 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(April 2011) |
| Bad Girls | |
|---|---|
| Season 3 | |
 Re-Release DVD | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Original release | 20 March – 3 July 2001 |
| Series chronology | |
Bad Girls returned to ITV with its third series on 20 March 2001 and ended on 3 July 2001. It consists of 16 episodes.
The third series picks up directly from the series two finale. Shell has led Fenner into her trap by luring him into her cell and stabbing him with a broken bottle she smuggled back from Bodybag's anniversary party. Fenner almost loses his life, while Hollamby has Shell transferred to the mental health wing where she comes face-to-face with an old enemy. Helen manages to get Nikki back into Larkhall where Helen puts an end to their relationship. Shell and Denny escape and wreak havoc in London, as they pay Hollamby a surprise visit at her home. Things seem to be going well for Crystal, who has recently been released from prison and is now engaged to Josh, but things are set to get worse as Shell and Denny arrive at her house. Maxi and Tina Purvis and Al MacKenzie (aka The Peckham Bootgang) arrive on G-Wing and make their presence known to the prisoners and officers alike. Josh has just become a prison officer, but he's in for a shock when he sees that Crystal is back on the wing. Nikki is set for her appeal, and if she wins, will she find Helen waiting for her?
Main
Special guest
Recurring
| Guest
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| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 1 | "Back From the Brink" | Mike Adams | Maureen Chadwick | 20 March 2001 | 9.42 | |
| Revenge-hungry Shell is armed and locked in a cell with Fenner. The officers, still recovering from Sylvia's party, must take drastic action. Helen too returns escaped prisoner Nikki to Larkhall. | |||||||
| 25 | 2 | "The Turn of the Screw" | Mike Adams | Jayne Hollinson | 27 March 2001 | 8.49 | |
| Fenner dies but is resuscitated and transferred to the hospital. Karen reveals that Dominic is not returning to the prison service. Sylvia is determined to make Shell suffer for her attack on Fenner and gets her moved to a psychiatric ward. "Mad" Tessa, Shell's old adversary, is ready and waiting to do the rest and Shell meets "Podger" Pam. Sylvia proposes a strike when Shell is returned to G-Wing. | |||||||
| 26 | 3 | "The Chains of Freedom" | Laurence Moody | Phil Ford | 3 April 2001 | 8.59 | |
Shell is returned to G-Wing but is confined to her cell. Julie S is out of prison on a tag and meets her old flame, Trevor. The women jump at the chance to run the wing themselves, when the strike takes place and the officers are on "sick leave", things are going swimmingly - until a large knife goes missing. Note: guest appearance of Monica Lindsey (Jane Lowe); first appearance of Gina Rossi (Lisa Turner) | |||||||
| 27 | 4 | "False Identity" | Laurence Moody | Martin Allen | 10 April 2001 | 9.10 | |
| Julie S is back in Larkhall. Babs is shocked to hear that she's been accused of bigamy and murder. New officer, Gina Rossi, arrives and stirs up trouble for Shell and the officers. Yvonne is getting legal advice of her own - from a succession of hunky young men, until her husband's lawyer turns up. | |||||||
| 28 | 5 | "Blood Ties" | Laurence Moody | Liz Lake | 17 April 2001 | 8.60 | |
New girl on the wing Buki Lester challenges Denny to prove how tough she is, while Yvonne challenges husband Charlie in court. Denny almost bleeds to death and Fenner returns to work to find Shell waiting for him. Also, Charlie receives a gift in the form of a pizza man. Note: first appearance of Buki Lester (Kim Oliver) | |||||||
| 29 | 6 | "Do or Die" | Jo Johnson | Maureen Chadwick | 24 April 2001 | 8.84 | |
| Tensions mount as "Podger" Pam arrives on G-Wing and the new doctor, Dr. Waugh, impresses Helen, who is upset with Nikki when she lashes out following her spontaneous cell fire. Josh begins his stint as a trainee PO under the ever-watchful eye of Di, who claims to have just come out of a relationship but starts a new obsession with Josh. | |||||||
| 30 | 7 | "The Great Escape" | Jo Johnson | Jaden Clark | 1 May 2001 | 8.51 | |
| A fly-on-the-wall documentary crew invades HMP Larkhall, creating havoc in the process. Buki cuts up and reveals the truth of her childhood. Fenner sees a chance to get rid of Shell for good. | |||||||
| 31 | 8 | "Uninvited Guests" | Mike Adams | Phil Ford | 8 May 2001 | 9.14 | |
| Shell and Denny celebrate their freedom with a vodka and cocaine binge. But before they make it to the airport they have a few grudges to settle, starting with Sylvia and Bobby Hollamby. Shaz is returned to Larkhall along with Crystal. | |||||||
| 32 | 9 | "Common Criminal" | Mike Adams | Martin Allen | 15 May 2001 | 9.10 | |
Aristocratic "it-girl" Charlotte Myddleton is sentenced to a year in Larkhall for drug offences and the other inmates don't react too kindly to the new Prada-clad prisoner, but they begin to help her when she attempts suicide. Note: first appearance of Mark Waddle (Paul Opacic) | |||||||
| 33 | 10 | "Chapel of Love" | Jim O'Hanlon | Jayne Hollinson | 22 May 2001 | 8.40 | |
Crystal is on hunger strike to protest against her incorrect drugs test results and it seems that only new girl Charlotte can save her. Di begins to abuse her mother when Josh confronts her about her deceit. Di then schemes to stop Josh and Crystal's wedding in a small ceremony in the prison chapel. Also, a new group of girls arrive, calling themselves the Peckham Boot Gang. Note: first appearance of Maxi Purvis (Kerry Norton); first appearance of Tina Purvis (Victoria Bush); first appearance of Al Mackenzie (Pauline Campbell) | |||||||
| 32 | 11 | "Battle Lines" | Jim O'Hanlon | Jaden Clark | 29 May 2001 | 8.60 | |
| The Peckham Boot Gang arrive on G-Wing and stir up trouble. Al McKenzie begins bully Shaz. When Nigerian prisoner Femi is bullied by the officers, Nikki organises a sit-in to help. But with the Peckham Boot Gang involved, things look like getting out of hand, and a riot takes place on G-Wing. Plus, the Peckham Boot Gang reveals their plan to get rid of Yvonne, after Yvonne batters Al. | |||||||
| 35 | 12 | "Tough Love" | Jim O'Hanlon | Martin Allen | 5 June 2001 | 8.41 | |
| The fall-out from the riot leaves Nikki very unpopular so she is grateful of support from an attractive new prisoner, Caroline, that is until Maxi Purvis finds some nasty surprises in Caroline's past. The Julies are released and arrested in the space of 5 minutes. | |||||||
| 36 | 13 | "Revolving Doors" | Laurence Moody | Jayne Hollinson | 12 June 2001 | 8.46 | |
The Julies are returned to Larkhall on remand along with wealthy madame Virginia O'Kane, an old friend, but both the inmates and officers are ill-equipped to deal with the disabled grand dame, but she hides a secret. Maxi warns her sister Tina to stay away from Virginia. Note: first appearance of Virginia O'Kane (guest star Kate O'Mara) | |||||||
| 37 | 14 | "Fronting Up" | Laurence Moody | Jaden Clark | 19 June 2001 | 8.18 | |
Fenner and Virginia strike a deal that could make him a very rich man. Helen gets wind of it and sets out to prove that Fenner is unfit to work with woman prisoners with the help of Yvonne. The Peckham Boot Gang reveals Virginia's secret causing her to be very unpopular. Note: final appearance of Gina Rossi (Lisa Turner) Alternative title: "Standing Up" | |||||||
| 38 | 15 | "Cat & Mouse" | Di Patrick | Phil Ford | 26 June 2001 | 8.12 | |
| Yvonne exposes the deal between Fenner and Virginia. Fenner decides to strike back - and Babs' diary gives him all the leverage he needs, but this could mean trouble for Nikki. Al and Maxi get annoyed when Tina breaks away from the gang and continues to be friends with Virginia. | |||||||
| 39 | 16 | "Coming Out" | Di Patrick | Jaden Clark | 3 July 2001 | 8.15 | |
Fenner proposes to Karen and gets cosy with Maxi. The Peckham Boot Gang make up with Virginia but all is not what it seems. Fenner's campaign against Helen hots up and Nikki's appeal gives him the ideal outlet for his schemes. Crystal announces a miracle, but even the divine cannot help Yvonne who is accused of murder. Note: final appearance of Helen Stewart (Simone Lahbib), Nikki Wade (Mandana Jones), Shell Dockley (Debra Stephenson) until a guest appearance in Series 5 and Virginia O'Kane (guest star Kate O'Mara) | |||||||
| No. | Title | Air date | Timeslot | Weekly ratings | Ref(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viewers | Rank | |||||
| 1 | Back from the Brink | 20 March 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 9,420,000 | 16 | [1] |
| 2 | The Turn of the Screw | 27 March 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 8,490,000 | 17 | [1] |
| 3 | The Chains of Freedom | 3 April 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 8,590,000 | 14 | [1] |
| 4 | False Identity | 10 April 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 9,100,000 | 12 | [1] |
| 5 | Blood Ties | 17 April 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 8,600,000 | 14 | [1] |
| 6 | Do it Die | 24 April 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 8,840,000 | 13 | [1] |
| 7 | The Great Escape | 1 May 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 8,510,000 | 11 | [1] |
| 8 | Uninvited Guests | 8 May 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 9,140,000 | 6 | [1] |
| 9 | Common Criminal | 15 May 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 9,100,000 | 9 | [1] |
| 10 | Chapel of Love | 22 May 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 8,400,000 | 6 | [1] |
| 11 | Battle Lines | 29 May 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 8,600,000 | 11 | [1] |
| 12 | Tough Love | 5 June 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 8,410,000 | 9 | [1] |
| 13 | Revolving Doors | 12 June 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 8,460,000 | 13 | [1] |
| 14 | Fronting Up | 19 June 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 8,180,000 | 10 | [1] |
| 15 | Cat & Mouse | 26 June 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 8,120,000 | 11 | [1] |
| 16 | Coming Out | 3 July 2001 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 8,150,000 | 10 | [1] |
The third series of Bad Girls was originally released on VHS format in the UK, consisting of 5 volumes. The DVD was released on 25 March 2002. A re-release DVD is expected to be released in 2011,[ needs update ] both as a single and also in a boxset along with series four. Series three was released in the series one-four boxset on 9 October 2006.
In Australia, series three was released on 8 September 2003 in the same cover packaging as the UK DVD. A second release was made when it was released in the series one-eight boxset, "The Complete Collection", on 10 November 2010. It was also released separate for the complete boxset on 9 March 2011. [2]
| Bad Girls: Series Three | ||||
| Set Details | Special Features | |||
|
| |||
| Release Dates | ||||
| United Kingdom | Australia | |||
| 25 March 2002 4 July 2011 (re-release) | 8 September 2003 9 March 2011 (re-release) | |||
Bad Girls is a British television drama series that was broadcast on ITV from 1 June 1999 until 20 December 2006. It was created by Maureen Chadwick and Ann McManus of Shed Productions, who initiated the idea of developing a series primarily focusing on the inmates and staff of the fictional women's prison, Larkhall, located in the South London region. Following the success of previous series Within These Walls and the Australian-imported Prisoner: Cell Block H, both of which screened on ITV, Bad Girls was commissioned by the network and was viewed as a realistic, modern portrayal of life in a women's prison. The series featured a large ensemble cast, including Linda Henry, Claire King, Simone Lahbib, Mandana Jones, Debra Stephenson, Jack Ellis, Alicya Eyo, Helen Fraser, Kika Mirylees, Victoria Alcock, James Gaddas, Victoria Bush, Dannielle Brent and Liz May Brice.
Simone Nicole Jean Lahbib Ould Cheikl is a Scottish actress. She is known for her roles as Helen Stewart in the ITV drama series Bad Girls, DCI Alex Fielding in the ITV crime series Wire in the Blood and Katy Lewis in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
Deborah Lee Duffield, known professionally as Debra Stephenson, is an English actress, comedian, impressionist and singer, best known for her roles as Diane Powell in Playing the Field (1999–2000), Shell Dockley in Bad Girls and as Frankie Baldwin in Coronation Street (2004–2006).
Helen Fraser is a retired English actress, who has appeared in many television series since the early 1960s. For international audiences, she may be best known for her roles in Billy Liar (1963) and Repulsion (1965). She is also well known in Britain for portraying the role of miserable warder Sylvia Hollamby in the prison drama series Bad Girls. She appeared in the series from the first episode in 1999 until the last in 2006.
Nicole Faraday, is a TMA Award-winning actress, best known for her leading roles on British television series Bad Girls, Casualty and Emmerdale.
Tracey Wilkinson is an English actress primarily known for her role as Di Barker in the series Bad Girls. She joined the prison drama in Series 2 as a caring prison officer new to G-Wing, but by the end of her time on the programme in Series 7 Di was herself behind bars in the prison in which she had served as an officer, accused of murdering her second husband, corrupt Wing Governor, Jim Fenner - though she was in fact innocent of the crime.
James Graham "Jim" Fenner is a fictional character in the British television series Bad Girls, portrayed by Jack Ellis. The character was a prominent feature on the show for seven series, and played the role of a prison officer, temporary prison governor and a villainous figure who schemed and made life for inmates difficult. He was at one point imprisoned for death by dangerous driving but was released when his wife, Di Barker, falsified evidence to clear his name. He returned to his job at Larkhall as G-Wing Governor, and shortly before his death was promoted to Acting Governing Governor. Ellis left Bad Girls at the end of the seventh series when his character was murdered by inmate Julie Johnston.
Bad Girls: The Musical is a stage musical based on the ITV prison drama series Bad Girls, with a book by Maureen Chadwick and Ann McManus, and music and lyrics by Kath Gotts.
Michelle "Shell" Dockley is a fictional character from the award-winning prison drama series Bad Girls. She is portrayed by British actress Debra Stephenson. Shell was one of the lead characters in the series. Shell appeared from the first episode in Series 1 until the last episode of Series 3, and returned for the first four episodes of Series 5. Dockley is the most feared inmate of the prison's ‘G Wing’, and commits several crimes, including smuggling drugs into the prison, stabbing prison officer Jim Fenner, and planning for Denny to set Snowball Merriman's hair on fire.
Sylvia Violet Hollamby is one of the longest-running characters in the award-winning prison drama series Bad Girls. Portrayed by Helen Fraser from the first episode in 1999 until the last in 2006, Hollamby was the longest-serving prison officer on the show with convicts Julie Johnston and Julie Saunders being the only other characters to remain for all eight series.
Yvonne Atkins is a fictional character from the award-winning prison drama series Bad Girls. Portrayed by Linda Henry, Yvonne first appeared in the finale episode of Series 1. She played a prominent role in Series 2, 3, 4 and 5 as Top Dog of G-Wing, until she was murdered by Jim Fenner in the last episode of Series 5.
Natalie Buxton is a fictional character in the prison drama series, Bad Girls, portrayed by Dannielle Brent during the last three series. She mainly featured in an antagonistic role and was killed off towards the end of the final series. She subsequently returned as a ghost in the 2006 Christmas Special, which was also the series finale. The role was originally offered to Danniella Westbrook.
The first series of Bad Girls premiered on ITV on 1 June 1999, and ended on 3 August 1999. It consists of ten episodes. The show was produced by Shed Productions as part of Shed Media. After the first episode aired, the show became an instant hit in the United Kingdom. The show also became successful in several countries including the United States, Australia and Republic of Ireland.
The second series of Bad Girls began on ITV on 4 April 2000. The first episode, "Tug of Love", opened with 9.44 million viewers. The ninth episode of series two, "The Leaving", was the highest-rated episode of the entire run of the series between 1999 and 2006, with 9.49 million viewers. The second series ended on 4 July 2000; it consists of 13 episodes.
The fourth series of Bad Girls was broadcast on ITV from 28 February 2002, concluded on 13 June 2002 and featured 16 episodes.
The fifth series of Bad Girls was broadcast on ITV from 8 May 2003 and concluded on 21 August 2003, it was the third and final series to feature 16 episodes.
The sixth series of British drama series Bad Girls premiered on 14 April 2004. It consists of twelve episodes. The first four episodes were broadcast on Wednesday nights, with episode five moved to Monday and episodes six to eight broadcast over consecutive nights beginning the following Monday. After a 12-week hiatus, the remaining episodes of the series were screened Monday nights and concluded on 23 August 2004.
The seventh series of British drama series Bad Girls premiered on ITV on 10 May 2005. The series concluded on 19 December 2005 with a Christmas Special. Series Seven consists of thirteen episodes.
The eighth series of British drama series Bad Girls premiered on ITV on 13 July 2006. This, the final series, consists of eleven episodes which concluded with a Christmas special on 20 December 2006.