How women cope when their husbands are sent to prison is the subject of Prisoners’ Wives, a hard-hitting six-part drama due to start on BBC One on Tuesday 31 January 2012. The story focuses on four women struggling to cope and whose lives clash and connect during the series.
Gemma (played by Emma Rigby) was expecting her first child when armed police arrived to arrest her husband for murder, a crime for which he claims his innocence. Francesca (played by Polly Walker) is the wife of a career criminal and enjoyed the money that went with it. But the money has dried up and she is wondering whether to find a new love.
Harriet (played by Pippa Haywood) is a prisoner’s mother rather than wife. Respectable and middle-aged, she was to blame for her son’s arrest and is now trying to find forgiveness. And Lou (played by Natalie Gavin) has a seven-year-old son and a boyfriend serving time for a crime she committed.
Actors in Prisoners’ Wives
Emma Rigby is best known for playing Hannah Ashworth in the soap opera Hollyoaks, a role that earned her a best actress British Soap Award in 2008. The following year, she was nominated as sexiest female in the same awards. She also played Rachel in 2011 in an episode of Fresh Meat and was Samantha in the horror movie Demons Never Die.
Polly Walker was nominated for a best actress Golden Globe for playing Atia of the Julii in Rome, which also earned her a Satellite Award nomination. And she was nominated for a Genie Award for playing Paula Jackson in the 2002 film Savage Messiah. Other roles have included Anne Collins in State of Play, Ellis Samuels in Cane, Clarice Willow in Caprica and Ranna Seneschal in two episodes of Sanctuary.
Pippa Haywood won a Golden Rose for her performance as Joanna Clore in Green Wing and was nominated for a Golden Nymph at the 2007 Monte-Carlo TV Festival for playing Julie Chadwick in Fear, Stress and Anger, but is probably best known for playing Helen in The Brittas Empire. Other parts have included Liz Armitage in Capital City, Rebecca Fenning in Dalziel and Pascoe, Maxine in Office Gossip, Lady Libido in The Wrong Door and Mrs Anderson in Kingdom. More recently, she was Frances Shaw in Without You.
The highlight of Natalie Gavin’s short career was playing Andrea in The Arbor. She also appeared in two episodes of Shameless in 2006 and 2007 and as Chelsie in an episode of The Chase.
The four other halves serving time are played by Jonas Armstrong, Iain Glen, Adam Gillen and Reuben Johnson. Oliver Hannam plays Lou’s son Mason.
Team Behind Prisoners’ Wives
Prisoners’ Wives was produced by Tiger Aspect Production for BBC One. It was written by Julie Gearey and was set and filmed in Sheffield. The executive producers for Tiger were Roanna Benn, Rebecca de Souza and Greg Brenman and the executive producer for the BBC was Christopher Aird.
Damon Thomas and Harry Bradbeer shared directing duties. Anna Ferguson was producer with Abi Bach as co-producer. The series was commissioned for BBC One by Ben Stephenson and Danny Cohen.
Steve Rogerson - Steve Rogerson is a UK-based writer specialising in television, technology, sports and beer.
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