Owing much to Australia’s Prisoner: Cell Block H, this ITV post-watershed soap opera – devised by Ann McManus, Eileen Gallagher and Maureen Chadwick – focused on the female inmates of G-Wing at HMP Larkhall.
Michelle Dockley (Debra Stephenson) was feared by most. A lifer in for murder, ‘Shell’ bullied, stole or – where necessary – gave all of herself to get what she wanted.
Corrupt prison officer (later governor) Jim Fenner (Jack Ellis) was more of a criminal than most of the women incarcerated in the prison.
The prisoners also had to put up with the constant sneering of Officer Sylvia ‘Bodybag’ Hollamby (Helen Fraser)
New wing governor Helen Stewart (Simone Lahbib) faced hostility from prisoners and prison officers alike as she set out to destroy the old order.
Her staff felt increasingly under threat, while the inmates felt that life in Larkhall was about to become a real sentence.
Episodes were often thought-provoking and revealed the characters’ backgrounds and the relentless spirals of misfortune and bad judgment that made them fall foul of the law.
Some episodes also packed a powerfully unpleasant punch in their consideration of inmates who were not far short of evil, such as child trafficker Natalie Buxton (Dannielle Brent).
There were few happy endings in Larkhall’s G-Wing. Even the most sympathetic characters suffered, and it was definitely not a show for the faint-hearted, with drugs, rape, torture, child abuse, miscarriage, suicide, murder and decomposing corpses liberally strewn throughout eight seasons.
No subject was off the table: lesbianism, bisexuality, and transsexuality – and the prejudices these attract – were all part of the show.
Bad Girls was filmed in East London on the largest free-standing set ever used for a British drama. The vast three-floor prison took over three months to build and was housed in one of the country’s largest sound stages.
ITV eventually cancelled the series after seven years and 107 episodes due to declining viewership.
Michelle (Shell) Dockley
Debra Stephenson Officer Sylvia ‘Bodybag’ Hollamby
Helen Fraser Yvonne Atkins
Linda Henry Julie Johnston
Kika Mirylees Officer Jim Fenner
Jack Ellis Governor Helen Stewart
Simone Lahbib Maxine (Maxi) Purvis
Kerry Norton Nikki Wade
Mandana Jones Julie Saunders
Victoria Alcock Natalie Buxton
Dannielle Brent Officer Di Barker
Tracey Wilkinson Tina O’Kane/Tina Purvis/Julie O’Kane
Victoria Bush Daniella (Denny) Blood
Alicya Eyo Governor Karen Betts
Claire King Governing Governor Neil Grayling
James Gaddas Barbara (Babs) Hunt
Isabelle Amyes Crystal Gordon
Sharon Duncan-Brewster Alison (Al) McKenzie
Pauline Campbell Beverley Tull
Amanda Barrie Phyllida (Phyl) Oswyn
Stephanie Beacham Buki Lester
Kim Oliver Darlene Cake
Antonia Okonma Sharon (Shaz) Wylie
Lindsey Fawcett Colin Hedges
Tristan Sturrock Dr Nicholson
Philip McGough Janine Nebeski
Nicola Stapleton Josh Mitchell
Nathan Constance Officer Dominic McAllister
Joe Shaw Mark Waddle
Paul Opacic Pat Kerrigan
Liz May Brice Zandra Plackett
Lara Cazalet Kristen (Kris) Yates
Jennifer Ness Rev. Henry Mills
Michael Elwyn “Snowball” Merriman
Nicole Faraday Officer Lorna Rose
Luisa Bradshaw-White Selena Geeson
Charlotte Lucas Simon Stubberfield
Roland Oliver Roisin Connor
Siobhan McCarthy Cassie Tyle
Kellie Bright Arun Parmar
Rebecca Hazlewood
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Corrupt prison officer (later governor) Jim Fenner (Jack Ellis) was more of a criminal than most of the women incarcerated in the prison.
There were few happy endings in Larkhall’s G-Wing. Even the most sympathetic characters suffered, and it was definitely not a show for the faint-hearted, with drugs, rape, torture, child abuse, miscarriage, suicide, murder and decomposing corpses liberally strewn throughout eight seasons.
