EPISODE 31 Bea plans to escape First broadcast (estimate) 6th June 1979 (Melbourne); ITV broadcasts: Yorkshire Mon 5 Aug 1985 23:00 ; TVS/Channel Fri 11 Jul 1986 22:30 ; Central Sat 4 Jul 1987 23:45 ; other regions Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 02 May 1997 Fri 4:40 a.m. DVD release: volume 2 disc 4 (AUS) volume 1 disc 8 [UK] Duration: 00:47:36

Jean ~ Christine Amor Lynn ~ Kerry Armstrong Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Greg ~ Barry Quin Steve ~ Jim Smillie Vera ~ Fiona Spence Karen ~ Peita Toppano Monica ~ Lesley Baker Geoffrey ~ David Cameron Doctor ~ Doug Bennett Judith-Anne ~ Kim Deacon George Lucas ~ Bill Hunter Nurse ~ Jackie Keren Noeline ~ Jude Kuring Announcer V/O ~ Adam Joseph Clara ~ Betty Lucas Syd Butterfield ~ Alan Rowe Officer 1 ~ Ann Sutherland Officer 2 ~ Sue Silver Mum ~ Mary Ward Det Sgt Maloney ~ James Wright Policewoman ~ Carole Yelland Written by Denise Morgan Directed by Julian Pringle

Clara confesses she's been guily of a little "creative accounting" for charitable purposes and her firm have just called in external auditors after discrepancies were noticed the books. Vera visits Bea in hospital to tell her she's going back to Wentworth. Bea starts saving her tablets. Lizzie and Doreen think that Noeline is scary and Lizzie calls her a "desperate woman". Noeline warns Karen to stay out of her way, but Karen insists she's not about to take sides between her and Monica. Monnie enlists the help of Lizzie and Doreen to trap Noeline in a scalding shower . Jean has to tell Karen that the halfway house idea will have to wait as the finance has fallen through. Clara returns to tell Steve she has been arrested after all: she says that although a discrepancy of $75,000 has been discovered, she'd embezzled over a quarter of a million dollars in total. The women get buyup apart from Doreen, Lizzie and Monica. Karen agrees to buy something for Lizzie and Doreen which puts Monica's nose out of joint. Noeline helps herself to some of Lizzie's cigarettes. A detective from the Consorting Squad interviews Vera about Ann's letter, but she denies she knew George very well. Bea distracts the policewoman guarding her long enough to drug her tea, then waits until later that night to make her escape dressed in civilian clothes stolen from another ward. She seeks refuge with Mum, having got the address from the letter that was left with the flowers. Mum agrees to hide Bea for a few days, despite her own and Judith-Anne's objections. Doreen comes to the laundry in tears having found her teddy dismembered (by Noeline, it appears). Erica tells the women that Bea will not be returning that day as planned, as she's escaped. Clara can't organise bail for herself and so has to go to prison on remand. Jean phones Mum to find out why she hasn't kept an appointment with her, so Mum pretends she has been ill and didn't go in to work. Jean thinks something is wrong and tells Meg about it. Syd tells Jean he doesn't want Lynn to come to the nursery any more. George returns and tells Vera to turn him in or she will go to prison for helping him, so she phones the police. Clara meets the women and is an instant hit with Monica and Lizzie when they hear how much money she stole. Mum has a visitor, so Bea has to hide in the next room. The visitor is Meg. ***

Credits for "Storyliner" and "Script Editor" appear for the first time: it is interesting that this follows on the introduction of several new regular prisoner characters, like Noeline, Martha and Kath.

Storyliner: Dave Worthington
Script Editor: Anne Lucas

ITV regional broadcast dates:-
YTV Mon 05 Aug 1985 23.00; TVS ... ; Channel ... ; TSW Mon 10 Oct 1988 23.35; Central Sat 04 Jul 1987 23.45; Thames Thu 04 Feb 1988 22.35; STV Mon 20 Jun 1988 23.35; Anglia Tue 19 Apr 1988 23.35; Granada Sun 05 Jun 1988 23.30; Tyne Tees Thu 15 Dec 1988 22.35; Border Thu 17 Nov 1988 23.05; HTV ... ; Grampian ... ; Ulster ...

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