Inside the Story: Writing the powerful female world of Wentworth

Tessa Dwyer; Radha O'Meara; Craig Batty; Stayci Taylor

Inside the Story: Writing the powerful female world of Wentworth

Tessa Dwyer, Radha O'Meara, Craig Batty, Stayci Taylor

Film Screen & Culture

Research output: Other contribution › Other

Abstract

Why do we tell stories, and how are they crafted? In this series, we unpick the work of the writer on both page and screen.

One of the major considerations when creating an ongoing television series is its "story world", made up by its place, people, themes, style and tone. Central to this world is the setting, known in television writing as the "hub" or "precinct", which serves the need for constant generation of characters and storylines. Well-known examples of a hub or precinct include Ramsay Street (Neighbours), Sun Hill Police Station (The Bill), the White House (West Wing) and the eponymous Happy Valley. With its high turnover of criminals, and the pressure-cooker effect of locking up many characters within the same walls, a prison is a particularly useful story hub for a TV drama series. The Melbourne-set and produced series Wentworth, now in its seventh season on Foxtel in Australia, is a good example of how this can work. The show's drama revolves around a women's prison.

Original language	English
Media of output	Online publication
Publisher	The Conversation
Number of pages	3
Publication status	Published - 11 Jul 2019

Keywords

Screenwriting
Television
Drama Series
Wentworth
Foxtel
Fremantle
Storytelling
TV Industry
TV dramas

Access to Document

Inside the story: writing the powerful female world of WentworthFinal published version, 292 KB

1 Edited Book
1 Article
1 Other contribution

TV Transformations and Transgressive Women: From Prisoner: Cell Block H to Wentworth
Dwyer, T. (ed.), O’Meara, R. (ed.), Taylor, S. (ed.) & Batty, C. (ed.), 2022, Oxford UK: Peter Lang Publishing. 471 p. (Australian Studies: Interdisciplinary Perspectives; vol. 4)
Research output: Book/Report › Edited Book › peer-review
Prisons and picnics: tough talk and accent in Australian TV drama
Dwyer, T., 1 Feb 2020, In: Media International Australia. 174, 1, p. 59-71 13 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)
On the Inside: 40 Years of Prisoner (Cell Block H) at the St Kilda Film Festival, Melbourne
Dwyer, T., Taylor, S., O'Meara, R. & Batty, C., 16 Jul 2019
Research output: Other contribution › Other

2 Contribution to conference
1 Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
1 Public event

TV Transformations & Transgressive Women Book Launch
Tessa Dwyer (Contributor), Radha O’Meara (Contributor), Stayci Taylor (Contributor) & Craig Batty (Contributor)
11 Nov 2022
Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public event
Wentworth is the New Prisoner Conference
Tessa Dwyer (Speaker)
5 Apr 2018
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
Inclusion, Exclusion, and Australian Television History Workshop
Tessa Dwyer (Invited speaker)
24 Sept 2018
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course

Wentworth and Prisoner: 40 years of fandom
Tessa Dwyer
30/12/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert Comment
Conference Report: Wentworth is the New Prisoner
Jessica Ford
4/05/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities

Cite this

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Inside the Story: Writing the powerful female world of Wentworth

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Research output

Activities

Press/Media

Cite this