MovieChat Forums > Prisoner (1979) Discussion > Was "Cell Block H" ever mentioned on-scr...

Was "Cell Block H" ever mentioned on-screen?


I know it was only on international release the series was referred to as Prisoner: Cell Block H (It was just "Prisoner" in Australia), but I was wondering where the name came from? I am watching the show now (I'm around episode 300) and I can't remember them ever actually referring to Cell Block H. I could be wrong.

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I'm sure I've heard it referred to as "H block" many times, but never "Cell Block H".

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I'm watching them again at the moment and in episode 78, Vera refers to it as "block H".

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H block was said many times over the series. D, E , F and G block never got a mention though. Well maybe D block was heard.

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Would that not be because cell block H was added to the UK and US version to avoid confusion to a similar show? If so then they would be unlikely to use the phrase word got word when Yeats not what he show was called in its homeland

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Yep. 'Cell Block H' was added to the title to avoid confusion with British show The Prisoner. Funnily enough, a similar thing happened to Wentworth, which was redubbed 'Wentworth Prison' in the UK to avoid confusion with a famous British golf course. Yes, really, a golf course.

Feed me a stray cat

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This time without typos.....

Would that not be because cell block H was added to the UK and US version to avoid confusion to a similar show? If so then they would be unlikely to use the phrase word for word when that was not what the show was called in its homeland

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H Block was mentioned several times throughout the running of the show, as well as I believe C Block and possibly D Block, but don't quote me on those. They added the 'Cell Block H' to the title because it was mentioned in the show and because it's the block that the show focuses on.

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I had never heard of this show until I was watching a re-run of 'Living Single' and Max said, "Y'all got some Cell Block H up in here." I wasn't aware it was a T.V. show.

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