Prisoner — Season 3
The third season of Australian drama television series Prisoner (commonly known as Prisoner: Cell Block H) premiered on Network Ten on 4 February 1981. It consists of 81 episodes and concluded on 11 November 1981. The season is notable for the conclusion to the tunnel escape storyline which ended the previous season; the departure of Vera Bennett ("Vinegar Tits") when she accepts the position of governor of Barnhurst; the kidnapping of Erica Davidson; the arrival of new prisoners Sandy Edwards, Kate Peterson and former inmate and top dog of H Block – Marie Winter; Bea Smith's amnesia, and later, her mysterious illness which sees her step down as top dog, only to be replaced by Sandy Edwards.
Judy and Mouse dig in the rubble with their bare hands, but they only turn up Irene's dead body . They shout for help and hear Bea's voice on the other side of the cave-in: Bea tells them that Doreen and Lizzie are still alive. Meanwhile, A…
Jim overhears Mouse and Margo discussing the escape and what might have happened to Doreen and Bea, and Irene's death in the cave-in. Anne is also listening as they pass her cell and she assumes that it's Bea who is dead. Mouse agrees to sh…
Wally tells Judy he saw her photo in the newspaper, but tells her he has no intention of telling the police where she is, inviting her to stay as long as he likes. He is surprised when she turns down the offer of "a smoke", so Judy offers t…
Vera gives Lizzie mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while the women wait for the ambulance to arrive. Meanwhile, Hazel removes the bucket of booze from the store room behind Vera's back. Ted Douglas tells Erica a teacher will be appointed to a n…
Wally tells Judy he's concerned that Micki is getting too involved in Judy's campaign to improve conditions, and Judy agrees to talk to Micki. Erica tells Meg that Lizzie won't be able to get a visa to enter the United States with a crimina…
Graeme Hopkins arrives at Wentworth threatening to expose the contents of Judy's tape if Erica won't agree to grant him an interview. Helen Smart comes home to find Judy waiting for her: after a bit of persuasion (and a wad of banknotes to …
Jock tells Judy she's now going to work for him: he wants $300 every time he visits - if not, he'll bash her and turn both Judy and Helen over to the police. Doreen is noticeably more enthusiastic about the classes than the other women. Aft…
Doreen tries to take the blame as Jim returns her to her cell, but he obviously doesn't believe her. Bea and Lizzie are both in favour of letting David take the blame. Next morning, Jim reports what he saw to Erica, and says he doesn't thin…
Bea orders the women to send Sandra to Coventry so she can't get any more information. Judy overhears Sandra ask Jim to be allowed to make a phone call and using considerable knowledge of regulations to get her own way. Doreen borrows Bea's…
Bea tells the women they can use Sandra to feed her information which supports their cause. Meg gives Lizzie the news that Sid has had a stroke, and promises to ask permission for her to visit him in hospital. Sandra says she's willing to p…
Bea dashes off to make Evelyn reveal what was in the the mixture she gave Doreen. When Evelyn finds out that Doreen heated up the mixture, making it toxic, she says she can take no responsibility if people ignore her instructions - just as …
A doctor arrives to carry out tests for tropical diseases: Evelyn scoffs at him from her bed in the infirmary. Dr Granger warns Erica that if Sally was the contact there could be an epidemic. No-one can explain how Lizzie became infected un…
Sandra is persuaded to come back inside. Evelyn seems worried that her medicine isn't working on Meg. Sandra is told she could be charged with attempting to escape: Erica tells her she will he sent to solitary (with an aside to Jim that the…
Dr Granger says he wants to carry out further tests on the women to confirm his suspicions. Jim reports Georgie's attack on Judy, but Erica tells him to put Georgie in solitary for now and bring Evelyn to her office immediately. Erica tries…
Sandra protests to Meg when her breakfast is brought to solitary that she didn't cause the fire. In the dining room, the other women are speculating about where Evelyn is, and what is likely to happen to Sandra. Margo phones Wayne but finds…
Vera wants to censor a letter from Ken Pearce to Bea when she sees it contains praise for Bea for setting his daughter straight, but Meg persuades Vera to let Bea have the letter uncut. Meg also passes on to Bea the message from Margo, so B…
Hazel comes to Judy's cell to see if she's all right, and has to listen to a tirade against Georgie for her trouble. Bea cuts Georgie short for crowing over Judy's humiliation, but when Hazel stops by Bea's cell in an attempt to act as peac…
Meg is also injured and the women are locked in the dining room: Judy asks for the gate to be opened so that Bea can get medical attention. Erica wants Bea taken to hospital for X-rays. The women are locked in their cells, and Judy says she…
Det. Insp. Thorne arrives to control the handling of the siege, and snipers and gunmen take up position all around the building. Margo tells Wayne she's worried that Bazza will snap and open fire at the slightest provocation. Bea is returne…
Georgie interrupts the TV news about the siege to tell the women her own news about David's decision on her parole. Bea won't accept Judy's defeatist attitude that there's nothing they can do about it. Margo is brought back to Wentworth. Ve…
Erica tells Sally she's fallen for the oldest trick in the book and warns her that her work must improve. Vera sympathises with Sally, but only as a means of impressing on her once again the need to imitate her own methods. David tells Eric…
Vera thinks that Lizzie hasn't escaped at all and that the women are hiding her to play a joke on the officers. Jim says the same thing to Erica, and Erica throws a fit of pique and has the women confined to their cells until Lizzie turns u…
Bob tries to apologise to Meg, but he still wants her to change her job. Lizzie is interviewed by the police about her escape and is warned she may face some serious charges. Meg tells Erica she wants to look for another job, but one where …
Chrissie returns to the laundry sobbing and Bea makes veiled remarks to Vera to indicate that she holds her responsible. Doreen predicts Meg will be back soon as an officer, just like the last time she resigned. Meg finds Chrissie in her ce…
No-one will talk to Bea in the rec room, though Hazel and Chrissie pointedly talk about her as if she wasn't there, provoking Bea to speak up in her own defence, but this only leads to a shouting match. When Vera breaks it up, Chrissie dema…
Bea refuses to talk to Ken on try to persuade him to give up his work for the PRG, but Debbie says she won't allow Bea to stand in the way of her parents getting back together. Lizzie interrupts Bea in the middle of an extended flashback to…
Chrissie lays into Mick as soon as she's through the front door of the new flat , accusing him of only being nice to her as a way of getting her to have sex with him. She changes her tune immediately she hears that he's arranged a visit to …
Bea and the others are keen to know how Doreen's day out went. She tells them Peter wasn't what she expected, and that Erica had taken away her phone privileges, but not the rest of it. Judy suggests Doreen carries on writing to Peter, just…
Judy urges the women to stick together and support the strike: only Doreen mutters grumpily that she can't why they should put themselves out when it seems to be largely for one person's benefit. Jim finds out about the strike when he finds…
Chrissie phones Meg at work to tell her about Mick's arrest and that she is in danger herself of being charged with harbouring a fugitive. Colleen tells the women that none of the officers are opposed to projects for the women in principle …
The corridors are silent when Jim and Colleen check up later, though the din resumes after their dialogue. The women are taken for their showers a few at a time next morning and are then locked back in their cells. Chrissie tells Meg that t…
Chrissie tries to convince Meg that the half-naked man fleeing her flat is an old friend, but Meg suspects she is back on the game and threatens to report it if Chrissie doesn't agree to visit Derek . Vera thinks the barricaded women should…
At breakfast Judy, Hazel and Phyllis all "vie" for top dog, but it is only a ploy to make the staff feel that there will be too much unrest if Bea is not returned. Margo, who is going in for sentencing that day, doesn't want to be a part of…
The driver of the police van is dead and the officer unconscious. A very disoriented Bea stumbles out of the van and walks away. Lizzie brings Judy breakfast in solitary and tells her Margo has taken over. A friendly driver discovers Bea by…
Meg goes to phone the police but Mum tells her Bea needs medical attention. Meg agrees to go see Bea before alerting the authorities. In Erica's office, Judy and Doreen explain that they planted buy-up goods on Margo but that someone must h…
Terry finds Bea weeping hysterically in the corridor. She begs to see Meg. Bea tells Meg that she almost killed Margo, but doesn't understand where the violent urge came from. In the laundry, Lizzie and Doreen are now convinced Bea's faking…
Bea finds Mum unconscious and stays with her while Jim runs for help. Margo comes in tossing Mum's pills in her hand. Bea asks for them back but Margo refuses. When Jim and Erica come running back Bea tells them that Margo has the pills. A …
At meal time, Margo acts terrified of Bea. Both Mum and Vera notice. Bea later tells Margo not to act frightened of her. Margo then bashes Doreen in front of Bea and the other women. She asks Bea what she intends to do about it. Bea asks wh…
Bea tells her counsel that she wishes to change her plea to guilty. On the stand, Bea testifies that she only had amnesia for a few hours immediately following the accident but that she knew who she was when she went to Mum and forced Mum t…
Lizzie's book is officially "opened". Mr. Muirhead visits Meg at home and tells her that Nick absolutely must move out. Lizzie does very well with her first race. Terry moves in. Vera finds the betting ticket in his jacket pocket. Bob refus…
Bea bails Lizzie out of trouble by having her give the women back their original bets and IOUs for the rest. Terry brings in a bottle of scotch for Margo. Her information - that Lizzie is running the book - doesn't impress Terry much, but M…
Jim runs for help. Margo comes to in the infirmary, but has no idea who hit her. Bob tells Meg that he has no interest in Arna and invites Meg to have lunch with them that afternoon before he takes Arna to the airport. Vera questions Margo …
Judy asks Bea what she intends to do with the cassette, but Bea is not yet sure. Meg gets to Nick as he is being escorted to prison. She says how sorry she is for the misunderstanding. A very bitter Nick tells her he could care less. Erica …
Jim finds Vera sobbing in the rec room. She asks to be excused for the afternoon and Jim agrees. The family doctor phones Erica and informs her that her mother has collapsed and is in hospital awaiting an operation. She has had a cerebral t…
Judy is stunned at meeting Lori and asks how she found her. Lori explains that her adoptive parents, the Youngs,were afraid that Judy was going to try and contact her during her escape so they told Lori everything. Judy asks her to return t…
The Keep-Fit class ends with Jim about as winded as the women. Meg visits with Erica, who thanks her for the dinner. Erica then tell Meg that she must go to the country to sort through her mother's things. "Going through Mother's dresses", …
Bea and Judy search for Doreen. Bea tells Lizzie to keep an eye on Lori. Lori claims she isn't at all frightened and that Doreen is too stupid to know what to do with a knife. Lizzie sits her down and tells her to shut up. Doreen saunters i…
While running in the park, Jim comes across Amelia and speaks with her. He shows her a photograph of Michelle and she recognizes her. Amelia says she hasn't seen Michelle in a couple of weeks and, when Jim asks her about the night in questi…
Terry is not happy to see Kathy. He advises her to keep quiet about their marriage as it might put her in danger from other prisoners. Since she has already received a threat, Kathy agrees. Bea is upset with Lizzie and Doreen about ruining …
Bea and Judy give Kathy's cell a thorough check for any more booby-traps. Inspector Grace arrives to see Kathy. Vera is most unpleasant to him and explains to Terry that she's had dealings with him in the past. Dinah eavesdrops on this conv…
Doreen leads the verbal attack on Alison until Judy intervenes allowing Alison to run out of the rec room, bumping into Bea on her way out and somehow managing to scratch Bea's face. Doreen is amazed when Bea tells her they ought to just fo…
Bea hears Alison howling and rushes to the rescue, using a chair to break the circuit. Jim gives Alison mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Vera is delighted by Terry's proposal, and accepts. Alison is transferred to sickbay, with burns to her ha…
The gunman, Harry, is looking for Terry, and forces Vera to ring him at work, but Vera tricks Harry by telling Terry that she's gone down with the same virus as her mother. Terry knows that Vera's mother is dead, and realises that something…
Jim warns Alison not to be so stand-offish with the other prisoners. Wendy is pleased with Alison's quickness in picking up the job in reception. Kathy's parole comes through. Erica is offered a house to rent as a possible halfway house. Ka…
Don is furious with the security after the assault on Alison, and takes it out on Jim. A repair man comes to fix the washing machine. Judy is a little put out that Alison has read her file, but Bea thinks it is good that Alison has access t…
The gate guard sees what has happened, and finds Kathy dead in the road. He calls for an ambulance, while Wendy in reception rings the police. Wendy tells Erica about the accident, and that the victim was an ex-prisoner. Terry gets to hear …
Vera find Terry sweeping up the fragments of his broken mug. Bea warns the other prisoners about Terry, and tells them never to be alone with him. Wendy offers to teach Alison typing. Vera gets a telephone call from Mr . Douglas to say that…
Terry is forced to go with "Wacka" and Dinah in his car: two men watching his flat see them drive off. Don is told he has a slipped disc after the accident on building site, and must rest for six weeks. Don asks Chris to call Meg to ask for…
Terry is killed by a gunshot from the car. Erica gets a telephone call from the gate guard about the shooting, and immediately phones Det. Insp. Grace. Doreen tells the other prisoners about the police arriving and thinks she'd heard the sh…
The women bet on who will replace Vera and tease Jim for not getting the Barnhurst job. Officer Powell is offered a temporary position as Acting Chief Prison Officer, with the possibility of a permanent promotion if her work is satisfactory…
Bea and Doreen comfort Lizzie and convince her to carry on fighting for the house because Sid wanted her to have it. Bea writes a letter to Gordon with a "reminder" about the earlier conversation between the two of them. Colleen complains t…
Meg offers to look after Alison's children. Jim tells Meg that he has resigned, to her great astonishment. Erica phones the Department to try to get a replacement for Jim and makes it clear to Colleen that her promotion might be at risk if …
The "ghost" turns out be a young man called Peter Richards, who explains that he is on the run from the police, as he was involved against his will as the geataway driver for a robbery. Mrs Reid tries to find out more about who will be runn…
Jim believes that Colleen is trying to influence him to forget that he saw her hit Andrea. Judy tells Andrea that she's unpopular with the other prisoners because of her "know-it-all" attitude, but offers to keep an eye on her. Peter tells …
Lizzie discovers that Doreen is missing, and starts to go after her. Jim brings Mrs Reid inside the house with the police, who find that there are only five prisoners there, not six. Mrs Reid is indignant and threatens to hold a neighbourho…
Andrea's friends take Erica hostage, blindfolding her and bundling her into a delivery van. Linda rings Ted Douglas from a call box and announces that they are holding Erica hostage until Andrea is released. Erica is taken to a house on the…
... but she misses and Erica escapes. Wentworth gets a new prison officer, Janet Conway. Jim is disappointed when he finds out that she is only just out of training school. Erica tries to run from kidnappers, but they catch her. Bea tells J…
Peter is not angry with Doreen, and tells her it is his fault that Doreen is in trouble. Bea remembers who Officer Conway is, and tells Janet that she knows she had been a remand prisoner about twelve years previously, though she was eventu…
The shot hits Jim in the arm but he still manages to overpower Linda. Doreen and Judy suspect that the strange way Bea's been behaving recently has something to do with Officer Conway. Doreen persuades Judy to sneak a look at Janet's file a…
Meg meets Lizzie to take her to Sid's house and advises her to try to make new friends on the outside. Bea tries to keep Andrea and Linda apart in the dining room. Meg gives Lizzie an azalea as a housewarming present. Bea gets message from …
Sandy tells Judy she thinks the importance they all give to the press is childish, and holds Judy's arm in it until she gives in. Jim offers to let Bea work on the Braille machine unsupervised. Judy comes to ask Bea's advice about the press…
Judy is worried that Hazel might have hit Kate too hard, and asks Doreen to go and find out how she is. Meg asks Janet if the TV hire company is run by someone related to her. Doreen is caught by Sandy sneaking a peek at Kate and given a go…
Meg comes back to work as a prison officer. Sandy gets to hear that Bea is seriously ill and wonders whether she should take over as top dog. Jim explains to Janet that Erica will soon be back. Conway tries to persuade Doreen to go in for a…
Erica tells Meg that Lizzie's house has burnt down, and that Lizzie has vanished. Erica orders Colleen to return the goods confiscated in the cell search. Sandy manages to give Bea pethedine tablets with Kate's help. Bea tells Judy that she…
Colleen accuses Meg of putting her in a bad light with Erica. Judy thinks can teach herself to use the Braille machine, but Erica tells her it is being moved to Barnhurst. Erica asks Colleen and Meg if they want to apply for a senior office…
A police officer comes to talk to Colleen. Janet and Meg go out for a night on the town. Sandy tells the other prisoners that if there is anyone who can donate a kidney for Bea, they will get certain advantages from it. Colleen is annoyed w…
Jim returns to work after a week's holiday. Joyce Barry shows Jim the drawing, and it has the same effect on him as it did on Janet. Erica is discussing the newspaper article with Ted Douglas when Jim bursts into the office. Mr. Douglas ins…
There is a cell search, and Colleen tries to get Meg to leave her alone to search Sandy's cell, but Meg points out that the regulations require there to be two officers present. Sandy gets a visit from her "lawyer", John Fitzwater, who is r…
Kate speaks with Inspector Grace. Kate wants a witness "found" for her appeal in exchange for information. She tells Grace where Megan Barnett's body is buried. Grace agrees to work with her. Lizzie's solicitor arrives and informs her that …
Doreen tells Judy about life at Wentworth under Marie's rule before Bea took over and how bad it was. Marie stands outside the cell listening. Janet comes across the forged roster in the waste bin and turns it in to Jim. It is obvious to bo…


