Australian prison drama Wentworth premiered on Foxtel in 2013 and quickly built up a following for its gritty portrayal of life in a women’s prison. Fans watched all kinds of conflicts, plot twists and alliances unfold over the show’s 100 episodes.
While the series ended in 2021, there’s still a strong following and a lot of support for the show. So when one of the cast recently talked about the potential for a Wentworth spin-off at a fan convention, it sent plenty of people into a frenzy of excitement.
“There is a potential spin-off in the works, did you know that,” actor Katrina Milosevic said at Wentworth Con in Sydney in November. She goes on to say that it’s been in development “for years”.
“And so, you take these things with a grain of salt as it’s been a long time coming but, if it goes ahead you will see Boomer with a baby.”
Regardless of whether or not a spin-off happens, it’s brought Wentworth back into the hearts and minds of plenty of people. So if you’re keen to re-watch it, or never have and want to see what the big deal is, here’s everything you need to know – including where to watch Wentworth now.
What is Wentworth about?
The series is set in a women’s prison and looks at the lives of the prisoners, guards, and others close to them. It starts by focusing on Bea Smith, who is taken to Wentworth Prison after she’s accused of attempting to murder her husband. While she starts as a fish out of water, over the following series we see the dynamics change a lot.
Is Wentworth based on Prisoner?
Wentworth is a modern-day reimagining of Prisoner, a hit Network Ten series that ran in the 70s and 80s. Some of the characters, including Bea Smith, have also the same names and similar traits. But as it’s reimagined and made contemporary, a lot is different.
As Danielle Cormack, who plays Bea Smith in Wentworth told New Idea back in 2022: “I wanted to put my own spin on the character …However, I did have a couple of sessions on YouTube watching clips, and what I did get from Val [Lehman, who played the role in Prisoner] was how she was with Bea tonally.”
“Everyone just wants to do their best under a lot of scrutiny because of Prisoner. Everyone was really intent on serving the characters to the best of their ability,” she said at the time.
The show was a huge success, with 27 Logie Award nominations, 21 AACTA award nominations, and 7 Screen Producers Australia (SPA) award nominations – to name a few. It was also one of Foxtel’s longest-running dramas.
Will there be a new season of Wentworth?
Unfortunately, there are no plans for a new season of Wentworth. But the talk about a spin-off included at least one of the same characters, Boomer. Actress Pamela Rabe, who played Joan “The Freak” Ferguson has also previously shared a desire for more.
This also isn’t the first time a spin-off has been mentioned. Back in 2020, as production on the final season wrapped up, producer Jo Porter told the Herald Sun there was “a chance to potentially come back”.
“Never say never,” Porter said, adding, “There’s a few characters who survive, there are possibilities but at the moment we’re focusing on this being a beautiful bow to draw a close to this chapter.”
Why was Wentworth canceled?
A combination of creative and practical reasons led to Wentworth ending, according to details from some of the production team. In her interview with the Herald Sun, Jo Porter shared that the Victorian government “had plans” for the filming location they’d used for five of the eight seasons.
The creative team had always planned to end the show on its own terms and actually had to tweak the ending to an earlier season after fans petitioned for more episodes.
While Jo said the audience continued to grow, she also said “Knowing when to put down the brush is an absolute art.”
“We are going out on a high. That also means if down the track we come up with a brilliant reason to examine a character or a different part of the world we haven’t explored because you’ve gone out on a high there’s the chance to potentially come back but we’re not committing to that just yet. It’s too soon.”
After the final episode of Wentworth aired, Foxtel Executive Director of Television Brian Walsh also revealed that the network wanted to put energy into other creative projects.
“There are other stories we want to tell. We’re running a commercial business here. We’ve got a finite budget. I’d rather the show go out on top. Wentworth could go on, but it’s time to tell some new stories,” he told TV Tonight at the time.
Where to watch Wentworth in Australia
You can watch Wentworth on Foxtel Now or BINGE in Australia. It’s also available to buy from Apple TV, and YouTube.
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