Prisoner CBH Prisoner Cell Block H

Richard Channing

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This got me thinking. You said you caught some episodes somewhere in teh middle, can you remember much about those episodes and are there any characters you remembered, that you're looking forward to seeing again?

Well the character whose arrival I'm most looking forward to is the one and only Joan Ferguson. How far in until she shows up? I also liked Judy Bryant and Myra Desmond. I remember Lexi's arrival cause she was into dressing like Boy George for a while. I remember Lou Kelly too.

I think I watched two periods of the show. One was around the run up to the fire. I remember the freak being gone for a while and then returning in a very memorable scene, I think that may have been around then. I also watched a while in the post Bea era later on. I think when Myra was top dog. I remember a very exciting siege in the prison around then. I also remember a half way house. It's all very hazy as this was in the 90's. I'd say all in all I might have watched about 3 season's somewhere in the middle, but not consistently. I definitely don't really know anything about the last few seasons.

Btw, speaking of seasons, do seasons end with a big cliffhanger like soaps tend to do? Is there much of a decline in the last couple of seasons or is it pretty good until the end?
 

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How far in until she shows up?

You have quite a while to go before she arrives, that's not too long after the 200th episode. Don't worry though, there are lots of exciting new officers to meet along side plenty of great stories to come.

I think I watched two periods of the show. One was around the run up to the fire. I remember the freak being gone for a while and then returning in a very memorable scene, I think that may have been around then. I also watched a while in the post Bea era later on. I think when Myra was top dog. I remember a very exciting siege in the prison around then. I also remember a half way house. It's all very hazy as this was in the 90's. I'd say all in all I might have watched about 3 season's somewhere in the middle, but not consistently. I definitely don't really know anything about the last few seasons.
Just reading all this is exciting, and I'm sure around the time you re-watch some of those episodes you caught in the 90s, you'll have forgotten lots of twists. Then to add to this, you will eventually know the full extent of each character's journey along the way.

Btw, speaking of seasons, do seasons end with a big cliffhanger like soaps tend to do?
Not that I can remember, because as far as I do remember, almost every episode ends on a cliff-hanger. When I first re-watched the show I just put disc after disc into the player, I had no idea when a season ended or started and them after I loaded them up onto my computer and external hard drive, I just labelled each episode by number and never acknowledging any season endings.

Is there much of a decline in the last couple of seasons or is it pretty good until the end?
For me, there is a decline, but it's not a bad one. Characters come and go and towards the end a lot of my favourites had left. I soon got into the new characters, but it missed a certain little punch the previous 5/600 episodes had.


Then again, I'm already changing my opinion on some characters, so I may well enjoy the final years just as much as the early and middle years. It does have one of the best endings in a drama for me, so that makes up for a lot.
 

Alexis Colby Carrington

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Well the character whose arrival I'm most looking forward to is the one and only Joan Ferguson. How far in until she shows up? I also liked Judy Bryant and Myra Desmond. I remember Lexi's arrival cause she was into dressing like Boy George for a while. I remember Lou Kelly too.

I think I watched two periods of the show. One was around the run up to the fire. I remember the freak being gone for a while and then returning in a very memorable scene, I think that may have been around then. I also watched a while in the post Bea era later on. I think when Myra was top dog. I remember a very exciting siege in the prison around then. I also remember a half way house. It's all very hazy as this was in the 90's. I'd say all in all I might have watched about 3 season's somewhere in the middle, but not consistently. I definitely don't really know anything about the last few seasons.

Btw, speaking of seasons, do seasons end with a big cliffhanger like soaps tend to do? Is there much of a decline in the last couple of seasons or is it pretty good until the end?
Joan's first episode is 287.
Each year did have a cliffhanger before it went off on a break - some were more successful than others. I hope I don't spoil much of the show for you!
1979 - Karen lies in a pool of blood.
1980 - The women escape through a tunnel and it begins to collapse.
1981 - The women start a riot.
1982 - the best season ever in my opinion - the women start a fire and Bea and Joan are trapped together.
1983 - David Bridges threatens Lizzie with a knife.
1984 - Pixie is attacked by some male prisoners.
1985 - Eve's solicitor shoots himself.
1986 was the final year of the show so didn't have a cliffhanger but had a great ending.
 

Richard Channing

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Joan's first episode is 287.
Each year did have a cliffhanger before it went off on a break - some were more successful than others. I hope I don't spoil much of the show for you!
1979 - Karen lies in a pool of blood.
1980 - The women escape through a tunnel and it begins to collapse.
1981 - The women start a riot.
1982 - the best season ever in my opinion - the women start a fire and Bea and Joan are trapped together.
1983 - David Bridges threatens Lizzie with a knife.
1984 - Pixie is attacked by some male prisoners.
1985 - Eve's solicitor shoots himself.
1986 was the final year of the show so didn't have a cliffhanger but had a great ending.

Thanks Alexis. Although I don't mind the odd spoiler, especially as I have seen some of the middle years, I think I'll skip your list as it seems like more detail than I'd care to know at this stage.

@Richard Stuffing the show has many ups and downs, in my opinion it's weak in 1983 towards the end of the season and again once 5 prisoners arrive from Barnhurst in 1985.

For a series with so many episodes you would expect there to be highs and lows. As long as the highs outweigh the lows, which I have no doubt they do!
 

Richard Channing

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About 7 episode in. I'm really loving Lizzie. The actress is so good and her face is just so expressive. When she's happy she is positively beaming and when she's not you can see the weight of the world in her face. It was particularly sad when the cat she found died. Speaking of death, in true soap fashion, Meg seems to have forgotten all about her dead husband. That was fast! And now Vera's mother may have died, I'll find out in the next episode. She had even less screen time than Bill Jackson but it was good to see a bit of Vera's home life and you can see where she gets that charming, sunny disposition from. I like how, if only for an episode or two, she is portrayed as kind of a female Norman Bates.

The characters that aren't really doing it for me are Lynn and Marilyn. Lynn just cries all the time. Yes, I know she's had it rough but she never stops whining. Marilyn is very one-dimensional as this kind of airhead sexpot, and I hoped when she got released that'd be the end of her story but we are following her romance with the electrician on the outside.

The pace has slowed a bit from those very exciting first episodes but it's still highly addictive and most of the story lines are very engaging. I'll watch another couple tonight.
 
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Ome

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About 7 episode in.
My last episode was 12, I will hang back with comments, because I don't want to spoil anything.

The actress is so good and her face is just so expressive. When she's happy she is positively beaming and when she's not you can see the weight of the world in her face.
Isn't she a blessing when it comes to delivering her scenes, I love all the variations Shelia brings to the character Lizzie.

Speaking of death, in true soap fashion, Meg seems to have forgotten all about her dead husband. That was fast!
For this particular story I'm glad it's moved on, I didn't like the Meg we were getting. I prefer the caring Meg, we have Vera for the nasty stuff.

The characters that aren't really doing it for me are Lynn and Marilyn. Lynn just cries all the time. Yes, I know she's had it rough but she never stops whining. Marilyn is very one-dimensional as this kind of airhead sexpot, and I hoped when she got released that'd be the end of her story but we are following her romance with the electrician on the outside.
You're absolutely right on these two. I drift between in and out with how I feel about them. I like that they are part of the originals, but they're pretty much done and dusted for me.
 

Richard Channing

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My last episode was 12, I will hang back with comments, because I don't want to spoil anything.

I am fast catching up but don't worry about commenting and spoiling it for me. I will take a quick glance at your posts and if it looks like they're ahead of me I'll read them when I catch up.
 

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don't worry about commenting and spoiling it for me.
Oh no, I don't want to take that away from you, there are some great twists and funny turns along the way.

What I can say is when you've watched this series in its entirety, you notice how some actors are playing very minor roles only later to become well established characters. I noticed that Marylin's friend is played by the actress who later takes on the role of Margo Gaffney and Vera's detective turns up later in the series as a serial killer.

Also, the nurse assisting Dr Greg Miller will turn up later in a big storyline under the name of Hazel Kent.




I am fast catching up


You know Bea, Doreen and Lizzie and you spoke about Marylin and Lyne. So I'm curious what you make of Franky Doyle and another question I wonder - have you been watching WENTWORTH ?
 

Richard Channing

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Marylin's friend is played by the actress who later takes on the role of Margo Gaffney and Vera's detective turns up later in the series as a serial killer.

I noticed that too! Looking very different than she does when she plays Margo.

So I'm curious what you make of Franky Doyle

I like how she is so unpredictable and menacing and she's kind of a ticking timebomb. Also she had to be a ground breaking character because I can't think of any other lesbian characters that were on TV at the time, in Australia or anywhere in the world. So kudos to the show for that, and for the many more gay characters they would include later on.
 

Richard Channing

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have you been watching WENTWORTH ?

I haven't. I watched the first episode when it came out and I was really put off by the characters being totally different than their namesakes so I didn't really give it chance. But I know it is supposed to be excellent so I might have to give it another go at some stage.
 

Richard Channing

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I have just had a shocking realization. Whiny, wimpy Lynn is also conniving, bitchy Elena Duchess of Branagh on Dynasty!!!

Was trying to figure out what I knew her from so I checked her IMDB.

1609808721038.png
 

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Episode 17

Monica Fergusson continues to be a great asset to the show, it was great seeing her inducted into the prison with Vera thinking she would cause trouble for Bea, unknown to Vera, Bea & Monnie go way back.

The old lady where Doreen & Franky are hiding out was a great twist with her knowing who they were from the start and knowing that Franky had a bar up her sleeve.

While the officers work around the clock to save Lyne from her attempted suicide, (they really shouldn't bother) there is a new officer informing Erica of the new prison inmates. It’s another actress that will appear later in the show as Myra Desmond.

We are introduced to a very annoying inmate in Erica’s niece. That said, she’s going to be very frustrating for Erica. It was a great scene where Bea and Monica found out who she was

Over at Meg’s house she has the new welfare officer Jean and the doctor, Greg round. As they get acquainted Greg asks Jean if she organised Steve Miller to take on Karen’s case. I’m guessing this was a blunder because the character’s name is Steve Wilson and it’s actually Greg who is a Miller.

Assuming I heard that correctly.


The story with Franky and Doreen living with Mrs McBride came to an abrupt ending thanks to Trevor “one word out of you Trevor and they will be calling you Sally” and I felt for Mrs McBride when she waved them off at the end.





Episode 18

Back when I watched this for the first time, I was intrigued with the start when it showed a schoolgirl picked up and raped. I wondered where it was going, surely the schoolgirl wouldn’t end up inside and it’s a female prison, so the rapist was never going to become a future inmate. Obviously, once the story continued it started to make sense. Thinking about it now, I love the mystery and intrigue that firs 5 mins created.

Vera’s new interest in Barbara is a great story, having her lag on the other inmates is right up Vera’s street.

I don’t know if it was particularly written this way but the scene with Sarah’s mum and dad came across like they were truly clueless to what their daughter had gone through. I don’t mean they should know what happened to her, but from what we’ve seen how they have a routine in life, they showed no concern when Sarah said she fell over. Thankfully, the story moved on quickly when Sarah finally told her mum about the rape. “Why the hell didn’t she tell us last night?”

And, there is it, Barbara Davidson shows her true colours by blackmailing Vera after using her to bring in more drugs.

Finishing the episode is Sarah’s mum, Catherine as she vows to get revenge on the man who raped her daughter, meaning we have our next new inmate just waiting in the wings.
 

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Episode 19

It was a surprise to see Vera looking into Monnie’s alleged drug dealings. If she exposes Barbara for setting up Monnie, then she’s risking herself getting caught up in all. This is also coming from Vera who often expresses her feelings “they’re animals the lot of them” over the inmates.

Now we have Barbara threatening her Vera claiming they are in this together. I’m looking forward to seeing what lengths Vera will go to in order of sorting this one out.

I love that having watched this twice I still find so many scenes as if I’m watching them for the first time. The scene that just hit me with so much joy was Vera revealing to Bea that Barbara is in for dealing in drugs.

Woah! Another surprise twist was seeing the man who raped Sarah turning out to be her father’s boss.

There is a lot of focus on Sarah going to the shop, could there be rapist about to appear? Oh yeah and just to emphasize on this, they have him looking at Playboy magazine.

Catherine did say she was going to get revenge on her daughter’s rapist, I would call those closing scenes very revengeful.





Episode 20

A new inmate and this time we got the full story behind why she is here.

I liked how daunting and frightening they made Catherine feel as she woke up for the first time inside.

I remember this episode so vividly with Franky & Doreen. I was devastated when Franky was shot and thought, hoped she might have pulled through, but no, it was not going to happen, it really was the end of an amazing character.

Karen annoyed me by hating on Greg for paying for her lawyer, she was so selfish while Franky lay dead on the street.

Well, well, well, Catherine’s husband doesn’t believe his boss raped his daughter, and worse than that, he questions if Catherine is found guilty and goes to prison, what will happen to his daughter?

The ending where Doreen went for Karen really surprised me when I first watched it, I guess I never thought Doreen could be tough cookie like the way she is turning out to be.
 

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Episode 15

Monica Ferguson looks like she'll be good value as she's larger than life and looks like she doesn't take any sh*t from anyone. It was quite funny to see the smirk wiped off Vera's face when her plan to usurp Bea backfired as her and Monica turned out to be old friends. I'm also quite liking the new social worker woman and she has fabulous hair. I hoping her plan to get Mum out on parole will work. This episode also introduced Return to Eden's Greg Marsden as Return to Eden's Jilly/Karen's new lawyer.

So poor old Lynn is back and now she's got a lot more to cry about seeing as her husband and unborn baby are now dead. Seems like we'll have to put up with a lot more whimpering. It's hard to feel empathy for her with all the stupid choices she's made but I suppose she is only 20.

Franky and Doreen dressed as nuns has good comedic value, and whatever chance Doreen has of coming off as a nun I can't see Franky being very convincing for long. Anyway, it will all end in tears I'm sure as neither really seem smart enough to survive on the run. Btw, considering many of the inmates are murders, Wentworth is very minimum security, as escaping is as easy as climbing a ladder over a not very high fence.
 

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I'm also quite liking the new social worker woman and she has fabulous hair. I
I didn't care for her on my first two viewings, but this time around its different. I think in the past I wasn't too interested in those do-gooders trying to help the inmates, I wanted more bad bitches. I forgot how direct Jean could be.

So poor old Lynn is back and now she's got a lot more to cry about seeing as her husband and unborn baby are now dead. Seems like we'll have to put up with a lot more whimpering.
....................:D

Btw, considering many of the inmates are murders, Wentworth is very minimum security, as escaping is as easy as climbing a ladder over a not very high fence.
Yes, it's like they shouldn't be in here because it's a detention centre.
They do keep changing the story thought, I remember when Lyne was digging under the fence, and Vera, or maybe it was Meg explained to Lyne that there were 3 more fences to get through, obviously, this wasn't a problem or didn't exist when Franky & Doreen went over.
 

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Episode 21

Now we’re getting to meet the wife of the rapist and I’m wondering if I should feel sorry for her. Surely, I should be because she’s obviously in the dark.

I love how the inmates pop on the radio and get the exact news they need to further the story, the same thing happens when they turn on the TV and then they turn it off before it finishes because they have a script to follow and it’s their turn to speak.



Doreen has certainly changed into a hard nut telling Bea to go and “bite her butt”

Lizzie turns down an opportunity for a day out, well, that was until Bea made her realise with a few choice words. I did laugh when she said she didn’t want Vera with her because people might think she’s a criminal.

Doreen gives Lyne a new name ‘Wonky Warner’ while she lays it on thick to two new inmates. One who turns out to be a bigger character later in the series as Phyllis Hunt.

I somehow got the impression Lyne’s father was going to give up on her, but his visit with Jean Vernon convinced me otherwise.

Vera sitting in the governor’s chair was amusing.

As well as prisoner Phyllis Hunt, Vera was arranging something with another prisoner who turns out to be Mouse.

Lovely little cliff-hanger when Barbara implied, she was going to drop Vera in it over her part in the drugs.



Episode 22

Clearly, Barbara changed her mind on dropping Vera in it, but why? If it turns out to be nothing, then it’s a cheap thrill of a cliff-hanger from the previous episode.

It does not matter how many times I watch this; I never enjoy Doreen acting the big bag bully and now she has Lyne as her sidekick.

Vera taking every opportunity she can to discredit Erica in it is always great to watch.

I’ve just spotted another actor in a different role, the doctor seeing to Lizzie’s brother comes into the series later as the prison chef, but his name escapes me.

Lizzie’s visit with her brother was sensational, poor old bugger!

The scenes that followed Lizzie and Erica were very moving, two hugely different personalities coming together and bringing a little comfort into each other’s world.

Erica has received a letter enquiring into allegations that she is giving her niece special privileges. I don’t get why she is acting clueless to Meg asking who could have started these rumours, unless she really believes Vera wouldn’t do something like that.
 
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