WENTWORTH: PRISONER RE-BORN ON FOXTEL

Don’t call it a re-make but Foxtel and FremantleMedia are working on an all new take on the legend that is Prisoner (Cell Block H). Wentworth will start shooting in Melbourne shortly.

The series, set in the present day, will feature iconic characters like Bea Smith and will also bring several new characters to the Wentworth Detention Centre. The original series is currently airing to decent ratings on Foxtel’s 111 Hits and the recent English series Bad Girls was also heavily influenced by Prisoner.

Brian Walsh, Executive Director of Television at Foxtel made it plain the show will be pretty full on saying “Wentworth will be a dynamic and very confronting drama series, developed and stylised specifically for subscription television audiences. We have told producers to push all boundaries and honestly depict life on the inside as it is in 2012.

“Wentworth is not a Prisoner remake, but a contemporary drama which brings new life to some of the great female characters so many viewers came to love and loved to hate. There will be surprises, twists and turns all along the way. This is a major drama initiative for FOXTEL which will engage existing Prisoner fans and entice entirely new audiences with its bold storytelling.”

The original Prisoner ran for a massive 692 episodes from 27 Feb 1979 to 11 Dec 1986.