Bad Girls series 5


The fifth series of Bad Girls was broadcast on ITV from 8 May 2003 to 21 August 2003; it was the third and final series to feature 16 episodes.
The series saw the return of Shell Dockley, who was presumed dead following an escape from authorities at the end of the third series.

Storylines

It is discovered Shaz Wiley died during the fire cliffhanger of series 4; her girlfriend, Denny Blood, is determined to get revenge on Snowball Merriman for setting off the bomb.
Escapee Shell Dockley is found in Amsterdam by Jim Fenner and other male officers from Larkhall. Heavily pregnant, Shell is returned to Larkhall, where she is reunited with Denny. Shell tricks Snowball into thinking they can be friends and she can give her a makeover, which results in Denny and Shell setting Snowball's hair on fire, and they both begin bullying her.
Fenner pimps Shell by offering her money to give the male officers a handjob. After the baby's birth, officer Colin Hedges tries to force her to have sex; when she violently refuses, Fenner makes it seem as if she tried to smother her baby. Shell is transferred to a mental home and her baby is taken into care.
Things go from bad to worse for Snowball, with the prisoners refusing to forgive her, constantly heckling, taunting and insulting her at every opportunity and giving her raw food to eat. Snowball tries numerous escape tactics all with disastrous consequences. First, she accidentally shoots her boyfriend Richie Atkins, resulting in his becoming paralysed; they later have a suicide pact, which goes wrong, resulting in Richie dying, but not Snowball. Richie's mother, Yvonne Atkins, who hates Snowball, later helps her commit suicide.
Sylvia Hollamby's husband, Bobby, commits suicide, leaving her in debt. New prisoners the "Costa Cons", Bev Tull and Phyl Oswyn, arrive and after convincing Denny they can contact Shaz's spirit, Hollamby falls for it and gets them to contact her late husband. Babs Hunt marries the former prison chaplain, Henry Mills – bad news for Sylvia, who had set her sights on Henry after she was widowed.
The ongoing feud between Fenner and Wing Governor Karen Betts reaches its climax as Fenner ruthlessly frames Karen for a hit-and-run accident in which a man dies. Neil Grayling divorces Di, and comes out as gay, also giving Di the job of wing governor, as long as she carries his baby, which she has actually aborted. Di and Fenner grow close.
Julie Saunders is diagnosed with breast cancer and takes the decision to take her chances without chemotherapy treatment. This causes a rift between the two Julies and their new friend Julie O'Kane who decides to change her name again, this time to Tina O'Kane.
New prison officer Selena Geeson and new inmate Kris Yates are in a relationship. Kris is taking the rap for killing her abusive father in order to spare her younger sister, the real culprit. Fenner's nefarious ways continue when he kills Yvonne as she tries to escape Larkhall, by ensuring that she will be trapped in the "hanging cell", a small room beneath the main prison that is blocked off from the outside world.
The final episode sees the last appearances of Denny, Yvonne, Barbara, Buki and Henry Mills.

Cast

Main

Special guest

Recurring

Guest

Episodes

Series 5 was broadcast on Thursdays at 9:00pm.

Reception

Awards and nominations