Prisoner was and probably still is the most famous cult Aussie show broadcast in the UK.
It manages to mix some very serious issues and high drama with more typical soap-fare and melodramatics. 692 episodes were produced over 7 years, and whilst the earliest part of the show is probably considered the most classic era, the entire run has its moments. There was (I feel) a dip in the quality from around 1983-1985 where a lot of the original cast had departed the replacements were kind of an inferior repeat of what had happened before. Once the show was on its last legs the 1986 season improved to the point of being almost as good as the early seasons with iconic characters and probably the best story arc of the entire run - that of the downfall of corrupt officer Joan "The Freak" Ferguson. She was pure evil, but provided some of the best entertainment. She was so iconic that she was the one who provided the final scene shot inside the prison before we left Wentworth Detention Centre forever (until it was reimagined in 2013 Foxtel series "Wentworth").
You get it all with Prisoner - murder, drugs, domestic violence, mercy killings, as well as a whole lot of pathos and even some genuinely hilarious comedy moments.
Favourite characters for me: Joan Ferguson Rita Connors Colleen "po face" Powell Bea Smith (of course - she WAS Prisoner in the early years) Mum Brooks Pixie Mason Joyce Pringle (her specs are almost as iconic as Coronation Street's Deirdre Barlow's!)
Finally, yes, the sets did wobble, and clearly the show was shot on a low budget, but remember it began in the late 1970s when Australia's TV and film market was still very small, and even in the UK and the US shows shot on video weren't totally perfect either. Forget the technical limitations and enjoy some brilliant performances and excellent storylines.
It manages to mix some very serious issues and high drama with more typical soap-fare and melodramatics. 692 episodes were produced over 7 years, and whilst the earliest part of the show is probably considered the most classic era, the entire run has its moments. There was (I feel) a dip in the quality from around 1983-1985 where a lot of the original cast had departed the replacements were kind of an inferior repeat of what had happened before. Once the show was on its last legs the 1986 season improved to the point of being almost as good as the early seasons with iconic characters and probably the best story arc of the entire run - that of the downfall of corrupt officer Joan "The Freak" Ferguson. She was pure evil, but provided some of the best entertainment. She was so iconic that she was the one who provided the final scene shot inside the prison before we left Wentworth Detention Centre forever (until it was reimagined in 2013 Foxtel series "Wentworth").
You get it all with Prisoner - murder, drugs, domestic violence, mercy killings, as well as a whole lot of pathos and even some genuinely hilarious comedy moments.
Favourite characters for me: Joan Ferguson Rita Connors Colleen "po face" Powell Bea Smith (of course - she WAS Prisoner in the early years) Mum Brooks Pixie Mason Joyce Pringle (her specs are almost as iconic as Coronation Street's Deirdre Barlow's!)
Finally, yes, the sets did wobble, and clearly the show was shot on a low budget, but remember it began in the late 1970s when Australia's TV and film market was still very small, and even in the UK and the US shows shot on video weren't totally perfect either. Forget the technical limitations and enjoy some brilliant performances and excellent storylines.