Clink (TV series)

Did You Know?

• The series was broadcast on Thursday nights at 9:00pm on 5Star and was available on My5.
• Despite being shot in 4K resolution, it was not broadcast in HD and was screened in standard definition.
• The series was released on DVD on 8 November 2021.

Premise

Set in the fictional BPS Bridewell women's prison, the series follows a community of women forced to confront their own realities and accept the consequences of their decisions. Characters include the pregnant Chloe, self-harmer Laura, 'Prison Mother' Joyce, and self-styled queen Sherri. New Governor Dominique Darby, in her first governorship under tragic circumstances, battles both the board and the inmates she must protect.

Production

In September 2018, Channel 5 moved forward with plans for scripted drama series, initiated by Commissioning Executive Sebastian Cardwell, leading to a ten-part series for 5Star. Canadian company Kew Media Group launched Clink in Cannes after a three-year co-production deal with Channel 5. The series targeted 5Star's younger demographic. Colin McKeown served as executive producer, with Donna Molloy as producer. The writing team, headed by Sarah Deane, included predominantly women writers Karen Brown, Vivienne Harvey, Esther Wilson, Rebecca Manley, and Helen Black; Tony Schumacher was the only male writer. Pre-production lasted ten months, and filming took ten weeks from January to mid-March 2019 at 33 Signal Squadron Army Barracks in Huyton, Merseyside.

Reception

The series received mixed reviews. Auto Straddle, a website for lesbian and bisexual women, gave an unfavourable review, stating that Clink hopes to fill the gap left by Wentworth and OITNB but that its dialogue is 95% cliché and exposition is clunky. It noted the first episode lacks distinction and does not match the melodrama of Wentworth, the campiness of Bad Girls, or the nuance of OITNB. A positive review from the Liverpool Echo's Pete Price called the series 'ex-CELL-ent' and praised its rawness, energy, humanity, and truth. In 2021, Clink ranked #12 in a Ranker poll of 'Best TV Shows About Women in Prison'.