Within These Walls: To Reason Why (ITV 6 Sep 1975, with Kathleen Michael)

In To Reason Why, the opening episode of the third season, Faye finds herself having rather a stressful time of it. A prisoner, Dr Hilda Jessop, has recently arrived at Stone Park. She sees herself as something of an agent provocateur and before her arrival had been writing a series of inflammatory magazine articles about Stone Park. When the articles continue to appear Jessop tries to make out that she had written them before her arrival but the level of detail suggests otherwise.

Jessop, along with fellow trouble maker Kate Warren, is only interested in stirring up trouble and before too long there is an incipient riot brewing. Faye has a very clever way of dealing with the situation.

On the home front Beth Radley is pregnant again and is not happy about it. Mrs Armitage and her husband have bad news to deal; her estranged daughter Ellen and granddaughter Samatha are involved in a major car accident on the motorway, Ellen’s husband is killed and Ellen is seriously injured. Luckily Samantha is unhurt.

Lynne Chapman is a newcomer to the series, she seems to have taken over Janet Harker’s position – there was no mention of where she had gone to either.

The series moved nights with this third season, which returned to ITV after just a five month break, moving from Friday at 9.00pm to Saturday at 9.00pm.

classic quote
“She’s a martyr, she’s not a freedom fighter, she’s just another manipulating prisoner.”

production details
UK / ITV – London Weekend Television / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Saturday 6 September 1975 at 9.00pm

Writer: David Butler / Production Design: Bryan Bagge / Director: Philip Casson

Series: Within These Walls Season 3 Episode 1

cast
Googie Withers as Faye Boswell
Jerome Willis as Charles Radley
Mona Bruce as Mrs Armitage
Denys Hawthorne as Dr Mayes
Sonia Graham as Martha Parrish
Beth Harris as Miss Clarke
Elaine Wells as P.O. Spencer
Sally Sanders as Officer Worth
Audrey Muir as P.O. Flaxton
Jane Freeman as Madge Boyle
Angela Chadfield as Lynne Chapman
Wanda Moore as Kate Wartren
Kathleen Michael as Dr Hilda Jessop
Patricia Maynard as Beth Radley
Cheryl Branker as Rose
Raymond Adamson as Bill Boswell
Charles Morgan as Ted Armitage
Suzan Cameron as Ellen Armitage