 Maggie is, undoubtedly, best
known for her role in the hugely successful, yet
still very
much
"culty", Australian prison drama Prisoner.
The series, which originally ran from
1979 to 1987, was
known outside of Australia as Prisoner: Cell
Block H. This to eliminate
confusion with the,
similarly titled, British 60s drama The
Prisoner. Prisoner catapulted
many of the actresses who
appeared in it to global fame when it was
subsequently broadcast
in many countries years
after production actually ceased.

Maggie joined the series
in 1982 after being spotted in The Pirate
Movie by
the producers of Prisoner.
Her character, soon to become perhaps the show's
best
known and the one viewers
loved-to-hate, Joan 'The Freak' Ferguson,
entered
in episode 287 and remained
until the final show, over 400 episodes later.
It's not unfair to say
that Joan Ferguson had few redeeming qualities
but
the role was a gift
for an actress. The complex character of 'The
Freak'
was brought to life
by Maggie's portrayal, tackling violence,
corruption,
lesbianism, death,
loneliness, blackmail, drugs,
"motherhood", hatred, and
pure unadulterated,
downright evil in those five memorable years
'inside'.
 
1. Maggie
as Joan 'The Freak' Ferguson, 2. Joan and
Rita Connors get to grips, 3. Betty
Bobbit,
(Judy
Bryant), Maggie, and Jane Clifton (Margo Gaffney)
at Prisoner's 400th episode party,
4.
Maggie, Patsy King, Val Lehman, and Sheila
Florance celebrate the success of Prisoner
with
some
of that (in)famous "grog", 5.
September 1986 - Having filmed the final scenes
on episode
692,
the Prisoner gang pose for the final time.
The gates have shut down on Wentworth Detention
Centre
forever, 6. Joan and Rita "have
words" yet again, 7. Freaky Realistic
- Joan Ferguson takes
no
prisoners!, 8. Maggie welcomes Sammy Davis
Jnr. to Wentworth.
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