Read more about the article Wentworth – Extended Sentence

Wentworth – Extended Sentence

Wentworth Season 8

Wentworth may have been inspired by female jail drama Prisoner but it is on track to be on air longer than the show that spawned it. Prisoner ran from 1979-86, Wentworth started in 2013 and will end in 2021. However, while Wentworth was a “re-imagining” of Prisoner, and borrowed characters including Bea Smith, Joan “The Freak” Ferguson, Vera Bennett and Lizzie Birdsworth, it quickly forged its own identity.

It now airs in over 15o countries and screens on Netflix in the US.

It is Wentworth’s graphic, violent scenes, intense storylines and LGBTQ characters that have created a fiercely loyal fanbase.
“People tell me they watch Wentworth episodes and they have to sit on their couch afterwards and take a break,” Leah Purcell, who plays Rita Connors (another Prisoner character rebooted) says.

“That’s what you want.

You want good drama that moves people, whether you hate or love a character, if you feel something you’ve done your job.”

Pamela Rabe | Season 5 HQ PromoThe fanbase is so loyal that when the show was planned to end in 2018 after season seven, fans got wind of the decision before it was announced (a loose-lipped actor also let it slip during a TV interview) and determined to save their favourite show.
Fans not only started a #savewent-worth campaign on social media, there were claims one diehard viewer flew a drone over the show’s Melbourne set to see if the outdoor jail area had been disassembled. (more…)

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Read more about the article Wentworth to end after Season 9

Wentworth to end after Season 9

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Season 7 of Wentworth…

Wentworth fans will be sad to hear the iconic prison drama is coming to an end, with filming for the final 20 episodes set to commence soon. Foxtel Executive Director of TV Brian Walsh confirmed the upcoming episodes will be the show’s final batch, in a recent interview with TV Tonight.
However, the show won’t be wrapping up in a hurry. Those episodes will be spread over two seasons, expected to conclude in 2021. The additional episodes, which will make up season eight and nine, will officially cement Wentworth’s status as Australia’s longest-running one hour drama series.
“Foxtel is proud and delighted to confirm a further 20 episodes of Wentworth. The renewal of this much loved drama is testament to Foxtel’s unwavering commitment to Australian story-telling,” Brian told TV WEEK earlier this year when the series was renenwed.
“Wentworth has captivated audiences in Australia and all over the world with its gritty nailbiting storylines, remarkable performances by an extensive ensemble cast and high production values. The commissioning of these additional episodes will see it reach an extraordinary 100 episodes”.

Pamela Rabe is back as Joan Ferguson in Wentworth Season 8The Freak sat by a fire pit, staring ominously at the flames.

The announcement follows on from a jaw-dropping finale to the seventh season, which ended with a number of bombshells. First and foremost, Joan “The Freak” Ferguson was revealed to be ALIVE.
The final episode picked up with Sean Brody (Rick Donald) and prisoner Marie Winter (Susie Porter) keeping several inmates, along with pregnant Governor Vera Bennett (Kate Atkinson), hostage. In the siege, Brody killed Vicky Kosta (Artemis Ioannides) and Boomer’s mum May Jenkins (Anni Finsterer).
We also found out it was Brody who killed the prison’s top dog Kaz Proctor (Tammy MacIntosh), after he discovered she knew about the blackmail file Marie had on the Attorney General Michael Heston (David Downer).
As this played out, the corrupt Attorney General arrived to make sure his operation to get Marie to safety was going according to plan. He “agreed to Brody’s demands” and ordered a chopper to the prison. (more…)

Continue ReadingWentworth to end after Season 9