Prisoner: Cell Block H

[Matthew T]

I'm still on these - an episode a night at the moment, episode 58 last night. The Toni McNally storyline is in full swing and it's great stuff!

I wish dull old Karen Travers would leave though.

[stuartdg]

I'm only at episode 4 but having seen the vast majority of the series before i know what is to follow

[Si Hunt]

Hurrah, someone who's not ahead of me! Welcome to the thread, Stu!

We did episode 33 last night - Jean Vernon seems to have vanished! Apparently she's gone off to look after someone's house, but we're hoping she'll come back and hasn't done a (now traditional) "Prisoner flit" out of the show.

All this 'top dog' stuff is mildly fun, but we look forward to Bea returning to Wentworth, although we will miss her on-the-run wig. Talking of which, the treacherous woman she's staying with while on the run has the most amazing soap hair EVER.

Meg went on a date with Doctor Greg and wore an incredible floral outfit designed to make her blend in with her sofa. For a moment she just dissapeared, except for a head bobbing around above the setee.

It looked for a moment as though Vera could have ended up inside Wentworth but on the other side of the bars. Now THAT would have been interesting...

Si.

[Wayne]

although we will miss her on-the-run wig. Talking of which, the treacherous woman she's staying with while on the run has the most amazing soap hair EVER.
Si.

Yeah, Bea's outwit & wig were brilliant! I might have another sneaky look at this episode to clock the amazing soap hair.

Meg went on a date with Doctor Greg and wore an incredible floral outfit designed to make her blend in with her sofa. For a moment she just dissapeared, except for a head bobbing around above the setee.
Si.

[stuartdg]

Episodes 1-6

Just a few observations-Fave characters include Vera(ultimate ice queen) and the icon that is Erica.Mention also must be made of Lizzie"bugger me gently" Birdsworth

Annoying characters:Lynn Warner-shut up cryin! and Greg Miller just too "proper" for my liking

Things of note-the riot is over relatively quickly given that in later episodes they would last forever

Not enough is made of the Bea/Franky feud-and given that shes top dog Bea is happy to let Frankie bully Lizzie

Also good to see future inmate Hazel Kent-actress Belinda Davey playing the nurse in episode 6

[Wayne]

Episodes 1-6

Lizzie "bugger me gently" Birdsworth


and Greg Miller just too "proper" for my liking

I think i might adopt that phrase.


And i don't know quite why, but Greg Miller reminds me of a really wet version of Sgt.Benton.

[stuartdg]

He looks a lil bit like him-maybe

And what is it with the pre-mugshots sequences-they're all over the place-although i can understand why Lizzie gettin pissed doesnt make for a great teaser

[Si Hunt]

We're mystified why the three characters that make the mug shot teasers are so. Why Lynn Warner and not Doreen, for example? Do they get replaced by different characters when eventually they leave? We shall see. Yes, we shall see.

Si.

[Wayne]

We're mystified why the three characters that make the mug shot teasers are so. Why Lynn Warner and not Doreen, for example? Do they get replaced by different characters when eventually they leave? We shall see. Yes, we shall see.

Si.

I haven't taken that much notice, but i think i've spotted Doreen in there now & again.
It always seems to be Karen Travers though!

[stuartdg]

The reason for this would appear to be that episode 1 introduces Bea,Lynn and Karen as the primary characters who are sent to(or sent back in Bea's case) to Wenthworth initially.


Doreen,Bea and Lizzie(i think) make up the majority of the mugshots once Karen leaves;and this includes moments during the show where neither Bea nor Doreen are in the show!

Similair things happen later in the run with the character of Judy appearing first out,then in of prison uniform despite not being in Wentworth!

After about episode 390 the mugshots are fairly consistent.

Fact-only once throughout the shows run do we see four mugshots instead of the usual 3

[stuartdg]

Episodes 7 and 8

Two Marilyn centric episodes-and possibly one of the shortest stints inside for a regular character-at 6 and a half episodes.

Elsewhere Lynn has suddenly grown a backbone-lagging to the other women about Frankie;who herself has softened somewhat

And Enter The Pajo-who relatively quickly gets threatened with death by lipstick!-all good stuff...

[Si Hunt]

Episode 35, and it looks like Bea Smith could be back inside after the girl next door (who for some reason wants to get "laid" by an ugly biker) dobbed her in. Dissapointingly, she seems to have dropped her comedy wig which probably won't help her.

This was mainly, though, the episode concerning Col Burk's seige. Hard to see where this one was going really, as he was always too male to be bound for Wentworth. The only seige in history where the captor didn't actually want anything, it was notable for the two policemen's hilarious exchange when they realised they were faced with an armed intruder holding a pregnant woman at gunpoint.
"What do we do now?"
"Beats me!"

There was then the somewhat dubious decision to let an over-emotional member of the public wander into the line of the gunman's fire with a loud-hailer with a jaunty "give it a go!". He promptly got shot.

But all this was far more believable than Erica Davison sitting merrily at the meal table and having a piss-up with her inmates. And they say she's not a great governor? No wonder people want to keep committing crimes!

Si.

[Matthew T]

Oh I do love your little write ups Si.

Extend them and Vervoid them!

[Si Hunt]

Thanks!

Si.

[Wayne]

Oh I do love your little write ups Si.

Extend them and Vervoid them!

Yes that last write up was particularly funny, Si!

[stuartdg]

Think im startin to get addicted again-thats 2 episodes today

Anyway episode 9-which barely features,Lizzie,Doreen and Frankie.It does however see the Helen Masters PR machine goin into overdrive(interestingly in some corners of fandom she was considered a very temporary top dog)

This aside Lynn gets released,Marilyn and Eddie split,Erica's hair remains in place and we get a glimpse at future prisoner Margo Gaffney in actress Jane Clifton

[Si Hunt]

Episode 36, and Bea Smith has got her hands back on the symbolic Wentworth steam press. Meanwhile the Wentworth day release program grows ever more fanciful - presumably one was supposed to feel sorry for Karen Travers when she was a bit late for her day out at college. Hang on, isn't she supposed to be being punished for murdering someone?

She "got hers" though, as who should turn up on the campus but Steve the Barrister, who suspiciously also seems to moonlight as an announcer whenever anyone in the show switches on a radio. With his golden chat-up line "I used to go to this University too!" the silver-haired fox wanted to do more than brief crim-turned-student Karen Travers, who after spending 30 episodes resembling Carole Ann-Ford is now slowly turning into Susan Engel.

It's now become apparent that Vera's personality has two modes, which alternate depending on the state of her hair. When it's in volumous, glamorous style she's like a nervous kitten, but when it's tied up for work she turns into Augusto Pinochet. This was proved when she turned up at Meg's house and forgot to volumise her hair - and was soon forced to leave after falling victim to a series of intimidating stares from Meg and clingy Doctor Greg.

Doctor Greg was really only after a way into Meg's blue plaid dressing gown - we know this because earlier in the episode he was overcome by a series of soft-focus flashbacks of her dullest moments that episode. Her former husband (now dead) and the weird man-boy thing Marty were mentioned, but no-one put their finger on just where Marty had vanished to. He went to live with a girl didn't he? But doesn't he ever visit? It's no wonder poor Meg's life is so dull and she has to seek refuge in the arms of Greg and his Sensible Jumper. They could perhaps form a pop combo if things work out - Greg and Meg, the new Carpenters.

And we're not fooled by that convenient wall just outside her front door for a second - it's almost as if someone didn't want to knock up a backdrop.

Si.

[Wayne]

Brilliant Si!
Especially:

It's now become apparent that Vera's personality has two modes, which alternate depending on the state of her hair. When it's in volumous, glamorous style she's like a nervous kitten, but when it's tied up for work she turns into Augusto Pinochet. This was proved when she turned up at Meg's house and forgot to volumise her hair - and was soon forced to leave after falling victim to a series of intimidating stares from Meg and clingy Doctor Greg.

Doctor Greg was really only after a way into Meg's blue plaid dressing gown - we know this because earlier in the episode he was overcome by a series of soft-focus flashbacks of her dullest moments that episode. Her former husband (now dead) and the weird man-boy thing Marty were mentioned, but no-one put their finger on just where Marty had vanished to. He went to live with a girl didn't he? But doesn't he ever visit? It's no wonder poor Meg's life is so dull and she has to seek refuge in the arms of Greg and his Sensible Jumper. They could perhaps form a pop combo if things work out - Greg and Meg, the new Carpenters.
Si.

You should do stuff like this for a living.
Oh hang on, I guess you do in a way, since you're probably at work.

[stuartdg]

Episode 10 and the Pajo PR machine is in full swing as she manipulates her way to freedom;alas this is the last we see of her-as it was a potentially explosive storyline had she returned to Wentworth...

Speaking of returning Marilyn is back inside,following both Bea and Mum;i wouldn't be surprised to see Lyn back inside next

Apart from Vera getting pissed nothing else really seems to be happening;although one point of note is that none of the prisoners had worked in the kitchen until suggested by Helen;something that becomes regular later in the series

[Wayne]

Apart from Vera getting pissed

Is that the one where she shouts at all the people in the bar?

[stuartdg]

Yes and gets taken home by a cop with whom she gets a date with much to her delight

One other point of note is that Bea almost seems in awe at times of Helen Masters-happily allowing her to refuse to eat;despite the fact Bea is top dog

Also the inmates seem to have the run of the prison seemingly able to enter the grounds whenever they like!

[Si Hunt]

Questions abound in Meg Jackson's living room over her and Greg's post-night of passion breakfast. Isn't that blue marble tiling she has by her sideboard the same stuff they use in public toilets? Why is nobody speaking to each other? Why has orange juice been poured, yet they are both drinking tea? Either someone is on the blob or Doctor Greg should run a mile. At least give him a smile and a flash of your thru'penny's with his weetabix, Meg.

Meanwhile, something else intrigues us inside the prison, namely that prison guard with goggle-eye glasses and the bad perm. She's back as a prisoner! Are they trying to save cash by getting the same actress to play both? We look forward to the scene where she discovers herself doing something against the rules, and locks herself in solitary.

Erica's holding a barbecue for the prisoners and their families and inviting the press! Why this should impress them, I don't know. I'd write a scathing review if saw that the prisoners were being allowed to have their folks over for a knees-up - she'll be letting them work in garden centres and go to Uni next! This is supposed to be a PRISON! It's supposed to be not very nice!

More alarming is the fact that prisoners are allowed to carry hammers around with them to put up the marquee. But less mysterious than what was going to happen to the new colour TV (hmmm, disgruntled prisoner with hammer... I wonder!) was why Steve Wilson the dull barrister continues to wander round the University campus every day in pursuit of Carole-Ann Travers, whose Uni career seems to consist of walking between blocks carrying some files. And even that pales in comparison to the biggest mystery of all.... JUST WHERE IS JEAN VERNON!

Si.

[Wayne]

You're really getting into it now!

[Si Hunt]

The series has shown a gradual but marked improvement over the last 20 episodes. I can't believe how, when we first started watching it (and expected them to be 25 minute episodes) the first ones dragged. They seemed to take an age to finish! Now they fly by, and it's hard to believe we get through a 50 minute show every evening, let alone actually look forward to it. There's not been a truly bad episode for ages. A small core of excellent main characters (Bea, Vera, Erica, Lizzie, Doreen) hold things together. Lizzie is so over the top that it's impossible not to find her watchable! We love her!

Si.

[Wayne]

Now they fly by, and it's hard to believe we get through a 50 minute show every evening, let alone actually look forward to it.
Si.

That's great! I'm pleased to hear that! Roll on March 16th!
I'll be putting my pre-order in at the beginning of March. I'm just keeping an eye on the price at the two different Aussie dvd shops that i've used, but there's not much in it, so i'll probably stick with EZYDVD.