I cant believe I have only just discovered this fantastic program!!! Each episode is dedicated to one of the main women and the lenghts they have to go to, to get by without their husbands. Im not usually a fan of dramas with ensemble casts as they don't tend to take enough time to fully develop each character, but this one was different. Each of the main characters is fully formed with their own individual stories, not of which were clichéd. Every episode is well written and acted and there was even some laughs in there too! Pippa Haywood really steals the show as Harriet, a shy mother whose son is behind bars- every single scene with her in was just heartbreaking. I just wanted to give her a hug and tell her it would all be OK. I loved the way the main women supported each other through the ordeal of having a loved one in prison. If you like a good drama, then you'll love this! I hope the second series is as great!
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Nmb-734-39538628 October 2013
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deboraheden128 February 2020What an amazing show I just binge watched the first season and it was amazing very realistic and very character driven. I can't believe t th is show was cancelled so soon. I'm confused I've just started the 2nd season and am all ready dreading that it will end so soon.
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This some of the finest TV programming you will come across today.. with numerous performances that just leave you in awe of the talent exhibited. Look at most any actor in this show, and you will see something special. It could take a couple episodes to get 'hooked'.. but once you're 'in'.. you will NOT think of leaving again. There are so many top notch performances, it's hard to single out any one of them, but go on Bing.com and view all the images for Emma Rigby. She's not only got acting talent (proven by her outstanding performance in PW.. more than holding her own alongside the amazing Polly Walker).. but she is in addition without question, one of the most intensely alluring women on the planet. The list of high quality work goes on and on, involving almost every cast member. This is truly what all TV dramas should be striving for.. and what viewers should understand is made to look so easy, but only comes with much talent, hard work, and extreme dedication.
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moviebp14 April 2013I accidentally found this series and thought is was just going to be a time filler but instead found it to be one of the most enjoyable series that I have watched in a very long time. The fact that it is from BBC is even more likable. Each episode is devoted to the real life emotional and life changing events that occur in peoples lives that have a loved one in prison. This is no doubt something that most people do not give much thought to but the spouses of those confined are victims as well and face a multitude of problems in trying to deal with the judgments of society and how it affects them financially and emotionally. Emma Rigby was absolutely a charm in this series and Franchesca who is an equal to America's Middle Aged Barbie doll, Jennifer Coolidge. I hope this series is long lived and that it continues. I don't know whether or not it is scheduled for another season but I am sure hoping to find it on the schedule.
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What a brilliant series,
Superbly acted and directed.
One of the best TV series I've seen in the last 5 years.
Riveting. I can only hope there is another couple of series coming. There is no a single weak acting performance. Its realistic, its gritty yet tender. This series has hooks pulling you in from start to finish. Some of the acting is stellar. i cannot rate this show highly enough. Do yourself a favour and download the whole series. Like The Walking Dead...its one of those shows where one episode is not enough. English dramas are generally good but this is top shelf. -
'Prisoners' Wives', for me, was one of the highlights for each of the two years it aired.
It is a real shame however that 'Prisoners' Wives' only lasted two series, because the quality was so high and because Series 2 ended so open-endedly it should have lasted longer. The ending of series 2 did seem to give the impression that a third season was intended, and my only criticism of the show was that the Miller story that dominated much of the second series felt incomplete.
On the other hand, it is beautifully filmed and has a strikingly gritty visual style that suited the tone of the series brilliantly. Under the adroit direction, the show never feels rushed or draggy and neither does it feel over-the-top or blandly dreary. Music is well used and composed, only really being used when needed and when it was used it merged with the atmosphere more than competently.
'Prisoners' Wives' is a brilliantly written show, with a fair share of funny, poignant and suspenseful moments while it explores its subject matters incredibly intelligently and with taste. The stories for all the episodes of both series is gripping from start to finish, with the standouts being the harrowing writing for Gemma's situation in series 1 the poignant handling of Harriet's story in the second series and the tension of the climax of the last episode.
The characters are written in a compellingly real way, while the acting across the board is excellent. Particularly good are Pippa Haywood, who is heart-breaking, Polly Walker, who commands the screen with intensity, and Emma Rigby, who has come on hugely since 'Hollyoaks' (though she was always one of the better assets of that) with her emotions being quite genuine. Jonas Armstrong, Adrian Rawlins and Iain Glen are especially strong out of the men, though Owen Roe induces a few tears too as Brendan.
All in all, really gripping and it is sad that it didn't last longer. 9/10 Bethany Cox -
debimama411 October 2019Well made with great plots. It is a very good show I'm worried now that I'm at the end of it I hope they have more episodes and hopefully seasons.
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lucycale5 February 2023I found this by accident and started to watch as there was nothing else on. It was so much better then expected though and had me gripped from the very start. I binged watched the first series and am so disappointed there were more episodes after season 2.
All of the characters had their own stories to tell, all of which were gripping and believable. There are so many prison dramas about but it's very refreshing to see the stories told from such a different perspective.
I often wondered what made a woman stay with a partner in prison and this definitely made me think twice about the families left behind when a loved one is sent to custody. Brilliant series. -
grahamf-5554224 July 2021I was surprised to see so few reviews for this. The basis of the drama, focusing on the wives/mothers of male prisoners, was promising. Very gritty, exploring the tensions within families arising from crime, or accusations of crime.
I binged my way through both series, but by the last episode it was becoming tiresome. The story lines are often unrealistic and the dialogue is often weak. Nicola Walker is outstanding but some of the other actors are not so good, but probably making the best of the material they are working with.
As the episodes progressed, some of the excruciating scenes became steadily more so. In particular, I found myself wanting to skip all the scenes involving Harriet. No criticism of Pippa Haywood who played her, it was just the way the character behaved.
Overall, I'm not sorry I watched it but there are many better dramas. -
destiny_west15 August 2021After the first episode of Prisoners Wives I was completely hooked. I felt interested in the lives of the women involved and what was going on in their lives.
The acting is fantastic, and I felt invested in the series right from the start.
Prisoners Wives is a series about a group of women who form unlikely friendships when meeting visiting their husbands, sons, partners in prison. You are given a glimpse into their lives and the struggles with their economic situations and also the stresses of having their significant other in prison for a long period.
It really has you questioning what you would do in their situation and is continuing a relationship with a partner facing 18 years of jail time even viable.
If you love a good British Drama then look no further. You definitely will not be disappointed in this gem. It is a shame that they did not continue this series. -
vaughan-5742524 September 2018Absolutely Brilliant Drama , Great set of actors including Polly Walker and Ian Glein The pace never lets up, and move is a smooths chronological order Without spoiling anything , the assassination of a gangland rival is a unique piece of drama, You never see it coming