Square Eyes

I've just started rewatching old DVDs of this classic series. And what a fantastic programme it was. Perfect late-night drama, really - highly engaging yet not too demanding on the old grey matter! And all centred around life in the violent arena of a women's prison! Who were your favourite characters? Which were your favourite storylines? Where did it all go right? Discuss, you lagging baaaastards!

yep...loved it!!!..... proved that you dont have to use sex appeal to sell a tv show.... i have a few vids of old shows ....cheers hughsey lad
...one thing thats always bothered me tho is.... if lizzy birdsworth has been in jail for so long...how come her mug shot at the beginning isnt of a younger woman

thood for fought


storylines??? id have to watch more shows..or remember old ones that i aint seen for a bit....but i can play the theme tune on my guitar....

characters...i thought doreen was fantastic...her girly ways and cute teddy really did it for me.... hope shes out now


the wentworth redemption would be a great idea

avid fan wrote:proved that you dont have to use sex appeal to sell a tv show

Whatever do you mean? Lizzie Birdsworth is about your speed isn't she? You're always going on about her...

rabid fan wrote:if lizzy birdsworth has been in jail for so long...how come her mug shot at the beginning isnt of a younger woman

See?
Aww, I'd never thought of that. Are you saying it isn't real? Mind you, I think they update the mugshots periodically if someone's appearance changes, just so they're recognisable, like. Wake up Austraaaaaaaalia!

Lizzie Birdsworth's boyfriend wrote:i can play the theme tune on my guitar

The world (ie. me) needs to hear this!


I'm a big fan of the law-breaking sheilas in dungarees, too. What a fantastic series! Particularly at the beginning. Bea, Doreen and Lizzie were a great trio and Frankie Doyle is brilliant! I've got a soft spot for old Vinegar Tits as well. I'd like to beat Lyn Warner about the head with the Freak, but!

Well done for starting this topic, Hughesy. Your blood's worth bottling!

Sutti's big hair wrote:

Lizzie Birdsworth's boyfriend wrote:i can play the theme tune on my guitar

The world (ie. me) needs to hear this!

I want to hear it too! Who knows, if we ever start up a PCBH fansite, we could always upload an mp3 of Mr Avid's On The Inside strummings for all the world to hear! We could even release it as a double A-side together with his classic interpretation of the Jossy's Giants theme

Avid, let me know exactly which episodes you've got on video (I can't remember exactly how far we got with them now), and then I'll copy the next lot of episodes and get them sent to you.

Meg's gone all stroppy and shouty in the (very early) eps I'm watching at the moment - which I suppose is understandable given that her hubby's just been bumped off by a scissor-wielding Chrissie Latham!

Meg was the subject of one of my favourite lines of dialogue ever. A doctor gave her a check up to make sure she was alright after one of the many misfortunes she suffered and proclaimed:

"You're as healthy as a horse. And twice as pretty!"

Oh you old smoothy!

Sutti's big hair wrote:Meg was the subject of one of my favourite lines of dialogue ever. A doctor gave her a check up to make sure she was alright after one of the many misfortunes she suffered and proclaimed:

"You're as healthy as a horse. And twice as pretty!"

Oh you old smoothy!

And to think, some neigh-sayers would have you believe that line's none too whinny-some!

One of the great things about watching these early episodes again is spotting people who became regulars later on in early, supporting roles. For instance, Belinda Davey, who later played inmate Hazel Kent, is Doctor Greg's nurse in these early episodes; and Kirsty Child AKA Willie Beecham plays a bent screw, early doors!

Hughesy wrote:One of the great things about watching these early episodes again is spotting people who became regulars later on in early, supporting roles. For instance, Belinda Davey, who later played inmate Hazel Kent, is Doctor Greg's nurse in these early episodes; and Kirsty Child AKA Willie Beecham plays a bent screw, early doors!

I think Kirsty Child played at least one other character as well.
Ahhh, I liked poor unlucky Hazel. I love the fact that you see the same kind of characters coming up again and again throughout PCBH. Hazel's early prototype was Kathleen, another one of my favourite minor characters.

Coo! This clip features Doreen, Lizzie, Kathleen, Meg, Vera and two other great characters, Monnie Ferguson and Noeline Burke - hoorah!

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I loved it!

My favourites were Doreen, Lizzy (In Wentworth for ever and didn't do it) Bea Smith, Vinnigar, Powell, the one in the Boy George get up (can't remember her name was it Lexy?) Oh there were loads of them.

I was always intreagued by the use of 'De Facto' for partner.

Avid Fan wrote:if lizzy birdsworth has been in jail for so long...how come her mug shot at the beginning isnt of a younger woman

The mug shots are updated regularly especially on moving from one prison to another and for change in appearance. Sorry! Mystery solved.

I still have the last ever episode on Video somewhere.

David Mitchell's Mom wrote:the one in the Boy George get up (can't remember her name was it Lexy?)

It was Lexie Patterson. That era with her and Chookie and Rita and Alice was great!

I haven't mentioned my favourite character overall yet Sandy Edwards! Sandy was so damn cool!

Did anyone have characters they hated?

Sutti's big hair wrote:Did anyone have characters they hated?

A leading question if ever I heard one! I really wasn't a fan of that boring one from around the episode 550-600 mark whose name escapes me right now!.....Nora Flynn! That's it. Oh, and her contemporary Auntie Marge, or whatever her name was! Very boring characters they were. But it says a lot for PCBH that the show even managed to recover its lustre despite the lengthy coma induced amongst viewers (or this one at least) by the presence of the aforementioned boring inmate intake! The very last top dog, Rita Connors, was a real force to be reckoned with, and a great character to boot.

I hated Nola. Was her face as ugly as her soul. Who was the young girl she murdered to avoid deportation to NSW to face the death penalty?

Another I liked was Judy. I have the sound of her being raped by that vile prison guard on a home video. I was filming my Rabbit, Eddie.

Hughesy wrote:I really wasn't a fan of that boring one from around the episode 550-600 mark whose name escapes me right now!.....Nora Flynn! That's it. Oh, and her contemporary Auntie Marge, or whatever her name was!

It was May. Auntie May! And I quite liked her character actually. Nora was terribly dull though. She was so boring that she didn't even get written out properly!
I really dislike Lyn Warner. What a wet blanket! She was funny when she went tough for a few episodes, though. Yup, Wonky Warner was the better side of her personality!

David Mitchell's Mom wrote:I hated Nola. Was her face as ugly as her soul. Who was the young girl she murdered to avoid deportation to NSW to face the death penalty?

Was that Paddy she killed? That was tough luck, just being the next one through the door!
Nola was one scary lady (the actress played scary Doris in Sons & Daughters too!) and Bev Baker scared the pants off me too!

Jenny Hartley the whining posho who didn't kill her grandmama was really annoying! There's a Prisoner Cell Block H computer game knocking around somewhere based around the great siege episodes. I kept 'accidentally' killing Jenny instead of the bad guys!

Also Phil Cleary the American social worker guy who took a shine to Meg was irritating as hell!

Did anyone else see the stage version with Lilly Savage? It was a hoot! The Freak was in it too. It's a shame Bea Smith didn't appear. Would've been interesting to see Bea and Lilly battling for 'Top Dog'

Did you see it Mrs M?! Tell us all about it!

Sutti's big hair wrote:Did you see it Mrs M?! Tell us all about it!

I certainly did! It was over 10 years ago now so unfortunately I don't remember all the deatails but, I remember I laughed all the way through.

Maggie Kirkpatrick (the Freak) sang (quite well if I remember) and was unable to contain her laughter during one part when the scenery fell on Lilly a bit heavier than was intended. The scenery moving was a running joke thoughout the musical, e.g. stepping though doors without opening them and two inmates having a fight taking it in turns to hold back the backdrop.

Another brilliant part Lilly was sent to Solitary and, when she was let out (supposedly 6 months later), her dark roots were a foot long and her uniform in rags (probably doesn't sound too funny but visually it was hilarious).

The Governor was played by Linda Nolan and sang I'm in the mood for dancing. If I recall correctly, it was the finale and the whole cast joined in.

It was indeed a real hoot. Lilly was in Wentwoth for some midemeanor on the beach by the way