and tries to make peace with her. Spider tells Rita that Blackmoor is full and taunts her with Kath's prospective return. Alice sees the dentist, but her fear is of him is so bad, he is forced to give her a blast of gas to sedate her  . Kath demands to see Ann before she is inducted because she claims the charge is wrong, as she didn't escape: she is taken to a holding cell by Rodney. Ann does not believe Kath's story, and she is put in an empty cell in D corridor under solitary conditions. Merle is pleased to see Kath again when she is led past the women to her "solitary" cell. Meg takes Wendy to clear up some "broken glass" in the room the dentist is using: but she really wants to tell her that Peter Hargreaves did not contact Lester as the police arrested him for speeding (and assaulting them when they did so). Lorelei visits her "Uncle" Ed at the races to arrange for a phoney passport: when she says she has no money he wants her to help him with a job in return. Rita distracts the dentist while he's examining Vicki and steals a cylinder of laughing gas. Ed's job for Lorelei is to set up two rival bookies so he can hold them up for their takings. Merle sneaks up to Kath's cell and seeks reassurance that Kath didn't leave her on purpose. Alice fills some balloons and freezer bags with the gas. Joan tells Kath about Rodney's betrayal to try to get Kath to work for her instead. Joan confiscates the gas filled balloons when Rita and Alice bring them to the rec room. Ann is appalled that Pamela has organised blind dates for her and Meg, but Meg seems quite intrigued, so Ann agrees to go along with it. Joan takes the balloons to the staff room and is affected by the laughing gas: Joyce is affected too and helps her burst the remaining ones  . Joyce goes to the rec room still giggling and tells the women what happened: Alice and Rita make an excuse to steal off as they can't resist seeing Joan in fits of laughter. Joan quickly gets back to her usual self and makes Rodney deliver Kath's meal. Ann and Meg go to the bar and await their dates. Kath tells Rodney what she thinks of him ("I nearly threw up every time I touched you"). Joan witnesses him hit her and calls it "the perfect end to a promising career". |
Story Editor: Gwenda Marsh
Script Editor: Neil Luxmoore (651)-(653); Pauline Clayton (654); Neil Luxmoore & Pauline Clayton (655).
Storyliners: Tony McDonald, John Coulter, Bob Greenberg
| (646) to (650) |
