The fourth series of Bad Girls was broadcast on ITV from 28 February 2002, concluded on 13 June 2002 and featured 16 episodes.
Storylines Yvonne Atkins (Linda Henry) is being framed for Virginia O'Kane's (Kate O'Mara) murder. There is a game of cat and mouse between her and Jim Fenner (Jack Ellis) while the real culprits, Maxi Purvis (Kerry Norton) and Al McKenzie (Pauline Campbell), continue their reign over G-Wing. It is not long before Yvonne is ruling the roost again, when Denny Blood (Alicya Eyo) returns and tricks Al into confessing to Virginia's murder.
New inmates Roisin Connor and Cassie Tyler are imprisoned for fraud and in a relationship, complicated, not only by their being behind bars, but by Roisin being a married mother-of-two. The stress of G-Wing mounts for Karen Betts (Claire King), especially when she and Fenner split, but the stress is no longer her problem when she is demoted to basic officer and he is promoted to Wing Governor by Neil Grayling (James Gaddas), the new Governing Governor, who develops an attraction to Fenner. Grayling is trying to keep his sexuality a secret, so he and desperate Di Barker (Tracey Wilkinson) participate in a sham marriage, although Di believes she can change his sexuality, which pushes Grayling away.
The bitter hatred between Maxi and Shaz Wiley (Lindsey Fawcett) grows and ends in tragedy following a brutal fight. Crystal Gordon (Sharon Duncan Brewster) gives birth in the four bed dorm to a daughter but soon loses her faith in religion when another baby in the prison dies. Rhiannon Dawson, Julie Johnston's (Kika Mirylees) daughter, arrives on the wing and the Julies are soon facing an additional sentence when the truth about Rhiannon's relationship with her boyfriend, Damion, is revealed. The series tackles domestic violence within the relationship of Di and Barry Pearce, and also sees teenage junkie Buki Lester (Kim Oliver) attempt to turn her life around when she enters into a battle for the right to see her disabled son, Lennox.
Yvonne and Karen find themselves at war when Yvonne's son, Ritchie, is revealed to be having a relationship with Karen. This is later revealed as a decoy, as his real girlfriend is new devious inmate Snowball Merriman (Nicole Faraday), whom Ritchie is helping to escape from Larkhall. The series ends with the prison library being obliterated as part of an escape plan by Snowball, resulting in a fire that leaves several inmates trapped and fighting for their lives.
Cast
Main cast Claire King as Karen Betts Linda Henry as Yvonne Atkins Jack Ellis as Jim Fenner Alicya Eyo as Denny Blood Sharon Duncan Brewster as Crystal Gordon Isabelle Amyes as Barbara Hunt Lindsey Fawcett as Shaz Wylie Paul Opacic as Mark Waddle Kim Oliver as Buki Lester Kerry Norton as Maxi Purvis Victoria Bush as Tina Purvis/Julie O'Kane Pauline Campbell as Al McKenzie James Gaddas as Neil Grayling Kellie Bright as Cassie Tyler Siobhan McCarthy as Roisin Connor Nicole Faraday as Snowball Merriman Tracey Wilkinson as Di Barker Helen Fraser as Sylvia Hollamby Victoria Alcock as Julie Saunders Kika Mirylees as Julie Johnston
Recurring Nathan Constance as Josh Mitchell Alex King as Ritchie Atkins Michael Elwyn as Rev. Henry Mills Andrew Lancel as Barry Pearce Jade Williams as Rhiannon Dawson Maria Charles as Noreen Biggs Eugene Walker as Officer Blakeson
Guest Owen Oakeshott as DC O'Leary Graham Turner as Curtis Lucy Alexander as Newsreader Petia Pavlova as Prison Inmate David Cann as Francis Cowan Susannah Saary as Receptionist Mike Dowling as Aidan Connor Richard Dixon as Graham Hutton Patrick Cremin as DS Davidson Adam Leese as Damian Morrison Sarah Hadland as Spike Vanessa Earl as Nurse Kitt Rosemary Smith as Officer Lightfoot Lisa Krelset as Nessie Alice Kennedy as WPC Lowry Martin Milman as Inspector Simms Mathilda Thorpe as Inspector Shaw Tom Keller as Vince Purvis Sarah Winman as Susan Franklin David Roper as Mr. Adams Bill Wallis as Judge Bradshaw Annoushka Le Gallois as Jillian Tyler Charis Thomas as Lisa Bell Glyn Lewis as Sean Wilson Ryan Prygodzicz as Michael Connor Polly Kissock as Niamh Connor Irene Rambota as Nurse Moss Elizabeth Rider as Ms. Green Chook Sibtain as Naj Khan Din Doyne Byrd as Businessman Fenella Norman as PO Harrington
Episodes
Reception Ratings TitleAir dateTimeslot Viewers Rank 1 Fight or Flight 28 February 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 7,560,000 13 2 Unholy Alliances 7 March 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 6,830,000 17 3 Behind Closed Doors 14 March 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 7,300,000 15 4 Fait Accompli 21 March 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 7,330,000 12 5 Only the Lonely 28 March 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 6,820,000 15 6 Sweet Sixteen 4 April 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 6,990,000 16 7 Pillow Talk 11 April 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 6,920,000 17 8 Prison Issue 18 April 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 7,100,000 18 9 Baby on Board 25 April 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 7,120,000 14 10 Family Matters 2 May 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 6,900,000 11 11 Battle Lines 9 May 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 7,430,000 11 12 Appearances Sake 16 May 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 7,120,000 12 13 True Colours 23 May 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 7,350,000 12 14 Hard Knock Life 30 May 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 6,590,000 14 15 Marriage of Inconvenience 6 June 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 6,330,000 13 16 Curtain Call 13 June 2002 Thursday 9:00 pm 7,130,000 13
Awards and nominations National Television Awards (2002) – Most Popular Drama (Nominated) TV Quick Awards (2002) – Best Actress (Claire King) (Won) TV Quick Awards (2002) – Best Loved Drama (Won)
References
tv.com http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s25/bad-girls/#~p6cA7BQMvw596u
External links
List of Bad Girls episodes at Epguides