▁gained ▁international ▁success ▁in ▁countries ▁including ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁Australia , ▁Ireland ▁and ▁several ▁European ▁countries . ▁ ▁Production ▁ ▁Development ▁Ext ensive ▁research ▁was ▁covered ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁production ▁stage ▁of ▁the ▁series ▁on ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁British ▁female ▁prisoners . ▁Ann ▁Mc Man us ▁and ▁Ma ure en ▁Ch ad wick , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁several ▁cast ▁members , ▁spent ▁months ▁visit ing ▁pr isons ▁during ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁gather ▁information ▁and ▁research ▁on ▁in car cer ated ▁women ▁to ▁insp ire ▁their ▁roles ▁for ▁the ▁series ▁and ▁how ▁pr isons ▁had ▁currently ▁been ▁run . ▁Mc Man us ▁and ▁Ch ad wick ▁studied ▁everything ▁in ▁detail ▁on ▁television ▁series ' ▁set ▁within ▁women ' s ▁pr isons , ▁including ▁I TV ' s ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁series ▁Within ▁These ▁W alls , ▁Network ▁Ten ' s ▁Australian ▁soap ▁opera ▁Pr ison er : ▁Cell ▁Block ▁H , ▁which ▁was ▁first ▁broadcast ▁on ▁I TV ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁and ▁several ▁prison ▁document aries , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁three ▁books ▁which ▁Mc Man us ▁had ▁written ▁and ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁were ▁presented ▁to ▁the ▁cast . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁continue ▁their ▁research , ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Mc Man us ▁and ▁Ch ad wick ▁attended ▁an ▁AG M ▁of ▁Women ▁in ▁Pr ison , ▁a ▁support ▁group ▁for ▁female ▁prisoners