Square Eyes

That sounds brilliant! I would have loved to see that

I've heard that Maggie Kirkpatrick is a real trouper and a lovely woman, whereas some other Prisoner stars (mentioning no red-headed top dogs) are diva-ish and a bit of a nightmare!

Sutti's big hair wrote:That sounds brilliant! I would have loved to see that

I've heard that Maggie Kirkpatrick is a real trouper and a lovely woman, whereas some other Prisoner stars (mentioning no red-headed top dogs) are diva-ish and a bit of a nightmare!

Maggie was great a real laugh and she was really enjoying herself and didn't take the role in the musical too seriously.

That certain red head is more like Bea Smith than Bea Smith, only without the caring edge. I met her once. All I can say is I wouldn't bother to go out of my way to say hello again.

David Mitchell's Mom wrote:That certain red head is more like Bea Smith than Bea Smith, only without the caring edge. I met her once. All I can say is I wouldn't bother to go out of my way to say hello again.

Luckily Prisoner provided us with some great insults to apply to unpleasant cast members!

Talking of insults, it's bizarre at the very beginning how everyone calls Franky Doyle a fat cow when the actress playing her is quite clearly on the slender side. Do you think they were expecting someone different to be cast and forgot to change the scripts?

Sutti's big hair wrote:Luckily Prisoner provided us with some great insults to apply to unpleasant cast members!

Talking of insults, it's bizarre at the very beginning how everyone calls Franky Doyle a fat cow when the actress playing her is quite clearly on the slender side. Do you think they were expecting someone different to be cast and forgot to change the scripts?

In a word, yes! I do love the way everybody calls everybody else a fat cow in Prisoner, though, regardless of how deserving or undeserving of such a moniker the recipient happens to be! (Now that Franky's gone, Monnie Ferguson and Doreen Anderson are jostling for the title of "fattest cow in Wentworth", in the episodes I'm currently watching )

Hughesy wrote:

Sutti's big hair wrote:Luckily Prisoner provided us with some great insults to apply to unpleasant cast members!

Talking of insults, it's bizarre at the very beginning how everyone calls Franky Doyle a fat cow when the actress playing her is quite clearly on the slender side. Do you think they were expecting someone different to be cast and forgot to change the scripts?

In a word, yes! I do love the way everybody calls everybody else a fat cow in Prisoner, though, regardless of how deserving or undeserving of such a moniker the recipient happens to be! (Now that Franky's gone, Monnie Ferguson and Doreen Anderson are jostling for the title of "fattest cow in Wentworth", in the episodes I'm currently watching )

It does seem that the scriptwriters were not aware of how the cast looked. I suspect 'Fat Cow' was the worst insult they were allowed to use back then. Nowadays, Bea Smith would have called Frankie Doyle a '@&££ @&("%=$' or a '%*&^' wouldn't she?

David Mitchell's Mom wrote:I suspect 'Fat Cow' was the worst insult they were allowed to use back then. Nowadays, Bea Smith would have called Frankie Doyle a '@&££ @&("%=$' or a '%*&^' wouldn't she?

They were allowed to use things like 'stinking bitch', if I remember correctly. I suppose if it were made nowadays, the language would be much stronger, but I doubt it could get much scarier that Bea's eyes narrowing and "You BITCH!!" exploding out of her gob before she launches herself clumsily at someone

There's a brilliantly scary bit towards the end of the series where one of the prisoners is expecting a beating from a screw and you see her waiting, terrified, in her cell and footsteps slowly approach. The other lags tap out a warning with mugs and on pipes and things and as the door opens, uproar breaks out. It's one of my favourite bits of the whole series!

Another great moment for me is when Erica Davidson gets hold of a megaphone during a siege!

*incredibly posh clipped voice* "You women in there..."

Just the thought of it gets me giggling for ages!

Apparently the 30th anniversary of Prisoner going to air is coming up and various cast members are attending a charity celebration barbie at the studios where it was filmed. A certain terrifying red-head will be there (and I'm not talking about Rula Lenska).

I must watch some PCBH soon. It's been so long since I last saw an episode! The first appearance of Franky Doyle is magic!

The last of Franky Doyle is rather upsetting though. Hard, tough and thick on the outside, but warm, caring and rather sad on the inside. It was a touching scene with her and Doreen in episode 13 (I think).

A brilliant show and eventually I will do a marathon of every episode (although I might take some time watching all 692 eps).

My favourites change as I watch the series, but Pixie Mason, Lexie Patterson and Chookie are mainly my favourites.

The best storyline was the seige with Ruth Ballanger when Myra gets shot dead. It spans 4 episodes and makes a great night in (although I wished Nora had been killed on screen and not dumped in a bag about 50 eps later).

The Head wrote:The last of Franky Doyle is rather upsetting though. Hard, tough and thick on the outside, but warm, caring and rather sad on the inside. It was a touching scene with her and Doreen in episode 13 (I think).

A brilliant show and eventually I will do a marathon of every episode (although I might take some time watching all 692 eps).

My favourites change as I watch the series, but Pixie Mason, Lexie Patterson and Chookie are mainly my favourites.

The best storyline was the seige with Ruth Ballanger when Myra gets shot dead. It spans 4 episodes and makes a great night in (although I wished Nora had been killed on screen and not dumped in a bag about 50 eps later).

Amen to all of that, Mr Head! Nora was deadly, and not in a good way!

I forget how long watching every episode took me, but it was probably around a year. I plan to start from the beginning again in the near future. Hooray!

I don't think I've moved on from them killing Franky yet. I may need counselling.

Seeing as we're talking of PCBH I've put in The Freak as my avatar.

The Head wrote:Seeing as we're talking of PCBH I've put in The Freak as my avatar.

I know - it's terrifying! I keep thinking I'm going to be thrown into solitary every time I look at it

Here is a character to test all Cell Block H fans.

Lorna Young.

Answers on a postcard.

Jones wrote:I don't think I've moved on from them killing Franky yet. I may need counselling.

BAAAAAAAAAASTARDS!


Lorna Young, eh Heady? Is she one of the background extras? I seem to remember a Lorna being mentioned, but I don't recall her having a surname

She is indeed one of the extras, who was in it from start to finish. She even got the odd line here and there, especially when drugs were involved, but she was inside for murdering her husband I think.