Wentworth Prison – Season 1 (DVD)

Starring: Danielle Cormack, Nicole da Silva, Leeanna Walsman, Kate Atkinson
Director: Various
Running Time: 520 mins
Certificate: 18
Release Date: November 4th 2013

There’s no doubt that Prisoner Cell Block H (originally just called Prisoner and known as Caged Women in Canada) is an Aussie camp classic series. With its wobbly sets, OTT plots, women calling each other ‘slaaaaags’, evil prison warders and villains with upturned collars, it gained fans around the globe who loved its women’s prison antics, but also appreciated that it was a show that really cared about its characters.

Oddly, despite running for six years from 1979-1986, it wasn’t shown in Britain until after it had been cancelled in Australia, but became such a cult hit that it even spawned a West End Musical, starring drag legend Lily Savage and original Prisoner star, Maggie Kirkpatrick. It may not help my street cred, but I did actually go and see that show, as I was a huge fan of the series in my teenage years.

Now comes Wentworth Prison, an 11-part series inspired by the original show, although brought up to date with added grit and fewer wobbly sets. In the first episodes it certainly tries to acknowledge the original series, with a character singing the theme song, a villain shown turning up their collar and it also retains the names of some of the show’s most famous characters. However in other ways it’s a very different beast, with a darker edge and less of a camp attitude to its drama.

This is both good and bad. It’s true that if they’d just tried to ape the original show it almost certainly wouldn’t have worked. Prisoner was a product of its time and as a modern series would seem hopelessly soapy and rather silly. However its cardboard sets and heightened reality allowed it to get away with all manner of over the top shenanigans, something that’s not afforded to Wentworth Prison. This becomes a problem as there are several instances where the plot gets rather unbelievable.

The show is set in Block H of Wentworth Detention Centre, and follows a group of female inmates. Bea Smith is a new prisoner, having been locked up for trying to kill her abusive husband. She finds herself shoved into the middle of a battle for dominance between Frankie Doyle and long-time top-dog, Jacs Holt. Before the first episode is out, this has led to a riot and the murder of the governor.

Alongside the battle for position amongst the inmates, there’s a new replacement governor in town, who puts a high valueon rehabilitation but often seems to be a little duplicitous. Meanwhile the prison warders (aka screws) are having to deal with new rules that stretch them to their limit. Each episode also introduces to the backstory of the inmates and how they got to Wentworth.

Quite early on you realise that the show wants to retain the original series’ OTT plots, such as the fact that shortly after his wife is murdered, one of the prison warders is put back in amongst the women, one of whom is presumably the killer. It’s tough to believe you’d either be expected or allowed to return to the same wing your wife’s killer in locked up in, but Wentworth treats it as if this is absolutely normal. This would have been fine in the original Prisoner, but with the grittier, tougher edge of Wentworth, it’s more difficult to swallow.

Luckily though it retains the interest in character, so while I wasn’t sure for the first couple of episodes whether this was just a complete misjudgement on the makers’ part – trading on the original’s name while making something a little too silly to have such a serious attitude – it managed to pull me in with the characters. They may not do things that completely make sense or which could believably happen in real life, but they do ensure you get involved with them as people.

It also evolves as it goes along, leaving behind the nods to the original – particularly as while the characters’ names remain the same, many are very different to how they were in the previous incarnation – instead following its own path and creating its own drama. It’s not an amazing show but it’s pretty entertaining, and it certainly pulled me in enough that I’d watch Season 2. Although if I’m being perfectly honest, what it really made me want to do is go back and watch some of the DVDs I have of the original Prisoner Cell Block H.

The are two versions of Wentworth – Season 1 being released. A three disc set with essentially no special features, and a slightly more expensive version with an extras disc featuring over two-hours of bonus features, including behind the scenes episode featurettes, cast & crew interviews and set tours. So if you’re interested in the making of the show, that’s the one to go for.

Overall Verdict: A decent stab at reinventing Prisoner Cell Block H for the 21st Century, which may not be as much fun as the original, but creates its own style by adding in more grit.

Reviewer: Tim Isaac