Wentworth Detention Centre
| Prisoner | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Also known as | Prisoner: Cell Block H (UK & United States) Caged Women, Prisoner: Cell Block H (Canada) Kvinnofängelset (Women's Prison) (Sweden) Więźniarki (Prisoners) (Poland) Celblok H (Cellblock H) (Netherlands) Prisoners (working title) Women in Prison (working title) Women Behind Bars (working title) |
| Genre | Soap opera serial (crime, drama) |
| Created by | Reg Watson |
| Directed by |
Chris Adshead Steve Mann Sean Nash Kendal Flanagan. |
| Starring |
Elspeth Ballantyne (see List of Prisoner cast members) |
| Theme music composer |
Allan Caswell Conductor - William Motzing |
| Ending theme | "On the Inside" written by Allan Caswell conducted by William Motzing performed by Lynne Hamilton |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 692 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Ian Bradley (from season 2) |
| Producer(s) | Ian Bradley (season 1) |
| Camera setup | Video |
| Running time | 41–49 minutes 53 minutes (final episode) |
| Production company(s) | Reg Grundy Organisation |
| Distributor | FremantleMedia |
| Release | |
| Original network | Network Ten |
| Picture format | PAL (4:3 576i) |
| Original release | 27 February 1979 – 11 December 1986 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Wentworth (reimagined) |
Elspeth Ballantyne
Betty Bobbitt
Sheila Florance
Maggie Kirkpatrick
Val Lehman
Patsy King
Gerda Nicolson
Colette Mann
Judith McGrath
Joy Westmore
Fiona Spence
Prisoner is an Australian television crime/drama soap opera serial, set in a fictional women's prison/detention centre, named the "Wentworth Detention Centre". The series was shown in numerous countries, In the United States and the United Kingdom, due to a copyright injunction, it was titled as Prisoner: Cell Block H, with the same title and Caged Women in Canada. The series, produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation, aired on Network Ten for 692 episodes between 27 February 1979 and 11 December 1986. Originally, it was planned as a 16-part stand alone series. The show had a cult following in numerous countries, particularly in Sweden, and launched various spin-offs including a stage play, tie-in novels and other merchandise
The show was inspired by the British television drama Within These Walls, which was moderately successful in Australia. UK-based ATV, considered the title too similar to their serial The Prisoner, hence the overseas broadcasters change of title. In March 2012 it was announced that Prisoner would be "reimagined" on Foxtel in a new version, Wentworth.
Prisoner was created by Reg Watson, who had produced the British soap opera Crossroads from 1964 to 1973 and would create Australian soaps The Young Doctors, Sons and Daughters and Neighbours. Initially conceived as a 16-episode series, the working title of the pilot episode was "Women Behind Bars". Its storylines focused on the lives of the prisoners and, to a lesser extent, the officers and other prison staff. When the initial episodes met an enthusiastic reception, it was felt that Prisoner could be developed into an ongoing soap opera. The early storylines were developed and expanded, with assistance from the Corrective Services Department.
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