Wentworth

Television Subscription and International
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Wow!

Just finished watching the repeat showing on Binge and I was waiting until after before reading any comments here and I was expecting disappointment as there usually is with any final episode of a show due to things not getting tied up.

Wow. It’s about all I can say. So sad this series is over. So glad they got to do the last season/2 seasons and so glad to see that there was such an amazing series produced by Australia. Australian actors, Australian writers and international audiences.

Will be interesting to see what happens in the future now but I loved the montage/blooper reel at the end, a nice way to end the show on a laugh and happier note, same with the final scene. That whole episode was one where you were pretty sure you knew what was going to happen but even then it was full of surprises and stories within stories ending.

Well done to all the cast and crew who managed to get this done but even more amazingly during a COVID environment.

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Producers Fremantle have not yet shut the gates on the Wentworth world, already exploring sequel ideas. And who can blame them, with a diehard fanbase and a hit series with Netflix around the world?

Foxtel has first rights of refusal on any further stories from the Wentworth universe, so would it entertain the idea of a sequel or spin-off?

“I think it’s an obvious question,” Walsh admits.

“But I think we need to have a break. I don’t think necessarily, we’d recreate Wentworth Correctional Centre but I think that world is still tantalising and attractive.”

Such a project would likely be years away with new stories to take priority.

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I was a little disappointed with the final. Such a strong final season as it turns out the final episode was probably the worst. There’s always a lot to wrap up in a final but some of the scenes were more than a little cringe.

I’ve been watching week after week since it began so I suppose I had higher expectations for a quality ending. But instead parts of it felt more like a soap final than the standard of drama we’re used to seeing on Wentworth. Fine for a Home & Away season final but ironically, I wasn’t blown away by it.

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I could definitely see them using some of the characters in a spin off at another prison or something. But I think the Wentworth prison is beyond repair.

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I was sort of hoping one of the original or longer running characters would be killed off, for the sake of more drama. Perhaps they should’ve let Allie die in the building.

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The show is now on Binge.

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AUSTRALIA’S FAVOURITE PRISON DRAMA HAS ARRIVED ON BINGE

WENTWORTH

ALL SEASONS NOW STREAMING

The global television smash hit, Wentworth, joins the world’s best shows on BINGE , with all nine seasons of the multi-award winning series now available to stream.

After premiering in 2013, the show that is set behind the bars of Wentworth Correctional Centre, has become one of the most renowned original Australian dramas of all time and has been screened in 173 territories around the world, igniting millions of die-hard fans.

The much-loved series that aired its 100th and final episode last night, shows the brutal pressure cooker environment inside a women’s prison, where the inmates are forced to forge unlikely friendships and allegiances if they want to survive their time behind bars.

A star-studded ensemble of Australian and New Zealand actors feature in the series including Danielle Cormack (Bea Smith) , Nicole da Silva (Franky Doyle) , Kate Atkinson (Vera Bennett), Celia Ireland (Liz Birdsworth), Katrina Milosevic (Sue ‘Boomer’ Jenkins), Pamela Rabe (Joan ‘The Freak’ Ferguson), Robbie Magasiva (Will Jackson), Shareena Clanton (Doreen Anderson), Leah Purcell (Rita Connors), Susie Porter (Marie Winter), Kate Jenkinson (Allie Novak), Tammy MacIntosh (Kaz Proctor), Bernard Curry (Jake Stewart), Rarriwuy Hick (Ruby Mitchell) , Kate Box (Lou Kelly), Jane Hall (Ann Reynolds), Zoe Terakes (Reb Keane), Vivienne Awosoga (Judy Bryant) and Marta Dusseldorp (Sheila Bausch).

Now BINGE customers can delve into all the drama right from the beginning when Bea Smith (Cormack) first entered the compound to every epic fight, power struggle, escape attempt, siege and riot that made the show a household name.

BINGE Executive Director, Alison Hurbert-Burns said: “Wentworth brings together Australia’s most talented cast and creative teams to create a once-in-a-lifetime series that will be etched into television history.

“Last night’s finale was packed with the surprise twists and turns that the series is renowned for. With every season dropping on BINGE today, more Australians will get to enjoy the heart-wrenching storylines and epic power struggles that have captivated audiences. Wentworth has been watched by millions of people across the world, and we’re thrilled to have it join BINGE’s lineup today.”

Wentworth is a Fremantle production for Foxtel with Executive Producer, Jo Porter and Foxtel’s Senior Drama Consultant, Penny Win also executive producer. Series Producers are Amanda Crittenden season 1-3 and Pino Amenta season 4-8. The directors are Kevin Carlin, Beck Cole, Fiona Banks, Corrie Chen, Roger Hodgman and Mat King. The writers are John Ridley, Kim Wilson, Pete McTighe, Max Conroy and Marcia Gardner, who is both script producer and writer.

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I know what I will be rewatching next.

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Is there anyone here the watched the original Prisoner? My mum did but she didn’t watch all seasons.

I would like to know a few things:

Did Bea die in prisoner? Was it at the hands of Ferguson?
Did Ferguson end up in prison in prisoner?
Was Boomer an original Wentworth character or based of a Prisoner character?

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• Did Bea die in prisoner? Was it at the hands of Ferguson? - Bea left the show when she was transferred to Barnhurst but later on in the series it was mentioned that she had died in a prison fire at Barnhust.

• Did Ferguson end up in prison in prisoner? - Yes, in the very last episode.

• Was Boomer an original Wentworth character or based of a Prisoner character? - Boomer was an original Wentworth character if I recall correctly.

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Why was Bea transferred?

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The Freak set her up. Ferguson wanted to be able to profit from the prison drug trade but Bea was dead against drugs because her daughter had OD’d. Bea was goaded into attacking Ferguson and Ferguson made her injuries look worse by scratching herself, using the incident as an excuse to get her transferred.

There wasn’t a character in Prisoner called “Boomer”. I think Wentworth’s Boomer was based on the slow witted, awkward Alice “Lurch” Jenkins character in Prisoner. Perhaps they changed her name to Sue “Boomer” Jenkins in Wentworth because Alice is an old fashioned name and Katrina Milosevitch doesn’t have the same physical characteristics as the Lurch character played by Lois Colinder.

The final episode had all the tension of some of the great cliffhanger Prisoner episodes but with much better production values. I was satisfied with how the story ended but feel they could’ve tied up the Rita storyline a lot better.

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Thanks I really appreciate everyone’s insights on Prisoner. There isn’t a lot of information on the internet and although its on youtube its not the easiest thing to watch in 2021.

I did hear Rita Connors was a popular top dog. Was there much cross over in the characters or was it just the name?

Also someone mentioned Judy Bryant in Prisoner. Was this a different character arc as well?

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I think this website is really helpful. It’s quite detailed too.

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Yeah I tried reading that. But its not the easiest page to navigate and doesn’t really give me the information I wanted. I thought it would be easier to discuss it here.

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Really? I found heaps helpful. I just read all about Judy Bryant because you brought her up. It gives the whole story arc of every single character.

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Yeah I went on it and tried clicking on inmates and it only brings up a picture.

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Judy Bryant

Couldn’t be more detailed if you tried.

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Popular yes and nothing like the new Rita. The old Rita was a bikie but almost a good one who wasn’t violent, just angry.
Judy was a lesbian from America in Prisoner - intentionally put herself in prison to be with her girlfriend Sharon Gilmour (fun fact she played inmate in 1980 and junior prison officer Terri Malone in 1985) and then ended up killing a bent warden Jock Stewart when he fell down stairs trying to attack Judy when she had been released. Jock had killed Sharon back in prison and so Judy was looking for revenge.
This wiki has a information about original characters from Prisoner and Wentworth.
Another top dog I was hoping would make it into Wentworth was Myra Desmond (Anne Phelan…another actress that played a warden and prisoner.
Prisoner main characters

So many good memories

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So who was people’s favourite top dog in Wentworth and why?

Jacs for me really set up the top dog position.

Boomers short stint as top dog was probably the worst. She was never top dog material.