"Wentworth" fans rejoice! It seems that fears of cancellation have been unfounded after all as the series gears up for its fifth season even after the death of lead character Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack) last season.
"As producers, it is always our intention to keep audiences guessing and on the edge of their seats. While the shoes of Bea Smith will be hard to fill, with the start of season five the gates of Wentworth Correctional Facility will again open to a raft of potential new stories and characters," showrunner Jo Porter explained.
While they admitted that Cormack's shoes will be hard to fill, this does not mean that they have no plan set in place regarding the continuation of the popular Australian series, which has recently garnered a nomination at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards for Best Television drama series.
It has been rumored that Australian actor Liam Hemsworth is interested in appearing as a guest on the show. Since Hemsworth is already a popular Hollywood actor with a string of hit films under his name, his participation in the show could very well sustain the interest of viewers in the series despite the absence of its lead character.
While Hemsworth or producers of the show have yet to confirm or deny the rumors, there are still many theories being floated around about what direction the show will take post-Bea Smith. It has also been speculated that aside from a guest appearance by Hemsworth, the show is also eyeing several other stars to appear in the series.
The show's fourth season has received rave reviews from critics and reviewers alike, comparing the low-budget Aussie prison drama with Netflix's hit "Orange is the New Black."
Metro UK's Duncan Lindsey wrote that viewers should give "Wentworth" a chance if they are looking for a show that will haunt you even after the credits start rolling. Lindsey added that it is hard to stop watching the prison drama after you start enjoying it's episodes because of the great acting, witty writing, brooding atmosphere, and the show's sarcastic sense of humor. Lindsey called "Wentworth" a "modern drama" with hidden depths.
"Clearly, Wentworth Prison does not seek to appeal to mainstream tastes, and one or two scenes (notably one in which prisoners rained ketchup-infused tampons upon visiting press and VIPs) strayed well into tastelessness. Some might say the series sticks more closely to its violent, soapy, sexploitation. Prisoner: Cell Block H roots than is strictly necessary in 2016. Even so, it remains a rare example of a dramatic world in which lesbianism is not only normal, but the norm. It also shows a world in which women hold virtually all the power, albeit to no obviously edifying ends," The Telegraph's Gerard O' Donovan cited in his review.
