BOOMER IS BACK! FIRST WENTWORTH SPIN-OFF TRAILER DROPS AND FANS ARE IN FOR A TREAT
Clear your Monday nights, because the Wentworth family is coming home for Christmas.
The first full trailer for Wentworth: Halfway Home landed on November 9, and it confirms the much-loved prison drama is getting a fresh, bold new chapter.
The spin-off premieres on Monday, December 7, on BINGE and Foxtel, just in time for the summer holidays.
If you spent years glued to the battles inside Wentworth Correctional Centre, this one is for you.
What the Wentworth spin-off is about
This time the story steps outside the prison walls.
According to TV Central, the new series "follows life after prison rather than another struggle inside Wentworth Correctional Centre".
Susan "Boomer" Jenkins, played once again by Katrina Milosevic, has been granted parole and moves into Sal's Halfway House.
Her dream is simple and deeply human: she wants to win back custody of her daughter and build a steady life for the two of them.
Of course, nothing is ever simple for Boomer.
When a body is discovered, she is forced to work out which of her new housemates she can trust, and the whole fresh start begins to wobble.
The official tagline sums it up neatly, warning that staying out of prison may prove even harder than getting out.
Familiar faces and a few big new names
Fans will be thrilled to see two more favourites back in the fold.
Nicole da Silva returns as the fiery Franky Doyle, and Kate Box is back as Lou Kelly.
Joining them is Rachel Griffiths, the Muriel's Wedding and Brothers and Sisters star, who plays a new character called Moira.
Sophie Lowe plays Sam, Alex King plays Dee and Chenile Chandler plays Lily.
The ensemble also includes Nadine Garner, Elaine Crombie, Grace Chow, Sara West, Claude Jabbour, Daniel Henshall, Laura Gordon, Thom Green and Chika Ikogwe.
That is a seriously impressive line-up of Australian talent, and it promises plenty of strong female characters, which has always been the heart of the franchise.
Who is behind the new Wentworth series
The show is made by Fremantle Australia for BINGE, with major investment from Foxtel and Screen Australia and financing support from VicScreen.
Filming began in Melbourne in July.
Gracie Otto is the set-up director, working alongside Nina Buxton and Tenika Smith.
The writing team includes Jessica Paine, who is also co-executive producer, along with Kodie Bedford, Alexandra Cullen, Hannah Samuel, Alix Beane, Romina Accurso, Nikki Tran and Chris Squadrito.
Carly Heaton and Brett Popplewell are executive producers, with Dean O'Toole producing.
TV Blackbox has more on the trailer and the full cast.
How to watch, and how to catch up first
The first episode streams from 1pm AEDT on Monday, December 7, on BINGE and Foxtel On Demand.
It also airs on Showcase at 12pm and 8.30pm AEDT that day, with new episodes arriving weekly after that.
If your memory of the original is a little hazy, now is the perfect time for a rewatch.
Wentworth first premiered on Foxtel in 2013, ran for eight seasons and has been shown in more than 170 territories around the world.
Every episode of the original series is available to stream on BINGE.
Foxtel is also running a full catch-up of the original on More Pop-Up Hits, channel 129, starting from November 11.
That gives you almost four weeks to binge your way back through the drama before the new series begins.
Our tips for the ultimate viewing night
Make the premiere an event by inviting a few fellow fans over and setting up a snack platter for the couch.
If you are short on time, focus on the seasons featuring Boomer, Franky and Lou so their storylines are fresh in your mind.
Keep a box of tissues nearby too, because this franchise has never been shy about tugging on the heartstrings.
Whether you are a die-hard fan or simply curious, Boomer's story of second chances looks set to be one of the must-watch Aussie dramas of the summer.
