Welcome to Episode 6 of Corals Soapbox, where Coral Drouyn, a seasoned veteran of Australian television, delves into the depths of iconic TV shows. Coral's extensive resume includes work on beloved series like Neighbours, Home and Away, and, notably, Prisoner. As a script writer, Script Editor, Story Liner, and Story Editor on Prisoner, Coral shaped some of the show's most memorable characters and storylines.

In this episode, Coral joins Matt to explore the captivating Barnhurst 5 storyline from Prisoner. They delve into Coral's creative process behind crafting these characters and the pivotal flashback episode 536, which Coral penned. They dissect why certain characters, like May Collins portrayed by Billie Hammerberg, may not have been as robust as others, while Coral reveals her original vision for the Barnhurst 5.

Coral and Matt engage in a comprehensive discussion on each member of the Barnhurst 5, including Sonja Tallis, Jackie Woodburne, Kirsty Childs, Billie Hammerberg, and Debra Lawrance. They explore the complexities of characters like Nora Flynn and dissect the motivations behind their actions.

Throughout the episode, Coral addresses fan questions, offering insights into the creative decisions behind the Barnhurst 5 storyline. Matt also shares his theories on why the Barnhurst 5 were introduced into the series at that particular time.

In addition to their exploration of Prisoner's rich history, Coral and Matt touch on current events, including the Trial of President Donald Trump.

Don't miss this captivating episode of Corals Soapbox, and be sure to like and subscribe to the Talking Prisoner YouTube Channel for more engaging content.

Introducing Our New Co-Host: Director Tim Burns
We're thrilled to announce that Matt Batten will now be joined by a new co-host on Talking Prisoner—none other than independent filmmaker Tim Burns! With a portfolio of cinematic gems that encapsulate Australian culture and history, Tim is no stranger to compelling storytelling.
His cult classic film, "Boronia Boys, perfectly captures the essence of Australian suburbia in the late 2000s. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. His creative prowess extends to a myriad of projects, including "Mondo Maniacs," "The Honey Suckle Sisters," "Sizzle 77," "Boronia Backpackers," "Moonlight and Magic," and "Nancy Nancy." His documentary "Prisoner Queen," featuring Prisoner cast member Jude Kuring, bridges his cinematic vision with the world of "Prisoner," making him a perfect addition to our show.
Tim is no stranger to accolades, having won several awards, including honours from The Melbourne Underground Film Festival. A true collaborator, he has worked with numerous Prisoner cast members and has a reputation for "getting things done," as many in the industry will attest.
With Tim on board, you can expect Talking Prisoner to level up in so many ways. The duo is already lining up some incredible guests and have a plethora of exciting plans in the pipeline to make the show even more engaging for all you Prisoner fans out there.
So get ready to dive deeper into the world of "Prisoner" like never before, as Matt and Tim bring you unparalleled access and insight into one of Australia's most iconic television series.

Corals Soapbox EP 5 Welcome to Episode 3 of Corals Soapbox. Coral Drouyn has worked on some of Australia’s most iconic TV Shows and been responsible for some of the biggest storylines on many of our much-loved TV shows such as Neighbours, Home and Away, Blue Heelers, Streetsmartz, The Gerry Connolly Show, Pacific Drive and of course Prisoner. Coral worked on Prisoner as a script writer, Script Editor, Story Liner and Story Editor, and created some of the biggest characters ever to appear on Prisoner. Coral Drouyn and Matt Batten sit down for a chat each episode. In episode 5 they talk about the news of the week including the passing of Queen Elizabeth and the people of the UK in mourning, Coral shares her thoughts on if Australia should become a republic or not. Coral and Matt discuss best and worst storylines of Prisoner in which fans were able to post their favourite and least favourite storylines. Coral breaks down why a storyline works and why a storyline can fail and goes in to great detail. The storylines that Coral discussed were, Pixie Masons rape storyline, The Kate Peterson story, Zara Moonbeam and Bea Smith, Hazel Kent Euthanasia, Brandy/Laura multiple personality’s, Nora Flynn becoming Top Dog, Joan Ferguson and Shane, Jenifer Hartley and her Grandma. Coral goes into great depth on each of these storylines and why she wrote them, why she created them, why they worked and why some did not work. Coral and Matt also share their views on the Jury selection process in the court systems of Australia and the United states. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
#cellblockh #prisoner #coraldrouyn

Talking Prisoner Presents EP 5 Interview with Mat Stevenson
Welcome to Episode 5 of Talking Prisoner “Presents”. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Home and Away legend mat Stevenson. Matt has appeared in many Australian TV shows including Blue Heelers, All Saints, Offspring, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and Home and Away from 1989 to 1994 and played Adam Cameron. We discussed Mat’s life growing up as a child and his love for acting coming from his bike rides to look at the Channel 10 building and how he got his break into acting. Mat also appeared in Neighbours prior to Home and Away and told us what it was like to work with Prisoner Writer Ian Smith. Mat is also a fan of Prisoner and discussed with us what he likes about the show. Mat discussed that he auditioned for Wentworth, and we also discussed with Mat about his recent interview on Channel Ten’s The Project about the journey of his daughter Grace. We discussed in depth about Mat’s time on Home and Away appearing in over 518 episodes and how he got the part of Adam Cameron. Mat told us what he thought of his character Adam and what it was like to work with the likes of Dannii Minogue, Less Hill, Ray Meagher, Sharyn Hodgson, Nicolle Dickson, Norman Coburn, Peter Vroom, and shared with us special memories about his close friendship with Dieter Brummer. We spoke about the famous storyline of his character killing of fan favourite Bobby Marshall and what it was like to shoot those scenes and what the public reaction was like at the time. Mat answered all fan questions, Please like and subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
 
#matstevenson #homeandaway #adamcameron #prisoner #danniiminogue

Talking Prisoner Corals Soapbox EP 4
Welcome to Episode 3 of Corals Soapbox. Coral Drouyn has worked on some of Australia’s most iconic TV Shows and been responsible for some of the biggest storylines on many of our much-loved TV shows such as Neighbours, Home and Away, Blue Heelers, Streetsmartz, The Gerry Connolly Show, Pacific Drive and of course Prisoner. Coral worked on Prisoner as a script writer, Script Editor, Story Liner and Story Editor, and created some of the biggest characters ever to appear on Prisoner. Coral Drouyn and Matt Batten sit down for a chat each episode. In episode 4 they talk about why some Prisoner fans are upset that each episode of Corals Soapbox is not solely dedicated to Prisoner. Coral and Matt discuss Shane Crawford and the role he was given on the theatre production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and what Coral thinks about an ex footballer given a theatre role. Coral shares her thoughts on the current affairs of Ex President Trump, We talk about David E Kelly’s new Netflix series The Lincoln Lawyer. The rest of the episode is dedicated to two characters that Coral created, Bev Baker played by Maggie Dence and Officer David Bridges played by David Waters. Coral talks about why she created Bev Baker and why the character was so dark and why she was only in the show for six episodes and why Bev had the ending she had. Coral walks us through the process of the writer’s room on Prisoner and how the episodes were created and written and how many of the writers were freaked out by the Bev Baker character. Coral breaks down the character Officer David Bridges and why she created him. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel
#coraldrouyn #prsioner #cellblockh #wentworth

Welcome to Episode 6 of Talking Prisoner Presents. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with the amazing Karina Arroyave who has had a career spanning over 30 years and has appeared in many Tv shows and Movies such as The Equalizer, Lean on Me, As the World Turns, New York Undercover, The Practice, Law and Order, Chicago Hope, Judging Amy, Empire, 24, NYPD Blue, 187, Blue Bloods, Bull, Law and Order Special Victims unit, Orange is the New Black, The Blacklist and so many more. We spoke to Karina about her life growing up and where the love of acting came from and how she first developed the passion for acting. We discussed her life living in New York and what it has been like to work during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Karina shared with us her memories of working on cult Movie Lean on Me and what it was like to shoot that movie and work with Morgan Freeman and getting to meet Joe Clark. Karina shared her memories of working with acclaimed Film Director John Avildsen who directed movies like Rocky, The Karate Kid, Lean on Me, Cry Uncle, Save the Tiger and what John meant to Karina and their special friendship. Karina also starred alongside Michael Douglas in the movie Falling Down and shared with us what it was like working with Michael and Director Joel Schumacher. We spoke to Karina about her friendship with Legendary actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman and her other stand out movie 187 which Karina worked alongside Samuel L Jackson, we broke down some scenes from this movie and discussed in detail. Karina shared her advice for upcoming actors trying to get into the entertainment industry. We then moved to Orange is the New Black, Karina appeared in six powerful episodes centred around immigration and child separation and what it was like to play the part of Karla Cordova. We discussed what a typical day was like on the set of Orange and how she got the part on the show. We discussed the problem of Immigration in the USA and Karla’s thoughts on the current immigration situation and what she drew on to play those powerful scenes in Orange. We broke down some episodes with Karina Episode 5 Minority Report, Episode 11 God Bless America, and that powerful scene in the kitchen when Karla speaks to her children who have been adopted out. We then spoke about working with James Spader on the Blacklist. Karina was very giving of her time and was such an amazing person to learn about her career and life. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
 
#karinaarroyave #orangeisthenewblack  #michaeldouglas  #morganfreeman  #jamesspader

Welcome to Episode 3 of Corals Soapbox. Coral Drouyn has worked on some of Australia’s most iconic TV Shows and been responsible for some of the biggest storylines on many of our much-loved TV shows such as Neighbours, Home and Away, Blue Heelers, Streetsmartz, The Gerry Connolly Show, Pacific Drive and of course Prisoner. Coral worked on Prisoner as a script writer, Script Editor, Story Liner and Story Editor, and created some of the biggest characters ever to appear on Prisoner. Coral Drouyn and Matt Batten sit down for a chat each episode. In episode 3 they talk about the homelessness crisis in Australia and the exorbitant retirement income that politicians receive each year all whilst we have a homelessness crisis in the world. Coral and Matt then discuss the controversial Edna Pearson episodes on Prisoner. We discuss the case of Emily Perry in South Australia. Mrs Emily Perry was charged with two counts of attempting to murder Ken Perry, her third husband. The prosecution alleged that between July and November 1978, and again between February and October 1979, she administered poison to him with the intention of killing him. Mrs Perry was convicted on both counts and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour. There was no evidence directly implicating her, and no suggestion that she had poisoned her husband unintentionally. So as to establish a ‘course of conduct’, the prosecution relied on inferences that she had also been responsible for the deaths of three other people with whom she had had a close relationship. Coral discusses the similarities between this real-life case, the Edna Pearson Episodes and why Emily Perry started legal action against Grundy’s and why most scenes had to be cut from the show. Matt also discusses with Coral Episode 463 when Edna first arrives in Wentworth and all the other storylines that were happening in that episode including Marie Winter becoming Top Dog, Bobby losing her baby, Meg taken hostage. Matt talks to Coral about how Vivean Grey who played Edna Pearson felt about the character at the time and how long Coral intended for Vivean to stay on the show had the legal action not happen. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
#coraldrouyn #emilyperry #viveangrey #cellblockh

Welcome to Episode 50 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Brett Popplewell who is the head of Production scripted at Fremantle Media. Brett has a career in Film and Television spanning over 30 years and has performed the role of Executive producer and line producer on Emmy award winning shows such as Salems lot, Nightmares and Dreamscapes, The Starter wife. Brett also worked as a Producer and Assistant Director on shows such as Water Rats, E-Street, The Alice, The Man from snowy river, Wentworth, Prisoner, Mc Leods Daughters and co-created AFI Winner Bastard Boys. Brett is responsible for over 200 hours of award winning drama and $250 Million worth of Australian and International Productions. Ken and Matt spoke to Brett about his life growing up and what his life was like at school, his first job out of school and how he got his start in the Australian Tv and Film industry. Brett spoke about his passion for flying planes and scuba diving. Brett shares his memories working as an assistant director on Australian movie Melvin, Son of Alvin which was the sequel to Alvin Purple which was written by Prisoner legend Alan Hopgood. Brett shares his memories of working on E-Street as a producer for three years and what it was like to work with show creator Forrest Redlich and directors like Rod Hardy, Sean Nash, Tony Osicka and Leigh Spence. Brett spoke about the challenges of shooting a show like E-Street and why he thinks it was cancelled. Brett shares some stories about his time on Water Rats as an assistant director and the fun he had on that show working with Colin Friels and the amazing stunts they would shoot on the show. Brett co created Bastard Boys in 2007 and shares his memories of shooting that show and working with the workers that were sacked by Patrick Corporation at the time. Brett worked on Wentworth as a line producer in 2016 and shares story’s about the production of Wentworth and what it was like to work on Wentworth with Executive Producer Jo Porter and in Season 7 when the show was axed and how the fans had so much to do with Foxtel commissioning Season 8 of Wentworth. Brett spoke about the challenges of producing shows through covid and how Fremantle Media set the example to the rest of the world how to continue working safely during a pandemic. Brett shares his thoughts on the future of Free to air tv and his job as the head of Scripted Production at Fremantle Media. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
 
#wentworth #prisoner #cellblockh #fremantlemedia #brettpopplewell

Talking Prisoner Presents Sons and Daughters EP 4 Interview with Tom Richards David Palmer

Welcome to Episode 4 of Talking Prisoner Presents. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Tom Richards who played David Palmer in Sons and Daughters. Tom has appeared in many other Australian TV Classics such as Homicide, Division 4, Ryan, Bluey, The Sullivans, The Box, Chopper Squad, Cop Shop, Bellamy, Richmond Hill, The Flying Doctors, A Country Practice, Water Rats, Big Sky, Murder Call and All Saints, he is most known for playing David Palmer on Sons and Daughters. We spoke to Tom about his life growing up as a child and some of his first jobs he had out of school. Tom explained to us how he got into acting and what it was like to be in the 1971 Theatre production “The Rose and the Ring” at the famous Twelfth theatre. Tom played Terry Young in Matlock Police and told us about his time on Matlock and what it was like to work with Paul Cronin who played Senior Constable Gary Hogan. Tom shared with us a story about Roger Moore and the Bond girls, an absolute exclusive to Talking Prisoner. We then moved on to long running drama Sons and Daughters. We spoke about how Tom got the part of the hot tempered David Palmer and told us about what it was like to work with Brian Blain who played Gordon Hamilton. Tom shared with us why he left Sons and Daughters in 1986 and to come back in 1987. Tom shared all his memories with us about Sons and Daughters including what it was like working with Rowena Wallace Pat the Rat, Leila Hayes who played Beryl Palmer and working with Prisoner favourite Lisa Crittenden who played his daughter Leigh. Tom shared with us about the trip to Belgium to meet the fans and what that experience was like. Tom answered all fan questions and so much more.

Please like and subscribe to our YouTube Channel Talking Prisoner

#sonsanddaughters #davidplamer #tomrichards

Welcome to Episode 48 Part 1 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Lisa Crittenden for her first ever exclusive interview about her career. Lisa appeared in 91 episodes of Prisoner. Lisa has an extensive list of credits to her name such as Australian classic TV shows and Movies, such as Power Without Glory, The Sullivans, Holiday Island, Bellamy, The Restless Years, A Country Practice, Carson's Law, Whose Baby, Rafferty's Rules, High Tide, Coverstory, Every Woman's Dream, Repeat Performance, Xena Warrior Princess and Short Cuts. Lisa also played the regular character of Leigh Palmer in Sons and Daughters from 1985-1986, Nurse Carrie Burton in Shortland Street in 1992 and had 3 different roles in Blue Heelers. Part 2 is all about Prisoner and Lisa’s time on Prisoner. Ken and Matt spoke to Lisa about her first day on the set and a funny story about a chair she sat on in the green room. Lisa shares her memories of what it was like shooting her first scenes with Joy Westmore who played Officer Barry and how much she learnt from working with Maggie Kirkpatrick who played Joan Ferguson. Lisa spoke about working with legendary casting director Jan Russ who played Lisa’s on screen mum in Prisoner and also what it was like working with Darius Perkins who played Trevor Collins in the halfway house storylines. Lisa had many scenes with Sheila Florance and shares her memories of working with Sheila and her on screen boyfriend Spud played by Robert Forza and Alan Lee who played Tony Berman. We discussed the storyline surrounding Marina Finlay and Michael Cormick who played Lainie Dobson and Alan Farmer and what Lisa thought of that storyline. Lisa shares her memories working with Val Lehman and what she learnt as an actress from Val. Lisa had some great scenes with Carole Skinner who played Nola McKenzie and spoke about working with Carole and Betty Bobbitt. We discussed Lisa’s final scenes working with Lesley Baker who played Belle Tinker Peters and played Monica Ferguson in the early days of Prisoner. Lisa talks about her meeting with Ian Smith about Lisa finishing her time on Prisoner and much more. Lisa also answered all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our Youtube channel.
 
#lisacrittenden #maggiekirkpatrick #carolskinner #prisoner #cellblockh #wentworth

Welcome to Episode 48 Part 1 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Lisa Crittenden for her first ever exclusive interview about her career. Lisa appeared in 91 episodes of Prisoner. Lisa has an extensive list of credits to her name such as Australian classic TV shows and Movies, such as Power Without Glory, The Sullivans, Holiday Island, Bellamy, The Restless Years, A Country Practice, Carson's Law, Whose Baby, Rafferty's Rules, High Tide, Coverstory, Every Woman's Dream, Repeat Performance, Xena Warrior Princess and Short Cuts. Lisa also played the regular character of Leigh Palmer in Sons and Daughters from 1985-1986, Nurse Carrie Burton in Shortland Street in 1992 and had 3 different roles in Blue Heelers. Part 2 is all about Prisoner and Lisa’s time on Prisoner. Ken and Matt spoke to Lisa about her first day on the set and a funny story about a chair she sat on in the green room. Lisa shares her memories of what it was like shooting her first scenes with Joy Westmore who played Officer Barry and how much she learnt from working with Maggie Kirkpatrick who played Joan Ferguson. Lisa spoke about working with legendary casting director Jan Russ who played Lisa’s on screen mum in Prisoner and also what it was like working with Darius Perkins who played Trevor Collins in the halfway house storylines. Lisa had many scenes with Sheila Florance and shares her memories of working with Sheila and her on screen boyfriend Spud played by Robert Forza and Alan Lee who played Tony Berman. We discussed the storyline surrounding Marina Finlay and Michael Cormick who played Lainie Dobson and Alan Farmer and what Lisa thought of that storyline. Lisa shares her memories working with Val Lehman and what she learnt as an actress from Val. Lisa had some great scenes with Carole Skinner who played Nola McKenzie and spoke about working with Carole and Betty Bobbitt. We discussed Lisa’s final scenes working with Lesley Baker who played Belle Tinker Peters and played Monica Ferguson in the early days of Prisoner. Lisa talks about her meeting with Ian Smith about Lisa finishing her time on Prisoner and much more. Lisa also answered all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our Youtube channel.
 
#lisacrittenden #maggiekirkpatrick #carolskinner #prisoner #cellblockh #wentworth

Welcome to Episode 55 of Talking Prisoner, where your host, Matt Batten, has a profound conversation with Buddhist prison chaplain, Susan Shannon. Susan's remarkable career spans over four decades, with her most striking experiences centred around her work on death row at San Quentin Prison.
In this episode, we delve deep into Susan's life story, from her childhood years to her conversion to Tibetan Buddhism. Susan reveals her unexpected love for the hit TV show, The Sopranos, and shares a bit about her personal hobbies.
Our conversation transitions into her riveting journey at San Quentin Jail, from her very first day to her encounters with prison guards and inmates on death row. Susan recalls her initial visit to death row and describes the ambience that continues to stick with her.
Susan details the establishment of her Buddhist prison group, discussing its origin and evolution. She courageously shares her insights on the crimes committed by inmates she has worked with and provides an up-close look at the reality of life on death row.
Throughout the episode, we explore the challenges Susan faced in starting her chaplaincy within the prison system and her relentless efforts to make a difference. She reflects on the surreal experience of putting on a bullet/stab proof vest for the first time and her dedicated work with inmates on death row, particularly Albert 'Ru Al' Jones and Jarvis 'Jay' Masters.
We delve into a typical day in the life of an inmate on death row, discussing everything from meals and education to security protocols. The impact of Covid-19 on prisons also forms a vital part of our conversation.
Susan fondly reminisces about her meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and further unravels the harsh realities faced by inmates on death row.
Join us for this stirring episode that offers a rare, heartfelt insight into prison chaplaincy and the world within death row. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more engaging discussions.
#deathrow #susanshannon #prison #truecrime #podcast #prisonlife #sanquentin

Welcome to Episode 48 Part 1 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Lisa Crittenden for her first ever exclusive interview about her career. Lisa appeared in 91 episodes of Prisoner. Lisa has an extensive list of credits to her name such as Australian classic TV shows and Movies, such as Power Without Glory, The Sullivans, Holiday Island, Bellamy, The Restless Years, A Country Practice, Carson's Law, Whose Baby, Rafferty's Rules, High Tide, Coverstory, Every Woman's Dream, Repeat Performance, Xena Warrior Princess and Short Cuts. Lisa also played the regular character of Leigh Palmer in Sons and Daughters from 1985-1986, Nurse Carrie Burton in Shortland Street in 1992 and had 3 different roles in Blue Heelers. Ken and Matt spoke to Lisa about her life growing up as a child in Spotswood Melbourne and her parents supporting her acting career from a young age even from appearing on talent shows such as Young Talent Time. Lisa spoke about her challenging times at school and what inspired her to start acting. Lisa was in Whose Baby in 1987 which was based on a true story and was able to share her memories of working on that show. Lisa played Sally Meredith on the Sullivans and had some amazing stories to share about her time on that show. We also spoke with Lisa about her time as Briony Thompson in the Restless Years and her two different roles on A Country Practice in 1982 and 1984. Lisa spoke about her move to New Zealand to appear as Carrie Burton on Shortland Street and where she met Prisoner Producer Ian Bradley for a second time as he was working on Shortland Street. Lisa shared an emotional story with Ken and Matt about the day she decided that she wanted to leave the acting industry and what she has been doing since. Lisa also played Gabrielle’s mother Hecuba in Xena Warrior Princess and spoke about her time on Xena. Part 1 is dedicated to Lisa’s life growing up, career and her memories working on all the shows she has appeared on with some talk about Prisoner. Part 2 will be dedicated exclusively to Prisoner and Lisa’s memories of Prisoner. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube Channel and share these interviews. This is Lisa’s first ever interview about her career and is a Talking Prisoner exclusive.
 
 
#lisacrittenden #xena #thesullivans #prisoner #cellblockh

Welcome to Episode 3 of Talking Prisoner “Presents” Neighbours. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with David Clencie who played Original Neighbours cast member Danny Ramsey, David was also the very first person to say the very first word on Neighbours in Episode 1. David has appeared in many well known Australian TV shows such as A Country Practice, Cop Shop, The Sullivans, I Can Jump puddles, Starting Out, Stingers, Blue Heelers and Neighbours. We discussed David’s life growing up as a child and his school life and how he got his break in acting. David is also a passionate Richmond Tigers Supporter and runs a huge Richmond Fan group which we discussed with him. David discussed with us what it was like to work on the Crawford’s production Cop Shop and how he got his part on Starting out which was a Reg Watson show. We then moved on to David’s part playing Steve Sullivan on the Sullivans and what it was like to work on that show. David appeared in Neighbours for over 172 episodes and was on the very first Episode when Neighbours was with Channel 7, we discussed how he got the part of Danny Ramsey and what it was like for him and the cast when channel 7 axed the show and Channel 10 picked the show up, he explained to us the differences of Channel 10 owning the show compared to channel 7 and what his working schedule was like each day shooting Neighbours. David worked with some very talented actors over the course of Neighbours including Alan Dale, Anne Haddy, Vivean Gray, Jason Donovan, and his close friend Darius Perkins who played the original Scott Robinson. David was also able to share some special memories of working with Francis Bell who played Max Ramsey and then working with Gary Files who played Tom Ramsey. David told us about the time he went back to Neighbours in 2005 for the 20th Anniversary episode and how he felt being back on the set of Neighbours. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel Talking Prisoner
 
#neighbours #jasondonovan #davidclencie #copshop

Corals Soapbox EP 1
Welcome to Episode 1 of Corals Soapbox. Coral Drouyn was the Script Writer/Script Editor/Storyliner and Story Editor on Prisoner. Coral has been involved in the entertainment industry since a young child and is also an actress and singer. Coral is a huge part of the Australian TV industry working on shows such as Neighbours, Home and Away, Blue Heelers, Streetsmartz, Pacific Drive, Chuck Finn. In this episode Matt dropped a surprise question on Coral about the character Cynthia Leach who was played by the late great Beverley Dunn. Matt was curious to find out why we never saw more of Cynthia Leach on Prisoner and why we never saw Cynthia at Blackmoor which Coral explains to us why. This episode is focused on characters and the characters that Coral created on Prisoner, why she created them, why some don’t have a happy ending, how she structures characters, why we need that character, background story, emotional investment in a character and why some must be written out. Coral spoke with Matt why she had to write out Maurie Fields character Len Murphy and how characters like Len could start to overshadow the main characters like Joan Ferguson. Coral talks about the creation of Marlene Warren played by Genevieve Lemon, Coral talks about where the idea came from for creating Marlene, and why Coral gave Marlene the perfect ending with the marriage to Matt Delaney who was played by Peter Bensley. Coral wrote the wedding vows for the wedding and has a story behind where the vows came from and how popular the vows were at the time.  The subject of this character also brings up important discussion between Matt and Coral about body shaming. Coral and Matt spoke about the three male Prisoners coming into the show and why they came into the show. Coral talks about why fans either love or hate a character. Coral and Matt then discuss the creation of Lexi Patterson who was played by Pepe Trevor, Coral spoke about Marie Trevor’s thoughts on Pepe being cast for the part. Coral tells why she had Lexie dressed as Boy George and where the idea came from, Matt asked Coral’s thoughts on the escape storyline for Lexie as Coral had left Prisoner by that stage. The next character Coral talks about is Reb Kean who was played by Janet Andrewartha which was one of Corals favourite characters. Coral drew inspiration from James Dean and the movie Rebel Without a Cause and even had Janet have her hair cut to look like James and where the idea for Reb to be holding a comb with her. Coral tells a story that she has never told before about what the original storyline was meant to be for Trevor Kent played by Frank Burke and why Grundy’s would not allow Corals idea for her storyline. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
 
Small Error – Matt introduced this Episode as 44 when in fact it is Episode 1
 
#cellblockh #prisoner #homeandaway #coraldrouyn

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 45 Part 2 Interview with Pepe Trevor Lexie Patterson
Welcome to Episode 45 Part 2 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Pepe Trevor for part 2. Pepe is an actress, journalist, award winning author and artist and has appeared in many Australian classic TV shows and Movies including, The Sullivans, Skyways, All the Green Years, I can jump puddles, Cop Shop, Every move she makes, Kelly, Colin Carpenter, Say a little Prayer, Janus, Correlli, Law of the land, Road to Nhill, Stingers, Fergus McPhail, Blue Heelers and MDA. Pepe has also written award winning books including Listening for small sounds and Another mans office. Pepe’s Mum is the late great legendary TV Producer Marie Trevor who was a producer on Prisoner. Pepe discussed her memories of working with Pocco the dog and shares a very special story about Pocco. We discussed the escape episodes when Lexi was on the run and ended up hiding out in a brothel which was ran by Mabel played by the late great Val Jellay, Pepe spoke about shooting those outside episodes and what it was like to shoot away from the prison. Ken and Matt broke down the episodes of Lexi’s pregnancy and what it was like to shoot those scenes. Pepe was able to share her memories of working with Pat Evison who played Jessie Windom and what she thought of those storylines with Pat. Pepe worked closely with Jackie Woodburne who played Julie Chook Egbert and shared her memories of working with Jackie and her special friendship. Ken and Pepe shared memories of working with Prisoner Director Kendal Flanigan and what it was like to work with most of the Prisoner Crew. Pepe spoke about her exit from Prisoner and the reasons for her time to come to an end on the show. Pepe shared her memories of Remembering the man and her close friendship with Tim Conigrave and John Caleo and what she thought of her portrayal of her by Sarah Snook in the movie. Pepe answered all fan questions, please like and subscribe to our YouTube Channel Talking Prisoner.
#pepetrevor #cellblockh #sarahsnook

Welcome to Episode 47 of Talking Prisoner. Host Matt Batten sat down with Patrea Smallacombe. Patrea has worked as a Script Writer, Script Editor, Story Editor and Storyliner. She wrote and co-wrote 10 episodes of Prisoner and was a part of the Storyline team from 1982-1983. She has worked on other Australian TV shows, including The Young Doctors, Neighbours and A Country Practice. Patrea moved to the UK in 1987 where she continued to work on high profile shows, such as Emmerdale, Children's Ward, Families, Playing the Field Peak Practice, Brookside, The Bill, Family Affairs, Coronation Street, EastEnders, Hollyoaks Later, River City, Casualty, Holby City, Hollyoaks and London Kills. Matt discussed with Patrea her life growing up in South Australia and her years at school and how she got into script writing for the Young Doctors working with her famous Aunty Betty Quinn who was also a writer on Prisoner. Patrea shared her memories of her Aunty and what it was like working with Reg Watson in the early years of Prisoner and working with Ian Bradley. Patrea recalls her time she was researching for Prisoner and visiting actual Prisoners and spoke about the time she visited the lady who Shelia Florence’s character was based on and how nervous she was at the time. Patrea was also able to share memories of working with Writer Denise Morgan. Patrea shares with us how she begins her writing process and what it is like to work on UK Soaps compared to Australian Soaps. Matt asks Patrea what it was like in the writers room of Prisoner and what it was like day to day writing for Prisoner and Patrea shares a story about how the had to re write the script several times for the entrance of Joan The Freak Ferguson. Patrea also worked on Neighbours for a period and shares her thoughts on the ending of the Australian Iconic show. Patrea also worked on UK show Brookside and we spoke about the show creator Phil Redmond and what it was like to work with Phil and on Brookside and the dark storylines on the show. Patrea was able to answer all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
 
#patreasmallacombe #bettyquinn #coronationstreet #cellblockh #prisoner

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 46 Interview with Nicki Paull Inmate Lisa Mullins and Doris Cruickshank
Welcome to Episode 46 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Nicki Paull who played two roles on Prisoner, Doris Cruickshank and Lisa Mullins. Nicki is an Author, Voice Over artist and Counsellor. Nicki has appeared in many Australian classic TV shows and Movies including, A Thousand Skies, Return to Eden, Prisoner, Raw Silk, The Flying Doctors, Cluedo, Acropolis Now, GP, The Secret life of us, MDS, Blue Heelers, Paper Giants, and Winners and Losers. Ken and Matt spoke to Nicki about her life growing up on a farm and her time at school. Nicki shared with us where her love for acting came from and her current work as a fully accredited member of the ACA (Australian Counsellors Association) and her work as a counsellor and what it was like to start her own business just as the pandemic was starting in 2020. Nicki graduated from the Victorian College of Arts along with Prisoner cast member Pepe Trevor. Nicki lived with Pepe and her Mum Marie Trevor Prisoner producer and shared some memories with us about that time of her life. Nicki also appeared in Return to Eden which was created by Michael Laurence and starred Prisoner cast members Peta Toppano, James Smillie, and Wendy Playfair and told us why the shows ratings suffered towards the end of its run. Nicki also shared with us her memories of working on Neighbours and meeting casting Director Jan Russ and what it was like to work with Daniel MacPherson. Nicki appeared in 21 episodes of the Australian version TV show Cluedo as Miss Scarlett and shared her memories of working on that show along with Prisoner cast members, George Mallaby, Joy Westmore, Belinda Davey and Beverley Dunn. We then spoke about Nicki’s time on Prisoner and how she got the part of Doris Cruickshank and how she had to perfect a perfect British Yorkshire accent and what it was like to work with Nigel Bradshaw. Nicki was back on Prisoner in 1986 as Lisa Mullins but unfortunately her time was cut short on Prisoner due to illness which Nicki discusses in great detail on how she got sick and why the show could not wait for her to get better and how she would have loved to have stayed on the show much longer than she did. Nicki answered all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to the Talking Prisoner YouTube channel.
 
#nickipaull #prisoner #cellblockh #wentworth #neighbours

New Segment Talking Prisoner

We are excited to announce a new monthly segment called Corals Soapbox.

Coral Drouyn is an actress, singer and screenwriter/story editor best known for her work in television, including Prisoner, Arcade, Neighbours, Blue Heelers, Pacific Drive and Home and Away.

Coral is a huge part of the Australian TV Industry and has many more stories to share.

Every month we are going to discuss all the shows Coral has worked on, Story Ideas, Script Writing, Character creations, where her ideas come from, Why story’s work and don’t work and much more.

Please like and subscribe to the Talking Prisoner YouTube channel. #homeandaway #coraldrouyn #neighbours #blueheelers #prisoner

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 45 Part 1 Interview with Pepe Trevor Inmate Lexie Patterson

Welcome to EP 45 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Pepe Trevor who played inmate Lexie Patterson. Pepe is an actress, journalist, award winning author and artist and has appeared in many Australian classic TV shows and Movies including, The Sullivans, Skyways, All the Green Years, I can jump puddles, Cop Shop, Every move she makes, Kelly, Colin Carpenter, Say a little Prayer, Janus, Correlli, Law of the land, Road to Nhill, Stingers, Fergus McPhail, Blue Heelers and MDA. Pepe has also written award winning books including Listening for small sounds and Another mans office. In this episode we discussed Pepe’s life growing up and living the life of a gypsy. Pepe’s Mum is the late great legendary TV Producer Marie Trevor who was a producer on Prisoner, Pepe was able to share many stories about her mum and her career and what it was like for her Mum working on Prisoner. Pepe shared with us about her work as an artist and where she draws inspiration from to paint. We spoke about Pepe’s books that she has written and where her ideas come from to write and how she felt when she won awards for her books. Pepe’s last role on TV was back in 2005 and she discussed why she has not been back on TV since then. We then discussed Pepe’s time on Prisoner and how she got the part of Lexie Patterson, many people think they know how Pepe got the role of Lexie so you will be surprised to hear how she got the role. Pepe shared her memories of meeting and knowing casting director Jan Russ and we spoke about Coral Drouyn creating the character of Lexie. Pepe spoke in depth about how long it took for hair and make up to achieve the Boy George look and what her personal thoughts were on the whole Boy George aspect. We also discussed Pepe’s close friendships on screen and off screen with Genevieve Lemon, Maxine Klibingaitis and Jackie Woodburne and how they were able to achieve that on screen chemistry that we saw on Prisoner. Pepe shared her memories of that iconic scene where Joan Ferguson cut Lexie’s hair and what it was like to shoot that scene and we also broke down the Terrorist episodes. Pepe spoke about her very close friendship with Louise Siversen who played Lou Kelly and what it was like to shoot her scenes with her and the phantom lagger storylines and who thought of the phantom lagger storyline. We also broke down Episode 598 where we Lexie escape from Wentworth throught the air condition ducts. This is Part one, please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

#marietrevor #pepetrevor #cellblockh #prisoner #janruss 

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 44 Interview with Casting Director Jan Russ
Welcome to episode 44 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Legendary casting director Jan Russ. Jan is a highly respected Australian Casting Director known for her work on Prisoner and Neighbours. She is responsible for kick-starting the careers of some of Australia's best-known faces, such as Guy Pearce, Craig McLachlan, Stefan Dennis, Peter O'Brien, Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Jesse Spencer, Kym Valentine, Daniel McPherson, Holly Valance and Delta Goodrem to name but a few, as well as being a casting director she also played Maxine Daniels Mother in Prisoner and was the casting director on Prisoner for the last 18 months of the show. Jan also had an incredible 24-year career on Neighbours. We spoke to Jan about her life growing up and what her childhood and school life was like as well as learning how a free lunch with Ian Smith landed Jan the job as casting Director on Prisoner. Jan spoke about some of the cast that she auditioned for Prisoner and what it was like for her to work on the show for the last 18 months. Jan was able to share her memories of being offered the job on Neighbours by the show creator Reg Watson and told us what it was like to work with Reg and then when channel 7 axed Neighbours and moved to channel 10 for the next 37 years. Jan spoke about when she first met Kylie Minogue and why she let Hugh Jackman out of his contract for Neighbours. Jan spoke in depth about Neighbours and her process of how she would cast characters for the show and the dynamics of putting a family together on the show. We spoke to Jan about her thoughts on the ending of Neighbours. Jan shared with us her time on Prisoner and the differences working on Prisoner compared to Neighbours. We spoke to Jan about the current climate of Australian TV and what she thinks about it. In 2009 Fremantle Media decided to bring in an external casting agency and Jan was no longer required, Jan spoke to us how she felt about her exit from Neighbours and how she was treated during that time. Jan spoke with us in depth about her own personal emotional pain when she was forced to give up her child for adoption in the 1960s and how she only recently discussed this on Australian Story and why she only just recently publicly spoke about what she went through. Jan was able to answer all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel and share these interviews where you can.
 
#hughjackman #janruss #neighbours #prisoner #kylieminogue #deltagoodrem

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 43 Interview with Wendy Playfair Inmate Minnie Donovan
Welcome to Episode 43 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Wendy Playfair who played Minnie Donovan. Ken and Matt spoke with Wendy about her childhood growing up and her love for her parents and what it was like for Wendy at school and her love for Chocolate. Wendy spoke about where her love for acting came from and why she loves and adore acting and gave some amazing advice about acting. Wendy spoke about her real age and a funny story about how she lied about her age when she appeared on tv and her children’s reaction to when they found out their Mums real age. We spoke to Wendy about her stellar career in Radio where she first started and the radio plays that she starred in and what it was like to work in radio compared to Television and what her technique for learning her lines were. Wendy was living in Sydney at the time of getting the part on Prisoner and talks about how Grundy’s flew her down to Melbourne for the part as Minnie Donovan and what her audition was like and why Wendy changed the character of Minnie once she started. Wendy spoke about Shelia Florance and how much she enjoyed working with the crew. Wendy had a funny story about a scene she shot with Maggie Kirkpatrick on Prisoner and how much she adored Maggie.  Wendy spoke about her time on Packed to the rafters and Accidents Happen with Geena Davis. Wendy spoke about her love and affection for her seven grandchildren. Wendy also shares a special message for all the fans. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
 
#wendyplayfair #cellblockh #prisoner #radio #minniedonovan

Welcome to Episode 56 of Talking Prisoner where your host, Matt Batten, enjoys a sit-down with Lynne McGranger, best known for her role as Irene Roberts on the long-running soap, Home and Away. With nearly three decades on the show, Lynne proudly holds the title of longest-serving female cast member.
Before capturing our hearts as Irene, Lynne graced several other Australian TV shows such as The Flying Doctors, Skirts, Street Angels, Seven Deadly Sins, and Sky Trackers. In this episode, Lynne recounts her journey from her humble beginnings in Sydney, her time as a school teacher, and how she landed her enduring part on Home and Away.
We delve into the mystery surrounding Jacqy Phillips's departure and why she didn't continue as Irene. Lynne shares her insightful thoughts on the end of Neighbours and the future of free-to-air TV. With a fondness for theatre acting, Lynne has appeared in many pantomimes over the years which are also discussed in our conversation.
In the 1980s, Lynne was part of the comedy group, The Natural Normans, performing alongside Denise Scott, Sally-Anne Upton, and Lynda Gibson. Lynne reminisces about the laughs and the learning during her comedy stint.
In 2014, Lynne put on her dancing shoes for Dancing with the Stars, emerging as the runner-up. We chat about the intense schedule of learning to dance and the unforgettable experiences on the show. Lynne shares her journey of penning down her book, “Me, Myself and Irene,” and the process that led to its creation.
Interestingly, Lynne reveals that she discovered through a radio interview with Jonesy and Amanda that her character Irene was set to be axed in 2002. Fortunately, Coral Drouyn, a Prisoner Writer who had been hired to boost Home and Away's ratings, saved Irene, believing her character had many storylines left to explore.
Lynne also shares cherished memories of working with Chris Hemsworth who played Kim Hyde on Home and Away and a hilarious encounter with a fan during dinner with Ray Meagher after a long day of shooting.
Don't forget to like and subscribe to our YouTube channel to ensure you never miss an episode of Talking Prisoner!
 
#lynnemcgranger #homeandaway #chrishemsworth #neighbours

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 42 Part 2 Interview with Desiree Smith Officer Delia Stout
Welcome to Episode 42 Part 2 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Desiree Smith who played Officer Delia Stout. Desiree appeared in forty two episodes of Prisoner and also appeared in Neighbours and in Australian movie the Delinquents alongside Kylie Minogue. In part 2 Ken and Matt talked more about Prisoner including some of the funny places that Desiree was recognised in public and a very funny fan story with a German man. Desiree talks about who she is still friends with from the show today and her special friendship with Prisoner star Shery Munks who played Brumby Tucker and Maxine Klibingaitis who played Bobbie Mitchell. Desiree talks about how surprised she is at how popular the show is so many decades later and the legion of fans that still watch the show. Desiree was able to answer all fan questions including what Desiree thought about her storylines becoming boring towards the end of the show and what some of her favourite storylines were. We spoke about the episode of Neighbours she appeared in alongside David Clencie and Darius Perkins and why there was no romance with Marty Jackson on Prisoner. Desiree spoke about the time she went back to visit the Wattle where they filmed the iconic boat episodes of Prisoner. Desiree is a passionate supporter of National Reconciliation Week which we discuss in detail. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
 
#desireesmith #neighbours #prisoner #cellblockh

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 42 Interview with Desiree Smith Officer Delia Stout
Welcome to Episode 42 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Desiree Smith who played Officer Delia Stout in the final year of Prisoner. Desiree appeared in forty two episodes of Prisoner and also appeared in Neighbours and in Australian movie the Delinquents alongside Kylie Minogue. Ken and Matt discussed with Desiree her life growing up, everything from home life and school and how she was able to get into acting. Desiree appeared in the 1989 Australian movie called the Delinquents which was directed by Chris Thomson and was Kylie Minogue’s first movie, Desiree spoke to Ken and Matt about this movie in great detail and how she got the part of Mavis and what it was like to work alongside Kylie Minogue, we then moved on to Neighbours, Desiree played Angela in Neighbours in 1985 and we spoke about Desiree’s time on Neighbours. Desiree was able to share with Ken and Matt about her time on Prisoner and how she got the part of playing Officer Delia Stout and what she thought about the officers uniform. Desiree was able to share with us what it was like to work with Philip Hyde who played Officer Rodney Adams and Michael Winchester who played Officer Marty Jackson and the storyline she would have liked to have seen for Delia and Marty. Desiree shared with us a story about Maggie Kirkpatrick and the Non-Smoking Green Room. Desiree talks about the similarities between her and Delia and we also spoke in detail about the work experience boat episodes and the sports day episodes. Desiree spoke about her favourite episode and storyline and what it was like to work with Rosanne Hull-Brown who played Merle Jones. Desiree was also able to share her memories on working with cast and crew who are no longer with us anymore such as Gerda Nicholson, Joy Westmore, Taya Straton, Justine Saunders, and Kendal Flanagan. We also spoke about why Delia Stout just disappeared from Wentworth. You will all be pleased to know that there is a part 2 in where Desiree is able to answer all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
#desireesmith #kylieminogue #neighbours #cellblockh

Welcome to EP 41 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Glenda Linscott who played inmate Rita Connors. Glenda graduated from NIDA and has worked in all aspects of the performing arts industry. Alongside her considerable acting credits, she has not only been in theatre shows, but also directed them as well. Glenda is also a performance coach, actor trainer and voice-over artist. Her TV credits include: Mennotti, The Sullivans, Patrol Boat, The Cowra Breakout, A Country Practice, The Miraculous Mellops, Big Ideas, Janus, Soldier, Soldier, Murder Call, All Saints, Back Berner, Fergus McPhail, MDA, McLeod's Daughters, Underbelly: Infiltration, Winners and Losers, Neighbours, and the Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries. We spoke to Glenda about her life growing up and what lead her into acting and her time and NIDA and what it was like to study at NIDA. Glenda currently teaches at the Western Australian Academy of Performing arts (WAAPA) and spoke to us what it is like to teach. We spoke to Glenda about her time on the various TV shows that she has appeared on and how she got the part on Prisoner and what the audition was like for her. Glenda was able to share her memories of playing Dr Imogen “Tootsie” Soames in Murder Call and what it was like preparing for that role. We spoke in length about Glenda’s time on Prisoner and how she got the role of Top Dog Rita Conners and what the audition was like. Rita wore many tattoos on the show and she told us why they ended up showing less of her tattoos later in the show. Glenda shared with us about her heavy workload on the show and fainting on set one day from exhaustion and how tiring it could be playing Rita. Glenda shared some stories and memories of working with Ian Doig who played slasher and filming those scenes with the CB radios. We broke down some iconic scenes that Glenda appeared in including the fight against Joan Ferguson in the Lou Kelly Riot episodes and what it was like to film those episodes and we also discussed the Blackmoor period and working with Ray Meagher.
 
#glendalinscott #ritaconnors #cellblockh #wentworth

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 40 Interview with Colette Mann Inmate Doreen Anderson

Welcome to EP 40 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Colette Mann who played inmate Doreen Anderson. Colette has also been in many Australian TV shows and films, including The Champion, Between Wars, Cop Shop, Kitty and the Bagman, Always Afternoon, Outback Bound, The Flying Doctors, Stark, Snowy River: The McGregor Saga, The Client, JAG, Party of Five, The Dish, MDA, Blue Heelers, H.M.S. Pinafore and Fisk. Her theatre credits include Priscilla Queen of the Desert. She is also very well known for another big role as a series regular in Neighbours as Sheila Canning. We spoke to Colette about her life growing up and how she first got into acting and what it was like to work on shows like the Don Lane show and Good Morning Australia with Bert Newton and her time on Talkback radio. Colette was also in a three woman troupe called the mini Busettes with her Prisoner co stars Betty Bobbitt and Jane Clifton and spoke to us about how that troupe formed and what it was like working with Jane and Betty. We spoke in great length about her time in the movie Kitty and the bagman which Colette appeared in alongside Val Lehman. Colette told us about her first time on Neighbours in 1995 when she replaced Prisoner co star Caroline Gilmer who played Cheryl Starke who fell ill at the time. Colette also played Sheila Canning for over ten years on Neighbours and told us how she got the part and what it was like to work on Neighbours and why she left Neighbours (Talking Prisoner Exclusive). Colette also told us how she got the role of Doreen Anderson on Prisoner and what the audition was like. We discussed why she chose to leave the show and why she decided to come back for a guest appearance in 1984. Colette was able to share some beautiful memories of working alongside Sheila Florance and what it was like to shoot the escape scenes with Carol Burns who played Frankie Doyle dressed as nuns. Colette was also able to tell us why the Cameo of her, Fiona Spence and Val Lehman was not used on Wentworth. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

#colettemann #prisoner #cellblockh #wentworth #neighbours

Welcome to Episode 39 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with the amazingly talented Anna Hruby who played inmate Paddy Lawson. Anna has appeared in many Australian TV shows and Movies including Seven Little Australians, The Evil Touch, The Outsiders, The Sullivans, The Young Doctors, Chopper Squad, Case for the Defence, Skyways, Cathy's Child, The Journalist, The Restless Years, Cop Shop, Sporting Chance, Bellamy, Sons and Daughters, Rafferty's Rules, The Harp in the South, Fields of Fires, Poor Man's Orange, Fragments of War: The Story of Damien Parer, E-Street, The Flying Doctors, Big Ideas, A Country Practice, G.P., Janus, Police Rescue, Heartbreak High, Children's Hospital, Fireflies, All Saints and Blood Brothers. She is also very well known for her role as Headmistress, Judith Ackroyd in Home and Away from 1999-2000. We spoke to Anna about her life growing up and what it was like to come from such a big showbusiness family with her Mum being Joy Hruby who was a Actress, Producer, Film Maker, Author, Entertainer, Comedian and Agent with a career spanning more than 50 years. Anna was able to share her memories of working on Seven Little Australians and working with Len Teale and Ruth Cracknell. We then discussed her role on The Sullivans and playing Sandy Pearce on the Young Doctors, a role that led to Anna being expelled from school. We discussed her role as Tracy Kingsford on Sons and Daughters and one her well known roles as Judith Ackroyd on Home and Away and her memories of working on that show. Anna is also a very well known voice over artist and is also known as the Telstra lady, Anna also performed a Telstra voiceover message for us live on this interview. Anna shared her memories of working on Prisoner playing Paddy Lawson and how she got the role and some very funny stories about her first day on set and an even funnier one about Sheila Florance. We talked about the great fire escape episodes and the traumatic death scene with Nola killing Paddy. Anna told us why she left Prisoner even after she was asked to stay longer and renew her contact. We covered lots about Prisoner and Anna answered all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
 
#annahruby #joyhruby #cellblockh #prisoner #telstra #wentworth

Welcome to Episode 39 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with the amazingly talented Anna Hruby who played inmate Paddy Lawson. Anna has appeared in many Australian TV shows and Movies including Seven Little Australians, The Evil Touch, The Outsiders, The Sullivans, The Young Doctors, Chopper Squad, Case for the Defence, Skyways, Cathy's Child, The Journalist, The Restless Years, Cop Shop, Sporting Chance, Bellamy, Sons and Daughters, Rafferty's Rules, The Harp in the South, Fields of Fires, Poor Man's Orange, Fragments of War: The Story of Damien Parer, E-Street, The Flying Doctors, Big Ideas, A Country Practice, G.P., Janus, Police Rescue, Heartbreak High, Children's Hospital, Fireflies, All Saints and Blood Brothers. She is also very well known for her role as Headmistress, Judith Ackroyd in Home and Away from 1999-2000. We spoke to Anna about her life growing up and what it was like to come from such a big showbusiness family with her Mum being Joy Hruby who was a Actress, Producer, Film Maker, Author, Entertainer, Comedian and Agent with a career spanning more than 50 years. Anna was able to share her memories of working on Seven Little Australians and working with Len Teale and Ruth Cracknell. We then discussed her role on The Sullivans and playing Sandy Pearce on the Young Doctors, a role that led to Anna being expelled from school. We discussed her role as Tracy Kingsford on Sons and Daughters and one her well known roles as Judith Ackroyd on Home and Away and her memories of working on that show. Anna is also a very well known voice over artist and is also known as the Telstra lady, Anna also performed a Telstra voiceover message for us live on this interview. Anna shared her memories of working on Prisoner playing Paddy Lawson and how she got the role and some very funny stories about her first day on set and an even funnier one about Sheila Florance. We talked about the great fire escape episodes and the traumatic death scene with Nola killing Paddy. Anna told us why she left Prisoner even after she was asked to stay longer and renew her contact. We covered lots about Prisoner and Anna answered all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
 
#annahruby #joyhruby #cellblockh #prisoner #telstra #wentworth

Welcome to Episode 34 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with the talented Script Writer/Script Editor/Storyliner and Story Editor Coral Drouyn. In this final episode with Coral we discussed why Coral was really sacked from Prisoner, this has never been public knowledge and we broke it first on Talking Prisoner. We also broke down episode 399 (The Death of Hazel Kent) and why Coral came up with that storyline and what the reason for it was to have Hazel written out of the show and how hard it was for Coral to write those scenes. In this episode Coral answered every fan question that was asked of her including other Tv shows she would have liked to have worked on, her time on the short lived soap “Arcade” Why Reylene Pearce (Phyllis Hunt) was written out the way she was, what Coral considered to be the Golden Era of Prisoner, why the disappearance of Nora Flynn and what she thought of Nora as Top Dog, Coral gave us her own personal insight as to why she wrote the scene for Kate Petersons “Tick Tick Tick” solitary scene and what she drew on for that scene, something she has never shared publicly before, This is a ground breaking Episode of Talking Prisoner with so much behind the scenes information that has never been made public before. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
 
#coraldrouyn #prisoner #cellblockh #wentworth #arcade

Welcome to Episode 38 of Talking Prisoner.  Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Terrie Waddell who played inmate Lisa Mullins. Terri was in the final year of Prisoner and in the very last episode 692. Terrie has also appeared in Neighbours, A Country Practice, A Cry in the Dark, Golden Braid, Wedlocked, The Dame was loaded and Prisoner. We discussed Terries life growing up as a child and where her love for acting came from. Terrie told us about her time on Neighbours and her thoughts on the recent axing of the show. Terrie shared with us why she left acting and to become a Professor in the Department of Creative Arts and English, she shared with us her passion for writing and writing the book “The Lost Child Complex in Australian Film. We discussed Prisoner in great depth and what it was like for Terri to take over the character of Lisa Mullins from Nikki Paul and how she felt about getting the part and how quick it all happened. Terri had many scenes with Rosanne Hull-Brown who played Merle Jones and discussed with us what it was like working with Rosanne and working with Philip Hyde who played Officer Rodney Adams and gave us some behind the scenes on the attempted Rape scene with Peter Lindsay who played Spud. Terrie shared her memories of what it was like to work on Prisoner in its final year and how heavy the workload was with the long hours, We also asked Terrie if the show was to continue would she have like to have continued on longer as Lisa Mullins. Terrie had some scenes with the late Taya Stratton and shared her memories about Taya who played Spider Simpson. There has been lots of speculation and Rumours over the years that Terrie was pregnant when she was on Prisoner and Terri confirms with Ken and Matt the true story on Talking Prisoner. We also spoke about her memories on the last day of Prisoner working on Episode 692 and her scenes with Glenda Linscott, Terrie is a huge fan of Wentworth and shares her thoughts about the re-imagining of Prisoner, We spoke about so much more, Terrie was able to answer all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel
 
#terriewaddell #prisoner #cellblockh #wentworth

Talking Prisoner “Presents” Neighbours Interview with Morgana O’Reilly (Bonus Easter Episode)
Welcome to our bonus Easter Episode of Talking Prisoner “Presents” EP 9. Host Matt Batten sat down with Morgana O’Reilly who is a Television and Film actress, Stand up Comedian and Playwright. Morgana is well known for her role in Neighbours playing Naomi Canning and Narelle Stang in Wentworth, she has also appeared in The Jaquie Brown Diaries, A Thousand Apologies, Piece of my heart, Sunny Skies, Housebound, Rake, Offspring, Secret Bridesmaids and is currently touring her new show “Stories about my body”. Morgana spoke to us about her life growing up, school life, what her parents thought about her getting into the industry. We spent some time talking about her hobbies, what life was like in lockdown for her and what it was like to work with Rebecca Gibney in “Wanted”. Morgana spoke to me in length about her time on Neighbours and what it was like working with Colette Mann and Stefan Dennis both who appeared in Prisoner and Ryan Moloney who plays Toadie, we spoke about her first day on set and her audition and why she did not want a long contract on the show. We then moved on to Wentworth and talked about her role as Narelle Stang and what it was like to work on the show and working with cast like Pamela Rabe, Kate Atkinson and her close friendship with Danielle Cormack. We spoke in great length about her new show Stories About My Body which is a new show that Morgana is touring at the moment and performing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and what it is like working as a stand up comedian. We spoke about so much more and we are also going to giveaway two free tickets to Morgana’s show to two lucky viewers. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
#morganaoreilly #wentworth #neighbours #comedy #comedian

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 37 Interview with Linda Hartley (Inmate Roach Waters)
Welcome to Episode 37 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with the talented Linda Harley who played inmate Rachel “Roach” Waters. Linda has never publicly spoken about her time on Prisoner so it was great to get her insight about the show and her character. Linda has appeared in many well known Aussie TV shows and Movies such as The Bush Gang, Cornflakes for Tea, Home, The Fire in the Stone, Carson’s Law, The Flying Doctors, Breakers, All Saints and well known for her three parts on Neighbours. We spoke to Linda about her time growing up as a child and her love for dancing at a young age and her school life. Linda spoke to us about her time on the Tv shows and Movies she has appeared in and what it is like to be still recognised for her role in Prisoner to this day. Linda is also married to John Clark who was in Neighbours co star Craig McLachlan’s band Check 1-2 and how the two of them met. We also discussed why Linda left the actin industry. Linda appeared in 27 episodes of Prisoner and we discussed her audition for the part of Roach and where the nickname of Roach came from. We broke down Linda’s first scene working with Gerda Nicholson, Lois Ramsey and what it was like to work with Shane Connor who played Bongo Conners. We spoke about the storyline that was proposed by Marie Trevor for Linda’s possible return to Prisoner after she set of on the boat and what it was like working with Ian Smith on Prisoner and Neighbours. Linda spoke to us about what it was like working with Nick Carrafa who played Mick on Prisoner. Linda worked closely with Glenda Linscott on Prisoner and was able to share her memories of working with Glenda on the show and behind the scenes. Linda answered all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
 
#lindahartley #prisoner #cellblockh #wentworth #neighbours

Talking Prisoner EP 54 Interview with Governor Eddie Mullins Mountjoy Prison

Welcome to Episode 54 of Talking Prisoner where our host, Matt Batten, has an enlightening conversation with Governor Eddie Mullins of Mountjoy Prison in Ireland.

In this episode, Eddie shares his life's journey that led him to the prison service in 1991 and his eventual ascension to the role of governor.

Our conversation delves into various aspects of prison life, including the rehabilitation process, the prevalence of weapons, and the day-to-day lives of inmates.

We also explore the realities of serving as a governor, how Eddie manages to distance himself from the inmates' crimes, and the struggles ex-inmates face in finding employment due to Ireland's spent convictions scheme.

Governor Mullins sheds light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prison life, the role of education and health in prisons, and the quality of prison food. We also discuss the intricate dynamics of the court system, sentencing procedures, and the oftentimes complicated relationship between politicians and the prison system.

Additionally, Eddie shares the uplifting story of Mountjoy's prison choir and teases some exclusive news about the next chapter of his career.

Join us for this compelling conversation and don't forget to like and subscribe to our channel for more deep dives into the world of True Crime

#mountjoy #truecrime #prison #eddiemullins #ireland

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 36 Interview with Tottie Goldsmith (Inmate Gloria Payne)
Welcome to Episode 36 of Talking Prisoner Cell Blok H. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down the talented Tottie Goldsmith who played inmate Gloria Payne in Prisoner. Tottie is an icon of Australian Tv and theatre and has appeared in many TV shows such as The Young Doctors, The Henderson Kids, GP, All together Now, Fire, Stingers, Blue Heelers, Neighbours The Secret life of Us, Underbelly and so many more. We spoke to Tottie about her life growing up and spoke about her Dad Brian Goldsmith the nightclub king of Australia. We touched on Totties school life, her famous Aunty Olivia Newton-John and what she thought about Grease and Tottie also lets us in on a little secret of hers about John Travolta. Tottie spoke briefly about her time on the Henderson Kids and how she got the part on Neighbours and what it was like to work with Margot Robbie and her thoughts on the recent axing of Neighbours. Tottie also appeared in I’m a Celebrity get me out of here and told us all about the show and what it was like to appear in a show like that. We then spoke about Tottie’s time on Prisoner and how she got the part of Gloria Payne and what her first day was like. Tottie has very fond memories of working with Annie Phelan who played Top Dog Myra Desmond. We discussed her band the Chantoozies, We also discussed the charity work Tottie does and her work with the Big Umbrella Group. Tottie was able to answer all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
 
#tottiegoldsmith #olivianewtonjohn #briangoldsmith #cellblockh #prisoner

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 35 Interview with Kate Hood (Kath Maxwell)

Welcome to Episode 35 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with the talented Kate Hood who played Inmate Kath Maxwell. Kate has appeared in many Tv shows and Movies including Constance, Mesmerized, Takeover, The Flood: Who will save our Children ?, Blue Heelers and Neighbours. Kate Spoke with us about those shows she has appeared in and also about her writing, directing and voice over work. Kate spoke in length about her production company she formed called Raspberry Ripple Productions that creates work to dissolve the divide between the mainstream and disability arts sectors which Kate is very passionate about. We spoke to Kate about her life growing up and where the love of acting came from and then we delved into Prisoner and how she got the part of Kath Maxwell. Kate spoke in great length about Prisoner and her audition and what it was like to shoot her scenes with the late great Peter Adams who played Acting Governor Bob Moran. We discussed her major storyline of euthanasia and what she did to prepare for the role and storyline. Kate also spoken in great detail about working with Taya Stratton who played Spider Simpson, and what it was like to work with Rosanne Hull-Brown who played Merle Jones. Kate told us how she felt when she found out Prisoner was ending and how she felt being Wentworth’s last Top Dog. We also discussed why Kate was not in the final ever scene of Prisoner. Kate also shared with us a very funny fan moment that happened to her when she was shooting Prisoner. Kate answered all fan questions. Please Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
 
#katehood #kathmaxwell #cellblockh #prisoner #wentworth

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 34 Part 2 Interview with Coral Drouyn (Script Writer/Story Editor)
Welcome to Episode 34 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with the talented Script Writer/Script Editor/Storyliner and Story Editor Coral Drouyn. In part 1 we covered Corals time on Prisoner, Coral worked on prisoner for over 224 episodes and at one stage was running the entire writing office. Coral discussed with us how she began her time on Prisoner and her ambition to work on Prisoner in the earlier days of the show. Coral was able to run us through the writing process and how it all starts and the visits to the studios in Nunawading to look at the sets so the writing team knew what they were working with. Coral explained the differences between her roles as a Script Writer, Script editor, Storyliner and Story editor. Coral wrote fan favourite episode 369 (Bea Shoots Nola) and told us about her idea for this episode and why they killed off Carole Skinners character Nola McKenzie. We then discussed how Coral took hold of the character Joan Ferguson and the dark places she took Joan and where the idea for the black leather gloves came from and the story behind it (Fans will love this story) We moved on to Episode 391 which saw Wentworth go into lockdown with the inmates contracting Lassa Fever, Coral was responsible for storylining this episode and we asked her where her idea came from to lockdown Wentworth. Coral told us about her leaving the show and how her writing process starts. We were also very fortune to breakdown Corals characters that she developed and we found out who was originally going to play Rita Conners, This interview is jam packed with so much behind the scenes Prisoner information and we will be filming part 2 to answer all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
#coraldrouyn #prisoner #cellblockh #wentworth

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 34 Part 2 Interview with Coral Drouyn (Script Writer/Story Editor)
Welcome to Episode 34 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with the talented Script Writer/Script Editor/Storyliner and Story Editor Coral Drouyn. In part 1 we covered Corals time on Prisoner, Coral worked on prisoner for over 224 episodes and at one stage was running the entire writing office. Coral discussed with us how she began her time on Prisoner and her ambition to work on Prisoner in the earlier days of the show. Coral was able to run us through the writing process and how it all starts and the visits to the studios in Nunawading to look at the sets so the writing team knew what they were working with. Coral explained the differences between her roles as a Script Writer, Script editor, Storyliner and Story editor. Coral wrote fan favourite episode 369 (Bea Shoots Nola) and told us about her idea for this episode and why they killed off Carole Skinners character Nola McKenzie. We then discussed how Coral took hold of the character Joan Ferguson and the dark places she took Joan and where the idea for the black leather gloves came from and the story behind it (Fans will love this story) We moved on to Episode 391 which saw Wentworth go into lockdown with the inmates contracting Lassa Fever, Coral was responsible for storylining this episode and we asked her where her idea came from to lockdown Wentworth. Coral told us about her leaving the show and how her writing process starts. We were also very fortune to breakdown Corals characters that she developed and we found out who was originally going to play Rita Conners, This interview is jam packed with so much behind the scenes Prisoner information and we will be filming part 2 to answer all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
#coraldrouyn #prisoner #cellblockh #wentworth

Welcome to Episode 34  of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with the talented Script Writer/Script Editor/Storyliner and Story Editor Coral Drouyn. Coral has been involved in the entertainment industry since a young child and is also an actress and singer. Coral is a huge part of the Australian TV industry working on shows such as Neighbours, Home and Away, Blue Heelers, Streetsmartz, Pacific Drive, Chuck Finn and is also responsible for saving the career of a Home and Away favourite which we spoke to Coral in great length about. Coral shared her memories with us growing up as a child, what it was like to have parents who were in show business and what it was like to come over to Australia in a boat. Coral talks in great length about her writing process for scripts and her passion for writing for tv shows and the lengths she went to making sure that her scripts were perfect. Coral shared with us the long hours she worked on shows the stress and toll it took on her and her family life. We spoke with Coral about how she was headhunted to come and save Home and Away and what she did to save the show and to fix the ratings. We also spoke about the ill fated soap “Arcade” where Coral played Consuela McPhee, Coral explained why this show did not work and some behind the scenes information that none of us ever knew about Arcade. We spoke in great depth about Corals time writing for Neighbours with Reg Watson. Coral wrote the final episode and one of the most heart breaking episodes of Blue Heelers where Maggie Doyle dies, Coral explains why they killed off Maggie and why Lisa McCune did not speak to her for two years. Coral also saved the career of Home and Away favourite Lynne McGranger who plays Irene Roberts, Coral told us why she kept Irene in the show when the writers wanted to write her out and the Australian Writers Award she won for writing Episode 3445 of Home and Away involving everyone’s favourite Alf Stewart played by Ray Meagher. Fans will be excited to know that Part 2 will be dedicated to all the characters Coral developed on Prisoner and fan questions. Please like and subscribe to the Talking Prisoner YouTube channel.
#homeandaway #coraldrouyn #neighbours #blueheelers

Welcome to Episode 34  of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with the talented Script Writer/Script Editor/Storyliner and Story Editor Coral Drouyn. Coral has been involved in the entertainment industry since a young child and is also an actress and singer. Coral is a huge part of the Australian TV industry working on shows such as Neighbours, Home and Away, Blue Heelers, Streetsmartz, Pacific Drive, Chuck Finn and is also responsible for saving the career of a Home and Away favourite which we spoke to Coral in great length about. Coral shared her memories with us growing up as a child, what it was like to have parents who were in show business and what it was like to come over to Australia in a boat. Coral talks in great length about her writing process for scripts and her passion for writing for tv shows and the lengths she went to making sure that her scripts were perfect. Coral shared with us the long hours she worked on shows the stress and toll it took on her and her family life. We spoke with Coral about how she was headhunted to come and save Home and Away and what she did to save the show and to fix the ratings. We also spoke about the ill fated soap “Arcade” where Coral played Consuela McPhee, Coral explained why this show did not work and some behind the scenes information that none of us ever knew about Arcade. We spoke in great depth about Corals time writing for Neighbours with Reg Watson. Coral wrote the final episode and one of the most heart breaking episodes of Blue Heelers where Maggie Doyle dies, Coral explains why they killed off Maggie and why Lisa McCune did not speak to her for two years. Coral also saved the career of Home and Away favourite Lynne McGranger who plays Irene Roberts, Coral told us why she kept Irene in the show when the writers wanted to write her out and the Australian Writers Award she won for writing Episode 3445 of Home and Away involving everyone’s favourite Alf Stewart played by Ray Meagher. Fans will be excited to know that Part 2 will be dedicated to all the characters Coral developed on Prisoner and fan questions. Please like and subscribe to the Talking Prisoner YouTube channel.
#homeandaway #coraldrouyn #neighbours #blueheelers

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 33 Interview with Lynda Stoner (Eve Wilder)
Welcome to Episode 33 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with the amazingly talented Lynda Stoner. Lynda played vindictive inmate Eve Wilder who turned out to be the phantom lagger. Lynda appeared between episodes 574-600, Lynda has also appeared on other iconic Australian TV shows such as The Young Doctors (Kim Barrington), Cop Shop (Const. Amanda King) and many other shows. We discussed with Lynda her life growing up, school life, her time on the Young Doctors as Kim Barrington and why she left the Young Doctors. Lynda was also able to share some special memories of legendary actress Gwen Plumb, we discussed Lynda’s role on Cop Shop playing Constable Amanda King and how she got the part on Cop Shop and what it was like to film Crawford’s productions compared to a Grundy’s Production. Lynda shared her special memories working with Paula Duncan and the close friendship they still have until this day. We discussed in great length why Lynda left acting to purse and focus on animal rights and her role as Chief Executive of the charity Animal Liberation and living a vegan lifestyle. Lynda shared with Ken and Matt on how she was offered the role of Eve Wilder from then Producer Marie Trevor and her memories of working with Marie who is sadly no longer with us. We broke down some very important episodes with Lynda including Episode 586 when we see Eve violently try and murder Office Joyce Barry played by Joy Westmore, Lynda told us what it was like to film that scene and what it was like to shoot it with Joy Westmore, we then moved on to Episode 600 which was the great Lou Kelly riot and Eve meets her demise. Lynda told us what it was like to shoot the hanging scene and what steps they took to make that scene happen and shared with us on why she left the show and also the storyline the writers had planned for Lynda had she stayed on the show which would have taken the show in a completely different direction. Lynda answered all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
 
#lyndastoner #cellblockh #prisoner #evewilder #marietrevor

Talking Prisoner “Presents” Neighbours EP 2 Interview with Lucinda Cowden (Melanie Pearson)
Welcome to Episode 2 of Talking Prisoner “Presents” Neighbours. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down in this special episode and spoke with Lucinda Cowden who plays Melanie Pearson in Australia’s longest running drama Neighbours. Lucinda also appeared in two episodes of Prisoner Cell Block H and many other well known Australian TV shows. We spoke with Lucinda about her life growing up and what it was like for her at school and her time that she spent in the UK. Lucinda is also a voice over artist, and she spoke to us about her time in the Koala Brothers. Lucinda discussed with us her two roles she had on Prisoner and working with Maggie Kirkpatrick (Joan Ferguson) and Gerda Nicolson (Ann Reynolds) and how she got the parts on Prisoner. Lucinda shared with us how she got the part for Melanie on Neighbours and what it was like to work with Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce, Anne Charleston, Myra De Groot, Paul Keane, Annie Jones and told us a little secret about her iconic laugh. Lucinda also discussed with us why she left Neighbours in 1991 and what she thought of her storylines with Mark Little (Joe Mangel) and what she thought about Mark Little’s storyline when he came back in 2005. Lucinda also shared with us what it is like to work with her close friends on Neighbours Alan Fletcher, Jackie Woodbourne, Colette Mann and Stefan Dennis. Lucinda shared with us her thoughts on her recent storylines being the love interest for Toadie Rebecchi played by Ryan Moloney and the differences working on Neighbours in the 80s compared to now. Lucinda answered all fan questions.
#lucindacowden #cellblockh #prisoner #neighbours #melaniepearson

Talking Prisoner “Presents” Neighbours EP 2 Interview with Lucinda Cowden (Melanie Pearson)
Welcome to Episode 2 of Talking Prisoner “Presents” Neighbours. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down in this special episode and spoke with Lucinda Cowden who plays Melanie Pearson in Australia’s longest running drama Neighbours. Lucinda also appeared in two episodes of Prisoner Cell Block H and many other well known Australian TV shows. We spoke with Lucinda about her life growing up and what it was like for her at school and her time that she spent in the UK. Lucinda is also a voice over artist, and she spoke to us about her time in the Koala Brothers. Lucinda discussed with us her two roles she had on Prisoner and working with Maggie Kirkpatrick (Joan Ferguson) and Gerda Nicolson (Ann Reynolds) and how she got the parts on Prisoner. Lucinda shared with us how she got the part for Melanie on Neighbours and what it was like to work with Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce, Anne Charleston, Myra De Groot, Paul Keane, Annie Jones and told us a little secret about her iconic laugh. Lucinda also discussed with us why she left Neighbours in 1991 and what she thought of her storylines with Mark Little (Joe Mangel) and what she thought about Mark Little’s storyline when he came back in 2005. Lucinda also shared with us what it is like to work with her close friends on Neighbours Alan Fletcher, Jackie Woodbourne, Colette Mann and Stefan Dennis. Lucinda shared with us her thoughts on her recent storylines being the love interest for Toadie Rebecchi played by Ryan Moloney and the differences working on Neighbours in the 80s compared to now. Lucinda answered all fan questions.
#lucindacowden #cellblockh #prisoner #neighbours #melaniepearson

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 32 Interview with Steve Bastoni (Peter McCormack) Wentworth (Don Kaplan)
Welcome to Episode 32 of Talking Prisoner Cell Block H. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with the talented Steve Bastoni. Steve is one of the small handful of Actors to spear both in Prisoner and Wentworth. Steve has a stellar career and has appeared in many well known TV shows and movies such as The Magistrate, G.P, Frankies House, The Heartbreak Kid, Police Rescue, Blue Murder, Stingers, The Crocodile Hunter, The Matrix Reloaded, The Alice, Neighbours, Underbelly, Fat Tony and Co, He is also a writer and producer. We spoke to Steve about his life growing up in Italy and then as a teenager growing up in Carlton, Melbourne and when he decided he wanted to be an actor. Steve shared with us his memories of working on Neighbours playing the role of Steve Parker and why he took the role, We also discussed in great length about his portrayal of Undercover Officer Michael Drury in cult classis series Blue Murder and the danger that came with shooting this series. Steve told us about his time on Prisoner and what it was like for him on the first day of shooting Prisoner working with Julia Blake. Steve also played Detective Don Kaplan in the hit Foxtel drama Wentworth which he shared his memories of working with the likes of Sigrid Thornton and Celia Ireland. Steve is the founder of the Peninsula Film Festival and told us about how that all started for him and why he created the festival. Steve also shared with us about his time on Police Rescue playing Yiannis “Angel” Angelopoulos and what it was like to do all his own stunts. Steve also starred along side Keanu Reeves in the Matrix Reloaded and was able to share his memories working on that movie. Steve answered all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
 
#stevebastoni #wentworth #cellblockh #prisoner #keanureeves

Welcome to Episode 53 of Talking Prisoner, where we shine the spotlight on the creative genius behind Prisoner's hauntingly beautiful theme song, 'On the Inside'.
 
Our special guest today is none other than the legendary Allan Caswell, a luminary in the Australian country music scene with a Golden Guitar, multiple chart-topping hits, and over 900 songs to his credit. Although he never made an on-screen appearance in Prisoner, his contribution to the series' atmosphere and mood through 'On the Inside' is indelible. The song not only reached platinum status in Australia, but it also topped the UK singles chart, forever linking Allan to the iconic series.
In this in-depth conversation, host Matt Batten uncovers Allan's early life and school years, his impressive music portfolio, and his unique experiences performing in diverse locations like LA, Nashville, East Timor, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Allan also delves into the recognition he's earned through his eight Golden Guitar awards.
 
A significant portion of the interview is dedicated to exploring the history of 'On the Inside': how it came to be, Grundy's initial approach to Allan, how Lyn Hamilton came to lend her voice to it, and the fascinating fact that the original Prisoner theme song was supposed to be 'Unchained Melody'.
 
Allan imparts valuable wisdom for aspiring songwriters, candidly discusses the current state of the industry, and examines the impact streaming platforms like Spotify have had on music creation and consumption.
 
Join us in this captivating episode as we delve into the life and career of a country music legend. Please like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon on our YouTube channel to keep up with future Talking Prisoner interviews. Enjoy the conversation!"
 
#ontheinside #allancaswell #lynhamilton #prisoner #cellblockh

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 31 Interview with Sally Bourne (Kay Desmond)
Welcome to Episode 31 of Talking Prisoner Cell Block H. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Sally Bourne who played Myra Desmond’s daughter Kay Desmond. Sally is not only an actress of film and television but also an accomplished theatre actress and known for many productions such as Annie, Les Mis, My Fair Lady, Jesus Christ Superstar, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Beautiful Game and Jerry Springer the opera. We spoke to Sally about her life growing up in an entertainment family and what it was like for her school. Sally’s Dad is Ernie Bourne who also starred in Prisoner as Mervin Pringle, We spoke in great length about Sally’s father and learned so much more about the legendary Ernie Bourne and some very funny stories. Sally discussed with us her current project she is working on called Mrs Prime Minister which also stars Jane Clifton (Margo Gaffney). Sally shared with us her memories of working with Julie Andrews and Judi Dench and what it was like to work with them both. We spoke about Sally’s special friendship with Prisoner and Neighbours icon Lucinda Cowden. Sally also appeared in the first ever stage production of Annie as Annie in Australia working with Nancye Hayes and what it was like to appear on the Don Lane show singing “Tomorrow” in front of 3 million people at the age of 12. We spoke about Sally’s time on Neighbours, and her time working with American singer-songwriter Madonna on 1996 film “Evita”. We discussed in great length about Sally’s time on Prisoner and what it was like to play those drug addiction scenes and working with Anne Phelan, Sally shared lots of special memories of her time on Prisoner and how hard it was to film those scenes at Wally’s house in the bush. Sally also answered all fan questions for us.
Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel
#sallybourne #madonna #cellblockh #prisoner #erniebourne #evita

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 30 Interview with Sally McKenzie (Top Dog Roo Morgan)

Welcome to Episode 30 of Talking Prisoner (Cell Block H). Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with the talented Sally McKenzie who played Blackmoor Top Dog Roo Morgan. Sally is a NIDA graduate and has appeared in many Australian TV shows such as Special Squad, Rafferty’s Rules, Mother and Son, Cop Shop, The Flying Doctors and many more. We spoke to Sally about her life growing up as a child and her school life and how she broke into acting from a young age. Sally is also a Churchill Fellow and explained to us how she became a Churchill Fellow. Sally also played Elanor Rigby in Tv show Fat Cow Motel and spoke to us about her time on that show. Sally trained at The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and also directed a documentary called the acting class of 1977 which featured Mel Gibson, Judy Davis, Steve Bisley and Debra Lawrance. Sally is also has an extensive career in the theatre and has written and appeared in many plays which we also spoke about. We also spoke about the awards Sally has won and the Logie that she won for one episode of Cop Shop that she starred in. We spoke to Sally about her time on Prisoner and how she got the part of Top Dog Roo Morgan and what it was like to film the intense Riot scenes and her scenes with Ray Meagher who played Governor Craven. Sally answered all fan questions.

#sallymckenzie #cellblockh #prisoner #melgibson

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H  EP 29 Interview with Will Deumer (Crime Boss Lionel Fellowes)
Welcome to Episode 29 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with the talented Will Deumer who played several roles in Prisoner but his most notable role Crime Boss Lionel Fellowes. Will has an extensive list of TV credits to his name such as Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police, Cop Shop, Sons and Daughters, Carson’s Law, One Way Ticket, Stingers, Blue Heelers and Prisoner. We discussed with Will his life growing up in the Melbourne suburb of Northcote, his childhood growing up and how he broke into acting and what his school life was like. Will is also an amazing cook and shared his favourite meals with us that he likes to cook. We spoke about Wills time on Sons and Daughters playing Mr Bates and what it was like to work on that show. We also spoke to Will about his thoughts on why Prisoner is so popular today and how he is still remembered for his role as Lionel Fellowes. Will gave us some behind the scenes information about the very first episode of Prisoner (Episode 1) which we never knew. Will was able to share with us how he got the part of Lionel Fellowes and what he thought about playing a dangerous Crime Boss and his love for cigars and beautiful suits. Will was able to share a secret about Prisoner that Ken and Matt did not even know about what they were going to do with his character Lionel. We broke down episode 415 and what it was like to work with Maggie Kirkpatrick and Episode 542 working with Lois Ramsey and what his favourite storyline was. Will was generous with his time and answered all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
#willdeumer #lionelfellows #prisoner #cellblockh #wentworth

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 28 – Part 2 Interview with Maggie Kirkpatrick (Joan “The Freak” Ferguson)
Welcome to Episode 28 – Part 2 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Maggie Kirkpatrick who played officer Joan “The Freak” Ferguson. In part 2 Maggie answered all fan questions. Maggie answered questions such as what it was like to  work on stage in the west end, working on Prisoner Cell Block H the musical with Lilly Savage (Paul O’Grady), her close relationship with Elspeth Ballantyne, Judith McGrath and Carole Skinner who played Nola McKenzie, Maggie discussed what it was like working with the different top dogs of Wentworth, questions about her book The Gloves are off, her work with the Aids events and helping raise money for these organisations that help people with Aids, the scene with Joy Westmore and the laughing gas balloons, and what she thought about being crowned one of the nastiest villains on TV. Talking Prisoner also launched the official Maggie Kirkpatrick Memorabilia collection which is exclusive to Talking Prisoner.
#cellblockh #prisoner #maggiekirkpatrick #joanferguson