# Wentworth (TV series): talk to me, mates **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 3, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627 "2019-09-03T14:39:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/1 "2019-09-03T14:39:49Z")
This is my latest binge(I don’t even want to admit how many eps I watched over the weekend). Judging by it’s longevity, I can only assume it’s very popular in Australia so I just wanted to hear what our Aussie friends have to say. The US has some extremely awful shows that have been on for years (I’m looking at you, Survivor, all the “Housewives” and all manner of Kardashian nonsense :rolleyes:)and I hate to think I’m enthralled by something smart people consider “entertainment for dumbasses” :o Have all the actors become stars because of it? A brief look in IMDB tells me some of them may have already been famous, though I wasn’t familiar with any of them prior to this. I’m especially impressed / frightened by Pamela Rabe (Gov. Ferguson). She is fierce! I remember watching its source material (_The Prisoner:Cell Block H_)back in the early 80s. As I recall it was really campy(was that intentional?)but my mom and I ate it up. In fact, the only thing the new version needs is to play the old theme song _“. . . you used to bring me roses . . .”_ ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/2 "2019-09-03T14:53:13Z")
So what is it about? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/3 "2019-09-03T15:05:41Z")
It’s about a women’s correctional facility and all the happenings therein. Sort of like _Orange is the New Black_ except without any humor. Whatsoever. There’s two baddies fighting to be “the top dog” , and a menacing warden, and entanglements between the guards, and of course the main character who came in as a good person but is slowly getting jaded by all the mayhem. It sounds awful and cliched but somehow it works. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/4 "2019-09-03T18:39:00Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Sort of like _Orange is the New Black_ except without any humor. Whatsoever. On this point I disagree. I have found several scenes that have made me laugh, most involving Boomer. Or Frankie saying “I don’t like sausage, I’m a vagitarian” ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/5 "2019-09-03T19:05:22Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > On this point I disagree. I have found several scenes that have made me laugh, most involving Boomer. > Or Frankie saying “I don’t like sausage, I’m a vagitarian” Point taken; Boomer is a source of comic relief. And Franky is a smirking wise ass who makes witty remarks, but I definitely wouldn’t call this dark comedy.At least for me, there’s never been a moment I felt like laughing. Like the scene where the inmates pour vinegar and oil on the floor in order to Fletcher slip, but Vera gets to it first (thus earning her the moniker "Vinegar Tits.). We see the whole thing in painful slow motion and the aftermath, with the Governor who has already humiliated her commenting on her smell. OITNB would have probably made that scene laugh out loud funny but I found it quite heart breaking. Then again, it may just be me. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/6 "2019-09-04T14:23:45Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > I’m especially impressed / frightened by Pamela Rabe (Gov. Ferguson). She is fierce!\* Just remember, everything she does… is for the greater good. But good lord, she just won’t die. My SO has binge watched the entire series at least three times, that means I have seen or overheard every episode about half of that. She is currently going through it again. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/7 "2019-09-04T16:23:45Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > **Just remember, everything she does… is for the greater good.** But good lord, she just won’t die. > > My SO has binge watched the entire series at least three times, that means I have seen or overheard every episode about half of that. She is currently going through it again. This early in the game, I haven’t been able to figure out what her deal is. Seems like we watched her do one nasty thing after another, but then we see acts of kindness, but then then we find out the agenda behind that kindness. Also, what’s the deal with the flashback of the first pregnant inmate that killed herself? I can’t tell if Joan hated that person or cared for her. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/8 "2019-09-04T18:08:22Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Also, what’s the deal with the flashback of the first pregnant inmate that killed herself? I can’t tell if Joan hated that person or cared for her. I don’t know how far into the series you are, but you will find out eventually that she was in love with her ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/9 "2019-09-04T18:56:28Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > I don’t know how far into the series you are, but you will find out eventually that > > she was in love with her That’s what I _kind_ of thought, but with Joan, you never know. So. . . is she in love with Bea now, and that’s why she wants to get rid of Officer Jackson?. I have never felt so lame at reading context and nuance as I do watching this show :o At least it keeps me surprised. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/10 "2019-09-04T20:34:51Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > That’s what I _kind_ of thought, but with Joan, you never know. So. . . is she in love with Bea now, and that’s why she wants to get rid of Officer Jackson?. I have never felt so lame at reading context and nuance as I do watching this show :o At least it keeps me surprised. Oh, it is quite darker than that and one of the plotlines that really suck you into the show, but if you must know… The whole reason she came to Wentworth was because Mr. Jackson was there. He was the one who took the girls baby away and she came seeking revenge. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/11 "2019-09-05T11:50:33Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > Oh, it is quite darker than that and one of the plotlines that really suck you into the show, but if you must know… > > The whole reason she came to Wentworth was because Mr. Jackson was there. He was the one who took the girls baby away and she came seeking revenge. Get out! IIRC they did mention he had been a social worker but it didn’t stand out in any way. There have also been at least two flashbacks of the scene where the baby is taken, with _closeups of his face_, and I completely didn’t figure it out :smack: Did you? Did most people? ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/12 "2019-09-05T13:56:59Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Get out! IIRC they did mention he had been a social worker but it didn’t stand out in any way. There have also been at least two flashbacks of the scene where the baby is taken, with _closeups of his face_, and I completely didn’t figure it out :smack: Did you? Did most people? You certainly pick up a lot more subtle details the second time around when you know what is coming. But buckle up because you are about to watch Joan Ferguson earn the nickname she gets later on… The Freak! One of the evilest characters in any show ever. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/13 "2019-09-05T14:10:55Z")
If it’s on Foxtel it doesn’t have a mass audience, Australia hasn’t warmed to the idea of pay TV. Has barely crossed my radar, though I didn’t watch Prisoner either. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/14 "2019-09-05T14:22:27Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > If it’s on Foxtel it doesn’t have a mass audience, Australia hasn’t warmed to the idea of pay TV. > Has barely crossed my radar, though I didn’t watch Prisoner either. Ahhhhh, I guess that explains why more folks aren’t joining the thread. So, the majority of Australians don’t have cable?😕 How many broadcast channels are there (or does it completely not work that way)? ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/15 "2019-09-06T18:33:03Z")
This is kind of neat. Family Feud with the stars of the original Prisoner Cell Block H vs the stars (well, actors on) Wentworth. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/fGKUqmtPbyQ/hqdefault.jpg "Family Feud All Star: Prisoner v Wentworth") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGKUqmtPbyQ) ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/16 "2019-09-06T19:32:20Z")
> [@caligulathegod](#): > > This is kind of neat. Family Feud with the stars of the original Prisoner Cell Block H vs the stars (well, actors on) Wentworth. > > [https://youtu.be/fGKUqmtPbyQ](https://youtu.be/fGKUqmtPbyQ) That is hilarious! And the original Doreen, Bea and Vera" Vinegar Tits" Bennett look pretty darn good. Also, I too have no idea who the gentleman was. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/17 "2019-09-07T03:09:16Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Ahhhhh, I guess that explains why more folks aren’t joining the thread. So, the majority of Australians don’t have cable?😕 How many broadcast channels are there (or does it completely not work that way)? For a long time major Australian cities had three free-to-air (commercial) TV channels and two government funded broadcasterswith one channel each (ABC - like the BBC, and SBS - Special Broadcasting Service, which grew out of multicultural community media). Foxtel as paid cable came in late 1990s, and once it got the sports fans stabilised its subscription base. We did not get Netflix or Stan (Aust version of ???) until about five years ago. Around the same time we also started getting the streaming services from ABC and SBS, both of which have hefty good quality back catalogues, and second-third channels from the commercials. Foxtel deserves credit for coughing up to produce original Australian drama. Netflix, which has made gazillion$ out of Australia has only just started to seed funding for local content. Wentworth does definitely have a good fan-base here among my friends, and many of the actors have solid stage and TV careers. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wentworth-tv-series-talk-to-me-mates/839627/18 "2019-09-09T14:37:54Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > For a long time major Australian cities had three free-to-air (commercial) TV channels and two government funded broadcasterswith one channel each (ABC - like the BBC, and SBS - Special Broadcasting Service, which grew out of multicultural community media). Foxtel as paid cable came in late 1990s, and once it got the sports fans stabilised its subscription base. We did not get Netflix or Stan (Aust version of ???) until about five years ago. Around the same time we also started getting the streaming services from ABC and SBS, both of which have hefty good quality back catalogues, and second-third channels from the commercials. > > Foxtel deserves credit for coughing up to produce original Australian drama. Netflix, which has made gazillion$ out of Australia has only just started to seed funding for local content. > > Wentworth does definitely have a good fan-base here among my friends, and many of the actors have solid stage and TV careers. Interesting. I can’t wait to find some other Aus productions.l It seems like every other actor got their start on _Home and Away_ or _Neighbours_. Perhaps I need to find a way to watch those.