ACTORSCHARACTERSSTARTEPISODES

EPISODE 74

First broadcast ... 1979 (Melbourne)
ITV broadcasts: Yorkshire Mon 26 Jan 1987 23:00 ; Central Sun 11 Oct 1987 23:30 ; other regions
Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 21 June 1997 Sat 4:40 a.m.
DVD release: volume 5 disc 3 (AUS)
Duration: 00:46:33


Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne
Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance
Erica ~ Patsy King
Bea ~ Val Lehman
Jim ~ Gerard Maguire
Doreen ~ Colette Mann
Greg ~ Barry Quin
Vera ~ Fiona Spence
Karen ~ Peita Toppano
Pat ~ Monica Maughan
Roslyn ~ Sigrid Thornton
Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton
Alex ~ Geoff Collins
Kathleen ~ Penelope Stewart
UNCREDITED
Mrs Devlin ~ Rosie Sturgess
Gate Guard ~ Brad Lindsay
Officer ~ Betty Hargreave
Officer Barry ~ Joy Westmore
Det Sgt Allen ~ Keith Goodlet
Desk Sergeant ~ Telford Jackson
Sally ~ Nanette Wallace

  • Written by Ray Kolle
  • Directed by Philip East
  • When Vera hands out the mail, the prisoner called "White" seems to be Jentah Sobott , who later plays Mouse.

    Rosie's removal to a psychiatric hospital makes Bea determined to have a showdown with the officers. A reporter walks into a very unconvincing police station set and uses an equally creaky journalistic technique by asking the desk sergeant if he has any good stories for him. He then stays around long enough to overhear the desk sergeant phoning Wenwtorth to report Ros's recapture. Lizzie reminds Bea that they usually put on a Christmas play, which would be a good opportunity to get in a few jibes. Vera recommends to Erica that Bea is put in solitary (even though she admits Bea hasn't actually done anything), but Jim disagrees. Ros is brought back to Wentworth and Erica has to fend off the reporter looking for a human interest story. Jim finds out Lizzie is writing the play, and encourages it as a way of defusing tension (as if!). Ros is interviewed in Wentworth, but doesn't give away to the detectives where she was staying while she was on the run. Meg warns Greg that the police suspect that Karen helped Ros while she was on the run, and if so her parole could be in danger. The reporter, Alex Fraser, visits the halfway house but Karen refuses to talk to him. When she hears about it, Vera wants the Christmas play cancelled. After at first deying it, Karen admits to Greg that Roslyn stayed at the halfway house. Bea and Lizzie sneak off to solitary to speak to Ros. When she hears the old man she helped has died, Ros vows that it will be the last time she helps anyone. Doreen is interviewed by the detectives, and Karen manages to stop her saying anything stupid. Vera tells Erica that Lizzie has received two letters from Doreen, and uses the search for them as a pretext to gather up all the writing paper and pens and have them burnt . Greg's statement seems to convince the police that Ros had not visited the halfway house, but he is furious with Karen for putting him in a position where he was forced to lie. Lizzie finds her play has disappeared along with the writing paper: this convinces Ros to help her write it again. Pat's mother visits her and tells her that Andrew had run away from home, but is now safe at home again. Chrissie agrees to steal paper for Ros if she will include something particular in the play to upset Vera. Greg calls in to the house to set Karen's mind at rest over the letter Doreen wrote to Liz: Meg gad seen the reference and censored it. Vera confiscates a script from Ros and takes it to Erica, who gives permission for the women to put it on. However, Ros has tricked Vera into finding her with an innocuous version - the real thing is being read by Chrissie. Karen writes about Pat's situation for the reporter to make an article from it. Pat's mother visits her again to tell her that if she's not paroled by next week, she will have to put the kids in a home.

    ***


    Storyliners: Dave Worthington, Margaret McClusky
    Script Editor: Anne Lucas


    ITV regional broadcast dates:-
    YTV Mon 26 Jan 1987 23.00; TVS ... ; Channel ... ; TSW ... ; Central Sun 11 Oct 1987 23.30; Thames Thu 19 Jan 1989 23.35; STV Fri 24 Feb 1989 23.05; Anglia ... ; Granada Thu 29 Sep 1988 23.05; Tyne Tees Thu 21 Dec 1989 23.05; Border ... ; HTV ... ; Grampian ... ; Ulster ...


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