‘Wentworth’ Season 5 Air Date News & Update: Foxtel To Have Problems With Bea Smith Replacement?

"Wentworth Season 5" will open with viewers still recovering from the shock of S4 finale "Seeing Red," which killed fan favorite Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack). While the timing of the exit by Bea Smith from "Wentworth" was difficult for fans, Foxtel will have an even harder time when they bring in Danielle Cormack's replacement at Season 5.

Fans of the Foxtel series saw Bea Smith meet a brutal end in the hands of unpopular prison officer Joan Ferguson (Pamela Rabe) in the "Wentworth Season 4 finale." This decision by Foxtel has been hugely protested by devoted "Wentworth" and Bea Smith fans.

Attention UK Wentworth Crew... Katrina Milosevic and Socratis Otto are heading your way!

Check out the Screen... https://t.co/Pt4AFXA732

— Wentworth (@Wentworth) September 6, 2016

 Although the Foxtel series fans were hopeful that Bea Smith would miraculously survive and resume her queen bee post in "Wentworth Season 5," TV Week cites Katrina Milosevic (Boomer) in pointing out that 15 stabs in the stomach is difficult to survive. Danielle Corcmack gave an insight into the psychology of Bea Smith right before her death in "Seeing Red."

| WENTWORTH SEASON 5 CONFIRMED | Foxtel has today renewed it's longest running original Australian drama series... https://t.co/DpGHDmeXNp — Wentworth (@Wentworth) July 20, 2016

By "Wentworth Season 4" Bea Smith managed to survive an impressive number of psychological, emotional and physical brutality as an inmate. "I think she definitely is feeling weary, she's tired and she's had time to think about her future and her future is life without parole," Danielle Cormack told Stuff.

Fans can take comfort in the assurance by Danielle Cormack for "Wentworth" followers that Season 4 is her favorite among all the seasons that Bea Smith was with the Foxtel series. Danielle Cormack believes that "Wentworth Season 4" and Bea Smith will both be significant in television history.

That is not to say that Foxtel will not meet with strong resistance when "Wentworth Season 5" introduces the changes that killing off Bea Smith will usher into the series. Most especially, replacing Bea Smith in "Wentworth Season 5" will be a challenge given the loyal fan base that Danielle Cormack was able to build with the Foxtel series.

According to Foxtel "Wentworth Season 5" will bring in new characters both in and outside the prison yard. Which sounds a lot like a new key inmate and her backstory are getting all set up for "Wentworth Season 5."

Production work on "Wentworth Season 5" has begun, with an eye for a 2017 release date. What storyline could "Wentworth Season 5" open to make the death of Bea Smith and the exit of Danielle Cormack worth the sacrifice?