Prisoner Cell Block H - Volume 1

EPISODE 1

Some new prisoners arrive at Wentworth.

First broadcast on Monday 26th February 1979 in Sydney and Tuesday 27th February in Melbourne (and presumably the rest of Australia?).

First UK broadcast:: Yorkshire Mon 8 Oct 1984 23:00; other regions

Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 01 April 1997 Tues 4:40 a.m.

DVD release: volume 1 disc 1 (AUS & UK) duration: 00:47:06



Lynn ~ Kerry Armstrong

Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne

Franky ~ Carol Burns

Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance

Erica ~ Patsy King

Marilyn ~ Margaret Laurence

Bea ~ Val Lehman

Doreen ~ Colette Mann

Eddie ~ Richard Moir

Greg ~ Barry Quin

Vera ~ Fiona Spence

Karen ~ Peita Toppano

Mum ~ Mary Ward

Sally Lee ~ Lisa Aldenhoven

Sister ~ Belinda Davey

Doctor ~ Will Deumer

Mrs Bentley ~ Adrianthe Galani

Cheryl ~ Tracey Kelley

Policewoman ~ Marcia MacArthur

Gloria ~ Katie Morgan

Wayne ~ Rod Mullinar

UNCREDITED

Officer Yates ~ Kirsty Child

Unnamed Officer (later Officer Morgan, photographing Lyn and Karen)

•Written by Reg Watson

•Directed by Graeme Arthur

The opening credit sequence for the first two programmes shows that the intention of the early episodes is to focus mainly on three of the prisoners: Karen, Lynn and Bea are shown in everyday situations, then a prison gate is superimposed over the picture. The first scene is of a barefoot prisoner Sally being chased through the corridors by officers Meg and Vera, until Franky stops Sally by elbowing her in the ribs as she passes. The first line of dialogue in the series is from Franky: "She bumped into me" . Karen and Lynn are transported to Wentworth in the van: Lyn is sobbing, Karen looks pensive. Lyn asks Karen what she did, but Karen doesn't answer. Meg and Vera manhandle Sally to a cell and lock her in. Lyn and Karen are inducted, but Karen asks why she should have to strip when Vera tells her to. Meg goes to the surgery to fetch Dr Greg Miller who is giving an eyesight test to another prisoner Marilyn Mason. Greg asks Meg if one of the new prisoners he is to see is Karen Travers. Karen's burns are discovered by the nurse during her induction : the regulation shower prompts a Psycho-style flashback. Lizzie and Doreen are introduced, bickering with each other for no very good reason. When Karen is taken to see the Dr Miller, it is obvious they already know each other: she tells him the cigarette burns were caused by her husband. Bea is introduced queening it in on the steam press the laundry as Meg takes Lyn on a guided tour of the prison. Unfortunately for Lyn, Bea recognises her name and remembers she was accused of kidnapping a child and burying him alive. Karen is taken to her cell by Vera and told to memorise the rule book, but she has to repulse her cell mate Franky's advances. She runs away and asks Meg to see the Governor, Erica Davidson . Erica suggests they should split up Franky and Doreen and possibly put Doreen in with Sally. Erica advises karen not to overreact, as she will have to put up with much worse than being "touched on the arm". Lyn and then Karen are photographed and fingerprinted. Lizzie plays cards with Franky and tells her that however bad this is, the old prison was much worse. Vera ignores Doreen telling her that Sally should be watched, and tells her she's being moved to another cell. Franky reacts badly to the news and wrecks the rec room . Karen is moved from Franky's cell but when Meg takes her to her new cell, they find Sally has hanged herself . Meg realises that Karen and Greg already know each other, but agrees to Greg's request to keep it a secret. Mum is shown at work in the garden and she talks to Lyn until Doreen comes to tell her about Sally's death. Eddie the electrician starts work. When Vera visits Franky in solitary to gloat, Franky tells her the women have adopted a new nickname for her thought up by Bea: "Vinegar Tits" . Marilyn and Eddie are left alone in the rec room and she flirts with him. Bea tricks Lyn by demonstrating how to use the press but instead burns her hand in it . Karen has another flashback to her husband hitting her and insisting she has an abortion, but then coming home to find him in bed with another woman. She takes a knife from the kitchen and goes upstairs as if in a trance , frightening her husband's girlfriend into making a run for it, then stabbing her husband as he has a shower. Eddie and Marilyn go up into the roof space for a bit of fun as another prisoner keeps lookout. Mum advises Lyn to agree with Bea's version of events - or she might have more "accidents". Karen is taken to a single cell by Vera: the one where Sally killed herself. At Lyn's request, Erica phones Larry, the gardener for the Bentleys her employers, but Mrs Bentley answers and says he has left, even as she looks out of the window at him. After she rings off, she turns back to the cradle and threatens to bury her son Richie again if he doesn't stop crying. After Vera locks up, Officer Yates lets Bea out of solitary: she threatens Lynn to keep quiet and not ruin Bea's chances of getting parole.