The character who I liked the most was Erica. And Patsy King got her just about right - firm but fair and the women really seemed to like her as well as she did the right thing by them
And the other thing Patsy managed to get comedy into it seemingly without trying
Those put downs of "That will be all Miss Bennett"
"May I remind you Miss Bennett that I am the governor here"
I liked Erica to, im still baffled by her exit, walked out of the rec room with Mr Douglas, then never seen again, until later, where shes working for the Dept. in a different role, and she never explains how she just disappeared as Governor.
I liked Erica to, im still baffled by her exit, walked out of the rec room with Mr Douglas, then never seen again, until later, where shes working for the Dept. in a different role, and she never explains how she just disappeared as Governor.
Was it not explained that Ted Douglas had sacked her?
I think Vera wasn't a villain. At least in my opinion. She was a very tough Prisoner Officer but also one who was totally by the book. I can't recall Vera ever doing anything that would have made her bent. She may have been close to the line a few times but she never crossed it. Unless my memory is playing tricks. Joan on the other hand was spiteful, bitter and most defo bent! she would do things just to be cruel rather than just to stick by the rule book.
Both showed softer sides but I think Vera was more human out of the two. I actually felt far more sorry for Vera's home situation than I ever did the freak. Lizzie and Vera's relationship was also quite interesting. They shared some personal scenes several times.
If you re-watch episodes one through to four of 'Prisoner', Vera is very much the stereotyped sadistic evil officer, barking out orders and sniping at and provoking prisoners - especially Franky (and gloating sadistically during the riot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=CwovK5iR5-Q#t=208s) In some scenes she acts like how Joan was later shown.
After those first few episodes they emphasise Vera's softer side, exploring her family life and loneliness. She settles into being the embittered and strict Vera whose bark, generally, is worse than her bite.
She isn't really a villain as such after that but, but she does do a few 'unorthodox' things in the program's first year. She smuggles in a drug filled dollie for Barbara Davidson, having been tricked into believing Barbara will use it in a set up that will benefit Vera (Babs actually just sells the drugs!) Later, resentful that a prisoner will get to keep her baby, she tricked Rosie Hudson into behaving in a way that would mean she wouldn't be granted custody of her baby. However these spiteful things are outweighed by Vera's softer storylines - her sadness and lonliness and and special relationship with Lizzie.
Joan was very much added, in my opinion, to act as a villain in the show. This makes her different from Vera, as Vera didn't fulfil the role of 'villain' really. Joan was corrupt and evil and intimidating from day one. She gave Doreen a horrific search early on, and then gave Chrissie a violent beating. After some months Bea tried to kill her! The prisoners really hated the evil Joan - while usually they just rolled their eyes at Vera and called her 'Vinegar Tits' - obviously they were two very different people.
Later there were lengthy bits where they explored Joan's softer side like with Shane, and her father. But as they really wanted her to stay a villain, the writers always threw a big tragedy or loss at Joan (Terri leaves, house burns down in arson attack, bikies attack her pet pooch, hit and run of her golfing pal) so she'd thunder back with villainous vengeance.
I liked Erica to, im still baffled by her exit, walked out of the rec room with Mr Douglas, then never seen again, until later, where shes working for the Dept. in a different role, and she never explains how she just disappeared as Governor.
Her departure was intentionally depicted on screen in an abrupt way, to emphasise Erica's abrupt sacking.
It was explained explicitly that Douglas sacked Erica (or did he 'Accept her resignation'?). In fact it was a major storyline soon after when they advertised the job internally, yet shocked everyone by suddenly announcing an outsider, Ann, had been appointed.
Her departure was intentionally depicted on screen in an abrupt way, to emphasise Erica's abrupt sacking.
It was explained explicitly that Douglas sacked Erica (or did he 'Accept her resignation'?). In fact it was a major storyline soon after when they advertised the job internally, yet shocked everyone by suddenly announcing an outsider, Ann, had been appointed.
yep Ted says she resigned and has the letter on the desk when Meg walks in..but Meg can tell that it was more a "sacking"
Patsy King was basically written out as they wanted a different governor to deal with harder storylines..however Patsy has always said she chose to leave at that time..maybe it was a mix of the two
Why it was done off-screen..not sure but one of the writers just said not everything has to be shown..take from that what you will
I'm actually warming to Ann this time around. She seems to be tougher than I remembered her to be and thought she handled the breast cancer scare story pretty well, such a story would have been well out of Erica's range. Though obviously she hasn't quite got the glamour Erica had but who has?
Question regarding Joan's visit to Lionel Fellowes? Why did she say that she wanted the drugs to stop coming to Wentworth? Why did he agree to have Brenda transferred to Barnhurst to do her drugs racket there instead, when, according to Joan, there was already a drugs racket happening at Barnhurst? Is this the same Barnhurst where anti-drugs ex-Top Dog Bea Smith and super-screw, now governor Vinegar Tits are? And there's a major drugs racket there?
I'm confused dot com.
Great list, I liked all of them:D. Good to see Kathleen, Gloria and Kath get a mention, characters like them were very important to the show.
Ashamed to say though I don't remember Duncan Campbell.
Duncan Campbell was a great character. He was a gangster who broke Chrissie Latham out of prison and Latham double crossed him. And what did he do? Put a bullet through her brain? No, he threatened to call the bloody cops!
I would have thought he wouldn't have wanted to risk having anything to do with cops given the fact he had just broke someone out of prison.
And when Campbell’s henchmen were in a house searching for stolen money, the cops showed up and he drove away leaving his men behind. And when his men got in to a shoot out with the cops he had the nerve to call them on the phone and tell them to give themselves up!
(Telling them he’d pay them as long as his name was kept out of it)
Duncan Campbell was charming, charismatic, unpredictable and had an undertone of menace to him.
I’ll never understand why such unique characters as he and Randi were so short lived.
I'm actually warming to Ann this time around. She seems to be tougher than I remembered her to be and thought she handled the breast cancer scare story pretty well, such a story would have been well out of Erica's range. Though obviously she hasn't quite got the glamour Erica had but who has?
I'm the same actually. I'm Queen Erica all the way. She was Lady Penelope and Maggie Thatcher all rolled into one but Ann does seem like a more 3d character on the rewatch. Erica seemed very limited to just being governor and nothing else.
I'm up to episode 630 now. This era of the show is way more exciting than anything that happened after 450 but you can tell the show is dying. Joan really is going in circles now but the rest of the cast is so strong. I love the dynamic of Nancy, Lurch, Lexie, Rita, Julie and Jessie.
I'm still longing for the old days though. This is what I'm missing now
That Sexylove woman (or whatever her name was) was bumped off by the killer screw last night.
I dunno, talk about anti-climax. Admittedly the 'No, Lizzie, there are 2 bodies' was a great line but then it was all over in a flash. No suspense, just a quick reveal and then he's killed by Cass. They just don't seem to be milking these stories much, no sooner do they come up with a juicy storyline they extinguish it before anything really happens.
Gotta say though, I thought both Neil Murray and David Bridges were both hot to trot.
That Sexylove woman (or whatever her name was) was bumped off by the killer screw last night.
I dunno, talk about anti-climax. Admittedly the 'No, Lizzie, there are 2 bodies' was a great line but then it was all over in a flash. No suspense, just a quick reveal and then he's killed by Cass. They just don't seem to be milking these stories much, no sooner do they come up with a juicy storyline they extinguish it before anything really happens.
Gotta say though, I thought both Neil Murray and David Bridges were both hot to trot.
Randi Goodlove . They were great episodes but it did end quite suddenly, as soon as we know that Bridges is killing them he doesn't murder anyone else, it would have been good if they had carried it on longer, with a few more victims once we knew for sure what he was up to.
Some classic siege lines:
Nora:"please have we got something we can cover her with?"
Lurch: ""Nah fresh out of cement"
May: "What about the balls?"
Lurch: "it would be easier to hit them on the head?"
May: "I meant the billiard balls stupid."
Nora: "she's cold, give me your jumper Tammy."
Tammy: "Awh get stuffed."
Good old Tammy.
A couple of moments that made me and my sister laugh when we watched it yesterday was at Megs house Dennis walks through with a couple of bits of toast on a plate and says "Here get stuck into that". Al quite happily saying to Ram "God I'd love to waste him" about Halstead and after Lexie has tried to break out of the kitchen and comes back to the Rec room she says "I tried to make a break for it, didn't make it but" and Myra says "That's obvious".
Duncan Campbell was a great character. He was a gangster who broke Chrissie Latham out of prison and Latham double crossed him. And what did he do? Put a bullet through her brain? No, he threatened to call the bloody cops!
I would have thought he wouldn't have wanted to risk having anything to do with cops given the fact he had just broke someone out of prison.
And when Campbell’s henchmen were in a house searching for stolen money, the cops showed up and he drove away leaving his men behind. And when his men got in to a shoot out with the cops he had the nerve to call them on the phone and tell them to give themselves up!
(Telling them he’d pay them as long as his name was kept out of it)
Duncan Campbell was charming, charismatic, unpredictable and had an undertone of menace to him.
I’ll never understand why such unique characters as he and Randi were so short lived.
Yeah I do remember him now, he was a good villain. Wasn't the guy who played Caroline Simpsons husband one of his heavies. I agree some great characters who could have lasted much longer are written out while some others who aren't very good last for ages.
That Sexylove woman (or whatever her name was) was bumped off by the killer screw last night.
I dunno, talk about anti-climax. Admittedly the 'No, Lizzie, there are 2 bodies' was a great line but then it was all over in a flash. No suspense, just a quick reveal
when i first watched this I found a massive suspense filled ending to the story!..it did take a while to know it was him killing them rather than setting them free
I've noticed that close-up's of female characters hands reveal them to have very dirty finger nails. Did people not wash their hands in the 80s? Or was that just an Australian thing?
when i first watched this I found a massive suspense filled ending to the story!..it did take a while to know it was him killing them rather than setting them free
I had no idea it was Bridges until he had to cut Joan down from the shower block after her lynching. I thought, "hmmm he has a knife" - I was thrown though when Ann said that there had been sightings of Mary Adler. Had no idea who Tracey Dixon was or which backgrounder was supposed to be her.
I had no idea it was Bridges until he had to cut Joan down from the shower block after her lynching. I thought, "hmmm he has a knife" - I was thrown though when Ann said that there had been sightings of Mary Adler. Had no idea who Tracey Dixon was or which backgrounder was supposed to be her.
I've said it before but this was my favourite time in Prisoner, for about 12 episodes they were perfection, that's probably because three of my favourite characters were in it at that time Randi Goodlove, Brenda Hewitt and David Bridges, all of them leaving at about the same time
I always thought Tracey Dixon was the actress who played Irene Nagle? early on and died in the tunnel collapse, she certainly appears in a few episodes before notably beating up Bobbie and helping hang the Freak, but having rewatched it recently she appears in the background as Judy talks about Tracey disappearing, however that could just be another Prisoner mistake, they made a few
I've noticed that close-up's of female characters hands reveal them to have very dirty finger nails. Did people not wash their hands in the 80s? Or was that just an Australian thing?
Mary Adler and Tracey Dixon certainly had dirty finger nails in there last scene
I always thought Tracey Dixon was the actress who played Irene Nagle? early on and died in the tunnel collapse, she certainly appears in a few episodes before notably beating up Bobbie and helping hang the Freak, but having rewatched it recently she appears in the background as Judy talks about Tracey disappearing, however that could just be another Prisoner mistake, they made a few
this seems the most logical - however when she appears (in this era) she is not credited as Tracey..bizarre
In the episodes in which social workers are working in the prison, Dot Farrah walks out of hospital and one of the social workers asks the hospital receptionist where she is.
And the hospital receptionist looks a lot like one of the social workers at Wentworth. I wonder if it was the same actress playing a double part.
Comments
I liked Erica to, im still baffled by her exit, walked out of the rec room with Mr Douglas, then never seen again, until later, where shes working for the Dept. in a different role, and she never explains how she just disappeared as Governor.
Was it not explained that Ted Douglas had sacked her?
Cracking episode, and some great work by the cast in those last few episodes.
I just had something in my eye....that's what it was...honest.
If you re-watch episodes one through to four of 'Prisoner', Vera is very much the stereotyped sadistic evil officer, barking out orders and sniping at and provoking prisoners - especially Franky (and gloating sadistically during the riot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=CwovK5iR5-Q#t=208s) In some scenes she acts like how Joan was later shown.
After those first few episodes they emphasise Vera's softer side, exploring her family life and loneliness. She settles into being the embittered and strict Vera whose bark, generally, is worse than her bite.
She isn't really a villain as such after that but, but she does do a few 'unorthodox' things in the program's first year. She smuggles in a drug filled dollie for Barbara Davidson, having been tricked into believing Barbara will use it in a set up that will benefit Vera (Babs actually just sells the drugs!) Later, resentful that a prisoner will get to keep her baby, she tricked Rosie Hudson into behaving in a way that would mean she wouldn't be granted custody of her baby. However these spiteful things are outweighed by Vera's softer storylines - her sadness and lonliness and and special relationship with Lizzie.
Joan was very much added, in my opinion, to act as a villain in the show. This makes her different from Vera, as Vera didn't fulfil the role of 'villain' really. Joan was corrupt and evil and intimidating from day one. She gave Doreen a horrific search early on, and then gave Chrissie a violent beating. After some months Bea tried to kill her! The prisoners really hated the evil Joan - while usually they just rolled their eyes at Vera and called her 'Vinegar Tits' - obviously they were two very different people.
Later there were lengthy bits where they explored Joan's softer side like with Shane, and her father. But as they really wanted her to stay a villain, the writers always threw a big tragedy or loss at Joan (Terri leaves, house burns down in arson attack, bikies attack her pet pooch, hit and run of her golfing pal) so she'd thunder back with villainous vengeance.
Her departure was intentionally depicted on screen in an abrupt way, to emphasise Erica's abrupt sacking.
It was explained explicitly that Douglas sacked Erica (or did he 'Accept her resignation'?). In fact it was a major storyline soon after when they advertised the job internally, yet shocked everyone by suddenly announcing an outsider, Ann, had been appointed.
"ooh watch out Dracula and her baby bat are flapping in" - or something to that effect. Remember laughing heartily at this.
yep Ted says she resigned and has the letter on the desk when Meg walks in..but Meg can tell that it was more a "sacking"
Patsy King was basically written out as they wanted a different governor to deal with harder storylines..however Patsy has always said she chose to leave at that time..maybe it was a mix of the two
Why it was done off-screen..not sure but one of the writers just said not everything has to be shown..take from that what you will
Question regarding Joan's visit to Lionel Fellowes? Why did she say that she wanted the drugs to stop coming to Wentworth? Why did he agree to have Brenda transferred to Barnhurst to do her drugs racket there instead, when, according to Joan, there was already a drugs racket happening at Barnhurst? Is this the same Barnhurst where anti-drugs ex-Top Dog Bea Smith and super-screw, now governor Vinegar Tits are? And there's a major drugs racket there?
I'm confused dot com.
Some classic siege lines:
Nora:"please have we got something we can cover her with?"
Lurch: ""Nah fresh out of cement"
May: "What about the balls?"
Lurch: "it would be easier to hit them on the head?"
May: "I meant the billiard balls stupid."
Nora: "she's cold, give me your jumper Tammy."
Tammy: "Awh get stuffed."
Duncan Campbell was a great character. He was a gangster who broke Chrissie Latham out of prison and Latham double crossed him. And what did he do? Put a bullet through her brain? No, he threatened to call the bloody cops!
I would have thought he wouldn't have wanted to risk having anything to do with cops given the fact he had just broke someone out of prison.
And when Campbell’s henchmen were in a house searching for stolen money, the cops showed up and he drove away leaving his men behind. And when his men got in to a shoot out with the cops he had the nerve to call them on the phone and tell them to give themselves up!
(Telling them he’d pay them as long as his name was kept out of it)
Duncan Campbell was charming, charismatic, unpredictable and had an undertone of menace to him.
I’ll never understand why such unique characters as he and Randi were so short lived.
I'm the same actually. I'm Queen Erica all the way. She was Lady Penelope and Maggie Thatcher all rolled into one but Ann does seem like a more 3d character on the rewatch. Erica seemed very limited to just being governor and nothing else.
I'm up to episode 630 now. This era of the show is way more exciting than anything that happened after 450 but you can tell the show is dying. Joan really is going in circles now but the rest of the cast is so strong. I love the dynamic of Nancy, Lurch, Lexie, Rita, Julie and Jessie.
I'm still longing for the old days though. This is what I'm missing now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk4D0kks08M
Those were the classic days.
I dunno, talk about anti-climax. Admittedly the 'No, Lizzie, there are 2 bodies' was a great line but then it was all over in a flash. No suspense, just a quick reveal and then he's killed by Cass. They just don't seem to be milking these stories much, no sooner do they come up with a juicy storyline they extinguish it before anything really happens.
Gotta say though, I thought both Neil Murray and David Bridges were both hot to trot.
Randi Goodlove
A couple of moments that made me and my sister laugh when we watched it yesterday was at Megs house Dennis walks through with a couple of bits of toast on a plate and says "Here get stuck into that". Al quite happily saying to Ram "God I'd love to waste him" about Halstead and after Lexie has tried to break out of the kitchen and comes back to the Rec room she says "I tried to make a break for it, didn't make it but" and Myra says "That's obvious".
Yeah I do remember him now, he was a good villain. Wasn't the guy who played Caroline Simpsons husband one of his heavies. I agree some great characters who could have lasted much longer are written out while some others who aren't very good last for ages.
I had no idea it was Bridges until he had to cut Joan down from the shower block after her lynching. I thought, "hmmm he has a knife" - I was thrown though when Ann said that there had been sightings of Mary Adler. Had no idea who Tracey Dixon was or which backgrounder was supposed to be her.
I've said it before but this was my favourite time in Prisoner, for about 12 episodes they were perfection, that's probably because three of my favourite characters were in it at that time Randi Goodlove, Brenda Hewitt and David Bridges, all of them leaving at about the same time
I always thought Tracey Dixon was the actress who played Irene Nagle? early on and died in the tunnel collapse, she certainly appears in a few episodes before notably beating up Bobbie and helping hang the Freak, but having rewatched it recently she appears in the background as Judy talks about Tracey disappearing, however that could just be another Prisoner mistake, they made a few
Mary Adler and Tracey Dixon certainly had dirty finger nails in there last scene
Lolol
Oh yes I know who you mean now, I thought she had been Irene Nagle before.
And the hospital receptionist looks a lot like one of the social workers at Wentworth. I wonder if it was the same actress playing a double part.