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Poster for Prisoner

Prisoner

Seen it?

1979 | 8 seasons | 50 min | Soap, Drama

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It's still drawing plenty of interest. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who loves a strong character drama. If you loved Oz or Escape at Dannemora, start here.
The mood
Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace
8 seasons and 692 episodes: a long-haul commitment, episodes of about 50 minutes, about 577 hours in all.
What might put you off
  • A big time investment at 8 seasons.
  • Made in 1979: an older pace and style.

Prisoner is an Australian soap opera that is set in the Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsSolid

    Generally positive reviews

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsSolid

    13 wins and 3 nominations from smaller awards and festivals

  • Reach & staying powerSolid

    Ran for 8 seasons and reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactStrong

    About 129K people sought it out in the past year

Season by season

The show overall is a Sunday Safe Bet. Here's how each season stacks up.

  1. Season 11979 · 79 episodes
    Not rated yet
  2. Season 21980 · 86 episodes
    Not rated yet
  3. Season 31981 · 81 episodes
    Not rated yet
  4. Season 41982 · 80 episodes
    Not rated yet
  5. Season 51983 · 90 episodes
    Not rated yet
  6. Season 61984 · 89 episodes
    Not rated yet
  7. Season 71985 · 83 episodes
    Not rated yet
  8. Season 81986 · 104 episodes
    Not rated yet

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Cast & crew

Created by Reg Watson

  • Gerda NicolsonAnn Reynolds
  • Maggie KirkpatrickJoan "The Freak" Ferguson
  • Janet AndrewarthaReb Kean
  • Elspeth BallantyneMeg Morris
  • Louise SiversenLou Kelly
  • Glenda LinscottRita Connors
  • Lois CollinderAlice "Lurch" Jenkins
  • Julia BlakeNancy McCormack
  • Pepe TrevorLexie Patterson
  • Joy WestmoreJoyce Barry / Joyce Pringle