What was it about?

In June 1999, ITV launched a brand new drama series bursting with controversy from the word go! A show that boldly went where very few had dared to go; a women’s prison.

Set in the G Wing of fictional London prison Larkhall, Bad Girls boasted a wide range of memorable storylines and characters, giving us a three-dimensional, and shockingly frank, look at the lives of women in prison. Their troubles ranged from the remarkably commonplace – falling in love, losing people close to them – to the sort of issues we can only imagine – how to get drugs past the screws and, in two instances, how to hide a body!

Both hilarious and heartbreaking, Bad Girls proved a massive hit and went on for 107 episodes before being locked away for good in December 2006.

 

Who was in it?

The show’s prison setting meant characters inevitably came and went quite frequently, while others remained for some time. The only three to appear in every episode were Victoria Alcock, Kika Mirylees and Helen Fraser – as the “Two Julies’ and Sylvia ‘Bodybag’ Hollamby respectively.

The most memorably character was tough-talking yet warm-hearted gangster’s moll Yvonne Atkins, expertly portrayed by Linda Henry, who can now be seen playing EastEnders’ Shirley Carter. Another well-loved character was Denny Blood, played by Alicya Eyo – currently a cast member of Emmerdale.

 

Best moment?

There are numerous standout moments in Bad Girls but arguably the best story was the shocking Series 5 finale which saw Yvonne Atkins meet an horrific demise after being trapped and left to suffocate by sadistic screw Jim Fenner (Jack Ellis) in the unused hanging cells. An absolutely chilling scene that still gives goosebumps!

 

Last seen?

After eight series the show bowed out gracefully with a clever Christmas Carol-style special that saw the eternally pessimistic ‘Bodybag’ visited by the ghost of murdered inmate Natalie Buxton (Danielle Brent) and suffering an attack of seasonal goodwill (although she promised that, once Christmas was over, it would be business as usual).

 

The future?

Since the final show wrapped up Bad Girls has rarely been seen again, aside from a West End musical production which ran in London in late 2007.

 

> Buy the Complete Series 1-8 boxset on Amazon.

What are you favourite memories of Bad Girls? Let us know below…