How Channel 10 finished Prisoner 496 episodes EARLY

[MrUmbreon1994]

this episode was on 111 hits :3 eariler tonight/lastnight if you wanna get pissy :P great cliffhanger

[CanberraUser]

Not everyone can get 111HITS

[MrUmbreon1994]

@CanberraUser sadly, becuse this is a geat show

[endracismguy]

hehe imagine judy and dorr on a hunger strike lol

[OzMissPink75]

Actually, if you have Foxtel in Australia. I do believe Prisoner is returning from the beginning! On the Triple 1 Hits channel in early 2011 ;) I for one, cannot wait! :D)

[CanberraUser]

OzMissPink75 errr some people don't have Foxtel, so that kinda excludes them??

[boogiefever1985]

@CanberraUser If you don't have Foxtel and you want to watch Prisoner, then here's an idea: Get Foxtel. Otherwise, buy the DVDs. If you want the box set I believe it is over $1000. Otherwise, shut up. Nothing is free.

[CanberraUser]

Oy boogiefever1985 I already have bought the DVD set, I invested $2000 in that subscription all up.

What I am saying is, why are other old shows on free-to-air but not Prisoner? Are you suggesting abolish free-to-air TV altogether? Why is Prisoner different from any other old soap series??

[boogiefever1985]

@CanberraUser Yeah, I know it is unfair that some old shows are on free-to-air and others are not. It is also unfair that some sports are on foxtel only. I'm lucky I can afford $40 a month to have foxtel. Some people can't. Foxtel specifically finds shows like Prisoner to put on so that some people will join Foxtel. There is also the issue, that maybe if Foxtel didn't show it, maybe nobody would show it at all. And free-to-air TV is not really free. You have to see millions of advertisements

[CanberraUser]

Pay TV has millions of ads as well

[dardardarren]

What? That made no sense. And Fuck Oprah, they probably axed it to make space for that cows shite show !!

COW!

[lefty5128]

in one of the most idiotic moves, Channel 10 sold the show so it's not likely we'll ever see Prisoner on free TV again, as for UKTV via Foxtel they no longer have the screening rights either.

So unless you are made of money and can buy the complete series on DVD, you'll have to get your PCBH fix here.

[EddieAlda]

@lefty5128 Shows how much you know. Prisoner has in fact started on Pay TV a few weeks ago, so there!

[CanberraUser]

.....which kinda leaves those without pay TV out in the cold, doesn't it?

[LiteracyLabyrinth]

I remeber fletch the letch and vinegar T! LOLLtxch

[tippngthevelvet]

In Perth, the last episodes were about Ferguson getting set up somehow in a hospital setting with a prisoner with blonde hair - much later than this!

~~ Vale Monica Maughan ~~

died 9 january 2010 in Melbourne.

( played Pat O'Connell)

[dinomancari]

those 2 could use a hunger strike. woof! that cell must have had a really strong floor support system  lol

[exCroweater]

Yeah well nothing surprises me about commerical tv stations. Useless greedy management with the viewer being the LAST concern before $. Always has been and always will be. That's why you should wait 1 year and view everything on DVD. I wouldn't waste my time watching ANYTHING on free to air TV in Australia.

[NOTORIOUSNIGGLET]

Is part of her parole that she cant get boned?? She shouldn't get sent back for that

[benchsquatdliftchins]

hahahahahaha ROFL!!!!

[themachine9999]

that was the end of 1996 not 496

dumb ass.

[CanberraUser]

692 196 = 496

[lynnej1970]

@themachine9999 why would you call someone a dumb ass just cause they made a mistake,,,oh thats right your perfect u never make misakes.

[themachine9999]

@lynnej1970 yes that right i never make "misakes" as you would call it hahaha.

[lynnej1970]

@themachine9999 "mistake",,oh i left the fucking t out on the second, who fucking cares..i dont use spellcheck unlike you,,im telling you, you have been wrong many times .you are now being wrong rightnow in your attitude,,? heres some qs is there life out in the universe?and what is mk ultra?and what is a platypus,?lol lets see how right you are.since your never wrong.youll cheat.

[themachine9999]

@lynnej1970 ummmm ,ok FREAKSHOW ,lol

[lynnej1970]

@themachine9999 knew you didnt know so you had to say freakshow,,i would have just kept going till u did get something wrong (if u had gotton them right anyway)ur a delusional if u think you are always right..lol...

[markmonroe78]

@themachine9999 Hey moron...read the description before hurling abuse...

[REALGOODTREAT79]

I dont understand how they ended 496 episodes early. can someone explain please? when prisoner was shown in the uk they blanked out the adverts on the end credits like travel lodge and stuff and usually cut the end of theme tune but I dont get how this clip ended early?

[LSDWho]

I think they mean that this is the last episode Channel 10 aired - 496 episodes before the end of the run (at ep 692). Not that the actual length of 496 episodes was cut short (although that's what my initial though was when I read the description).

Best TV series ever made BTW!!! Making my way slowly through the DVD box set. Just passed half way, Bea has just killed Nola after she tried to send her loopy. Think I may go and watch some more...

[Hammersley1967]

Channel 10?

A bunch of screw-lovers, laggers and BITCHES!!!

[wizzlesticks]

And coming up next, The Oprah WInfrey show. ROFL.

[kabogga]

stickyNsweet08: Well bugger me gently! I think I better do community service for that error! Maybe I better do 12 months sucking 'Vinegar Tits' Or I may just go 12 rounds boxing a kangaroo. ;-)

[thetwobrians]

fuck off u sad bastard

[kabogga]

thetwobrians: Take a sad bastard to know a sad bastard.

[kabogga]

Hang on, this can't be the final episode. Because in the last episode of Prisoner I saw in England, Joan 'The Freak' Ferguson was arrested and actually became a prisoner herself. And the scene ended with her being transferred to Barnhurst Jail in a van with the other women cheering as it left.

[TheMJfan202]

@kabogga maybe it was the last episode to be shown on channel 10

[stokefan316]

i hope they bring out the full set off dvds

[nineballaddict]

@stokefan316

The full set of DVD's is available... I purchased it 2 years ago

[MrCurt123]

I remember this, Im a Baker so i got to see Prisoner everyday as it was showen at Midday.

They told us it would be back and they never showed it again

I had to wait to get Foxtel and UKTV to watch it again.

[lukomyke]

This was the last episode on a REPEAT run. The whole series had already been shown in Australia.

[npuggmurr]

Was this really the last episode of prisoner shown on Australian Tv? I dont get it, it was an australian tv show.

[CanberraUser]

You'd have to ask Channel 10 that....what was going through their heads way back in 1997 will probably remain a mystery forever.

[patmorac]

@npuggmurr these were repeats. it was the last show for 1996 back in 1997 according to the voice over at the end. They were midday repeats. The show finished in 1986 there abouts.

[bastardtubeuser]

hahah i forgot prisoner had bits that were set outside of the prison.

viniger tits.

[randypanhandy]

Shit!! Im sorry i thought this was The Prisoner. The one with giant inflatable balls on the beach and deck shoes. Oh well i'll make myself scarce and shut the door behind me. Be seeing you!

[danny9312]

I watched this show here in Canada on the Global T.V. network in 1979-80, when it was unceremoniously cancelled; I remember the cliff-hanger episode last seen was the one in which Judy Bryant escapes, only to suffer a heart-attack while being chased by the cops. I never did see the show after that... :-(

[dhert1981]

This wasn't the last episode shown?

[CanberraUser]

This was the last episode that was shown. They kept us waiting forever for the next 496 episodes they owed us.

[OzMissPink75]

@CanberraUser

just coz there was a gap in airing the shows... doesnt mean it was the LAST EVER ep aired in Australia. everyone in Australia saw right up until the Freak got arrested. THAT was technically the last ever ep! & seriously, who cares what happened to Channel 10 back in '86 or '87.. are you bitter coz you were sacked then & you still havent gotten over it? move on.. you're living in the past man! :P

[ianrlaws]

It was bloody Brilliant,crims,crooked staff terrible dialogue crappy acting and just when you thought that was to great to comprehend,Characters like

Lizzy Birdsworth and Bea threatening to press any bitches head under the laundry press if they got to clever.

Great.

[myview28]

Prisoner was terrible. You started watching and you coudn't stop. It was really addictive. It was the lowest level of Australian society, but no doubt everybody knew someone like a character on prisoner (Whether they were crims or not.). The amazing thing is, though, that despite the fact that Aboriginal women have a great deal higher chance of being incarcerated - there were none in the show.

[CanberraUser]

"despite the fact that Aboriginal women have a great deal higher chance of being incarcerated - there were none in the show.".......until about Episode 655

[akava77]

Shame they cut off the series, the voice over at the end promises Prisoner would return in 1997.

When they showed Prisoner first time round, and then repeated it in Australia, what time was it on at?

In the UK, it was always shown really late, usually around 11pm or after midnight when it was on ITV. When Channel 5 repeated the series, episodes were often shown as late as 4am.

[chompilinag]

why if it was cut early on why did they keep filming it knowing it wasnt gonna be shown.

[CanberraUser]

They couldn't be bothered with continuing the repeat run

[sylviabh8ule]

Is this particular episode available on DVD?

[CanberraUser]

Yep, all episodes of Prisoner have been released on DVD.

[pilot00007]

what are you talking about - the last ever episode??? this is an early episode. in the final episode ever, The Freak (prison officer) gets busted and ends up a prisoner in the same prison.

[CanberraUser]

It was the last episode of Prisoner ever shown on Australian television, before the repeat run was cancelled PERMANENTLY, on December 13, 1996 — which means Australia hasn't seen another episode of Prisoner since.....

[pilot00007]

gotchya! ta for clarifying. sorry i came off as a know-it-all ;-)

[sharntai30]

it was actually on foxtel there for a fair while after the date u said was cancellded i use to watch it all the time

[CanberraUser]

Only available to those with access to it which wasn't fair on non-subscribers.

[CRIMNO1]

this is a fab start to the Sandy/Kate era

[pilot00007]

this definately isn't the final episode ever.....this is an early episode...season 3 at the latest...none of the characters except Meg were in the final season. in the final episode, The Freak (prison guard) gets busted for her part in a robbery and gets sent to prison....yep, this prison!

[CanberraUser]

Yeah, pity Channel 10 couldn't get anywhere near this episode ay, and thanks for letting us in on the 692 Spoiler (the Big Spoiler).

WHY THE HELL DID WE HAVE TO WAIT "TILL NEXT YEAR", Channel 10???????????

[omegatango]

Listening to the comment over the end credits... WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP! '...shall be back next year." WHAT A CROC!

Cheers for the clip though! :)

[CanberraUser]

Thanks Omega for your comments. Yes, that was a cruel lie on the part of Channel 10, who again took Prisoner off after (according to my email archives) a lot of campaigning by fans for a previous absence mid-year after 155. In that final run between October and December 1996, we enjoyed one episode per day Monday to Friday, ending with the last one, whose ending is in this YouTube clip.

[CRIMNO1]

You guys ought to send this clip to your channel telling them how much revenue they miss

[CRIMNO1]

omg m8 they left u there at that episode? at least CH5 in the UK did the repeat run as u know

[CanberraUser]

Yeah, I had to rely on C5 recordings to see future episodes. Channel 10 didn't have a care in the world as to the storylines that were happening in those episodes, so they pulled it off, and "forgot" about it.

[shameless81]

kwl