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Prisoner might have been made for television, but TV also features heavily in Prisoner's plot lines. Here are some examples of how.
Television could be one of the central characters of Prisoner. Not only physically (with the "I was watching that!" arguments, sabotage, removal as a punishment, and so on) but television as a medium had a hand in many plots, subplots and characters.
This came up as early as the first few episodes, when Helen Masters was introduced to the viewers and inmates by appearing on a television interview, and a couple of episodes later used the same medium to tell the world exactly what she thought of her fellow prisoners. Several other characters were introduced through television news first, often giving the women a chance to think about the sensitive issues around them, such as drugs or child killing. For example, with Tracey Morris, Maggie May Kennedy, Ruth Ballinger and Kath Maxwell. (In fact, you couldn't help but wonder, whenever a woman was seen on the screen, how long it would be before she was behind bars.) When Daphne Graham was interviewed about her PMS defence, she was watched by Nancy McCormack, which seemed a nice way to 'hand over' between a departing character and a new one.
Television was also used as a convenient plot device, to pass on news quickly and simply. There were many examples of this, ranging from news of escaped prisoners (Chrissie Latham, Judy Bryant, Sonia Stevens, Bobbie Mitchell) and results of prisoner sentences (Catherine Roberts, Edna Pearson), to deaths (Tracey Morris' boyfriend Joe, Terry Harrison, Harry Parker, and a "man at Wentworth" who Heather Rogers assumed was Dennis) and riots or sieges (Margo's haberdashery hostages, Bea hearing about Sandy and Marie's riot, the Blackmoor fire, Dennis and Meg hearing about the Ballinger siege, Frank Burke's vicious attack on Dennis).
Television studios played a part too, like when Susan Rice decided to throw acid in the face of pop star Jason Richards on live television, when Mervin Pringle got involved in a cookery competition (Ready Steady Cook it wasn't), and a current affairs programme exposed Ernest Craven's hellish regime by various means, including a cringeing interview with Meg.
TV Crews were no stranger to Wentworth either, with their surprising power to change people's minds. At Julie Egbert's wedding they forced the Minister to talk about the event as positive publicity, and at the dreary Dance Marathon they persuaded a reluctant sponsor to cough up his donation. When a TV crew came to film a documentary in the prison, the women were allowed luxuries in their cells as well as a teacher, social worker, doctor etc., though this was all predictably short lived. As soon as the cameras left, so did the goodies.
A few campaigns were assisted by television coverage. There was much publicity for Maggie May Kennedy's case, as well as a campaign to free Lizzie (much against her will, I seem to remember). And also, Judy Bryant decided to create a video to expose Gillespie and various other complaints, to be supplied to a TV station.
Watching television seemed to have been a far from idle activity for the inmates. It even inspired action. Watching the film "The Sting" gave Judy the idea of fixing the horse racing and forcing Kay White to pay out. Another film ("Five Branded Women") gave the women the idea of scalping Chrissie Latham after she had killed Bill Jackson. And seeing an interview with glamorous Leigh Templar gave Marlene (who else?) the inspiration to hold a "fashion" parade in Wentworth.
On the other hand, the media had its more sinister use when Harry Bassinger was keeping an eye on the news to hear about escapees, so that he could find and kill them.
There were many other instances where television was involved in the events in Wentworth. es, it was a quick, easy and inexpensive way for the plot to move on by getting someone to switch on the TV (which would always, of course, be just as the news was beginning). And yes, they did seem a bit liberal with its usage in Prisoner. But there were still a few little gems featuring an interesting use of a TV crew, and to be honest the amusement factor of a person appearing on TV and ending up in prison five minutes later, more than made up for it.
If only the real news were so entertaining..
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