Did you watch Prisoner in the Central ITV days?
 

This and the other ITV regional threads are here so you can take a trip back down memory lane and let us know how you discovered Prisoner, how your local ITV company showed it (some were better than others in how they treated the show) and any other memories you associate from the time - all are welcome on this thread.

Grampian would show it late sundays, my mother (and nearly ever one else's!!!) was hooked, i remember "vinegar tits" (a guard?) lizzie, bea etc...certainly DONT remember "alf" fae H&A as a sadistic warden though!!

Looks like you want to be in the Grampian thread! ;)

It's right here:

http://www.cult-labs.com/forums/your...-itv-days.html

I thought we could have a thread per region so people can swap memories accordingly.

The first episode I saw was the one which ended with Sandy Edwards pelting down the corridor towards a terrified Saint Meg, as the end-of-season riot kicked off.

Hooked instantly. How could anyone not be?

I loved watching the show in the Central region because they showed it three times a week. We were therefore far in front of the rest of the country. My aunt lived in a different TV region, and was also a Blocky addict. She often recorded episodes for me so I could find out some of the characters' back stories. It was particularly thrilling when she captured 116 for me, as Sharon's death had been mentioned quite a few times, what with Jock reappearing in the show not long after I started watching.

I seem to recall Central making a big fuss of the final episode, too, even though they messed around with the scheduling of the last few. Can't remember what they did, exactly, but they certainly made it feel like an Event.

When Blocky had finished, they ran Dangerous Women in its place. I lasted about three episodes into that one before deciding it was crap and switching off. You can't imitate PCBH.

They re-ran the early episodes a few years later (I still have one of the Pat O'Connell ones on tape somewhere from its second Central showing). It was fascinating to see the *really* early ones. I don't remember how far they got before they stopped, though.

Happy Days.

Of course, I've since seen the whole show again on C5, and am enjoying it once more on DVD. Can't wait until they get to Sandy's arrival - those are the episodes that *really* bring back the memories...

i watched it on Central when i lived in Northampton. i joined the series more than half the way through and i'm guessing that was sometime in 1989. i don't recall exactly the date but i watched it right up to the finale just before Christmas 1991. back then there were only 4 channels but on spare "channel 5" we could pick up a rather fuzzy reception of PCBH on Anglia that was several years behind Central. if the picture quality had been better i might have gone back to those earlier episodes and tuned in but it was terrible, you couldn't watch it. mind you it's probably just aswell as Anglia didn't get up to the finale until May 1996, i had moved out of the region by then.

There's a protest on YouTube from 1991, when Prisoner finished it's run on Central- search for prisoner cell block h fans protest.

At the 0.50 point, you don't know whether to laugh or cry- 'Prisoner Cell Block H is my whole life'- what, over having a job, boyfriend etc? I purchase the DVD's and sometimes go to events, but I work to pay for them. I wouldn't give up my job to devote my whole time to PCBH!

There is a protest on YouTube- search for prisoner cell block h protest.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that woman in the YouTube video- I love the show, but I wouldn't say it was my whole life over everything else- I work to pay to go to events and for the DVD's.

Oops, double post.

i remember watching that news broadcast... i never did understand why those fanatics held that protest, i mean it was simple, Central had screened EVERY episode.. the end was the end.

Yes, I was a Central viewer! I remember being really excited when they ran episodes every night one week, rather than the usual one or two!