Prisoner theme song

Only me singing

Ah, "Prisoner," or as it was more dramatically titled for export, "Prisoner: Cell Block H" - a veritable soap opera set in the land of the long weekend, Australia. This was no ordinary drama; it was a high-security women's prison where the inmates had more drama than a kangaroo at a tea party.

Launched in 1979, "Prisoner" was like the Australian version of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" if instead of space, you were navigating the treacherous corridors of Wentworth Detention Centre. With 692 episodes spanning from 1979 to 1986, it was initially conceived as a short 16-episode series but, much like a prison riot, it got out of hand and became an ongoing saga.

The show was groundbreaking, not just because it was one of the first to feature a predominantly female cast, but because it tackled themes like feminism and, gasp, lesbianism with the subtlety of a sledgehammer in a china shop. The inmates were there for all sorts of crimes, from the mundane to the melodramatic, providing endless plot twists - think of it as "Days of Our Lives" with more shivs and less paternity tests.

Prisoner was the brainchild of Reg Watson, who also brought us "Neighbours," proving that he had a knack for creating shows where characters live next door to chaos. The series was inspired by the British drama "Within These Walls" but took the concept and threw it through the Outback, adding a distinctly Aussie flavor with characters like Bea Smith, the tough but tender "Top Dog," and Joan "The Freak" Ferguson, who was about as warm and cuddly as a Sydney funnel-web spider.

It wasn't just popular in Australia; it became an international sensation, exported to 80 countries. In the U.S., it even outranked "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in some markets, which must have made Johnny Carson think about doing his show from behind bars for a ratings boost.

Here's a little nugget: The theme song, "On the Inside," by Lynne Hamilton, was so catchy it climbed to number four in Australia and even made it to number three in the UK charts in 1989, proving that even prison can have a hit song.

So, if you're looking for a show where the drama is high, the stakes are higher, and the inmates might just be more entertaining than your local pub trivia night, "Prisoner" is your ticket to a wild ride through the Australian penal system.