Within These Walls remains a high point of British television drama. A huge success for LWT, the series offered an authentic portrayal of day-to-day life for the inmates and staff of a women’s prison, reflecting the progress of penal system reform and the shift from a Victorian ethos of punishment to an emphasis upon rehabilitation. Within These Walls focussed particularly on the challenges facing the female governor – not least, the conflict between adherence to rules and sensitivity to individual needs. Setting the template for later series such as Prisoner: Cell Block H and Bad Girls, this outstanding drama is still fondly remembered more than 30 years after its original screening.