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PUNISHMENT |
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- 1981 -
26 x 60 minute episodes - |
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Contents |
By 1980 Australian soap opera producers had begun
to eye the United States as a potential market for their shows. That year Prisoner had begun screening on Los Angeles
station KTLA and was
soon attracting decent audiences in other stations across America. This soon
led to attendance by Reg Grundy Organisation
executives at the National Association of
Television Program Executives, a United States television selling conference held in San Francisco
in 1980. There, they attempted to peddle an American-made version of The Restless Years
to American producers, along with the pilot idea for an Australian-made men’s
prison soap opera drama that was titled Punishment. [1] THE PILOT
The pilot episode of Punishment was
shot in Sydney over twenty days in early 1980. The Ten Network in Australia
soon ordered an ongoing series, production of which commenced in June 1980.
Early reports continued to suggest Los Angeles station KTLA were interested
in the new serial, which had been in its planning stages almost a year due to
the overseas success of Prisoner.
Location footage of the fictional prison’s exercise yard was shot at East
Sydney Technical College, whose buildings had served as a prison decades
before and where 74 men had been hanged. [2] The pilot, directed by Rod Hardy and Bruce Best
and written by Reg Watson and Alan Coleman,
introduces the prison and several of the lead characters. The main setting is
the fictional Longridge Prison, a men’s jail
about 145 kilometres from a State capital. The series was devised explicitly
to examine the lives of people trapped either side of the prison system, thereby
placing greater emphasis on the outside than Prisoner did. Bruce Best, also the show’s
Executive Producer, reported that the story was based on fact. “Our
researchers have spent months talking to prisoners and former prisoners,
prison psychiatrists and psychologists and prison authorities to ensure
authenticity. We’re attempting to take an overview of the prison system and
we’re asking the public to think about it. Punishment
wont be a son of Prisoner.
But it has been inspired by that program’s success. It will be more of a
character serial than an adventure as we look at the prisoners’ codes of
behaviour,” Best told TV Week. “The remarkable
thing we’ve discovered in our research is that there is a tremendous amount
of humour inside.” [3] Unfortunately, there was little humour on display in the program itself. Even worse, the
pace and rhythm of the opening episode is clumsy and fails to sufficiently
engage the viewer in the story or the characters. Rather than presenting a
gripping cohesive tale that introduces the premise and characters (like the
premiere of Prisoner had), the
episode’s narrative seems muddled with flashbacks and premature forays into
prisoners’ backgrounds and the travails of their family left on the outside. Opening shots of the pilot episode feature moody
images of prison architecture and a dripping tap, which suggests time
drifting away as the incarcerated men sit abandoned in their cells. The story
then lurches into a flashback to a (very) violent fist fight at a wharf,
where an intervening Good Samaritan sailor Tim Jarratt
(David Spencer) is knocked unconscious and framed for a bashing death. A
voice-over informs viewers this man has been found guilty and sentenced to a
long term and we cut to a sequence of Tim entering prison. After this the prison Governor is introduced. He
is the rather stiff and straight Alan Smith, played by actor and variety
singer Barry Crocker with a short, neat haircut and glasses. Smith has a
rather depressed manner but is an idealistic and thoughtful man with an
academic background who can’t understand why his progressive approach is not
working. He argues aggressively with the chief Officer Jack Hudson (Ken
Wayne), who insistently rejects the newly introduced “C Block model”,
constantly presenting union rules and staff objections that serve to make the
new style cell block unworkable. In the unfolding storyline it would become
clear that Smith and Hudson were in a constant battle over which of them is
actually running the prison. Then it is back to incomprehensible flashbacks as
young Paul Wells (Michael C Smith) receives a call at home to go help out his
dad Sam (Brian Harrison). Without letting his warm and devoted mother Alice
(Anne Haddy) know what is going on, Paul grabs a
hidden gun and meets his father - who is cornered in a darkened amusement
park by a torch carrying assailant. A panicked Paul follows his father’s
command to fire into the light; he does so and the figure falls - later to be
revealed as a policemen who has been killed by the bullet. Cue more voiceover
sentencing as the vision cuts to Paul and Sam being inducted to prison. This
scene also features Larry Morrison (Mike Preston) being inducted. Intervening scenes return to the arguments
between Smith and Hudson. These scenes seem to be based on the similar
arguments in Prisoner between Governor
Davidson and the recalcitrant and acidic Senior Officer Vera Bennett. While
those scenes were tense and enjoyably bitchy, the repetitive argument scenes
between Smith and Hudson that punctuate the episode just seem lifeless and
pallid - no matter how much the actors loudly snipe
and yell at one another in an apparent attempt to add drama. The two
characters seem like clones rather than believable people. After these clumsy introductory scenes there is
still no real storyline emerging, but at least there are some scenes amongst
the prisoners. Morrison is put in to share with the young and flippant Rick
Munro (Mel Gibson). Rick is a friendly but apparently dim young man who wears
a cigarette pack stuffed in the sleeve of his tight white T-Shirt while
smoking only roll-your-owns. He misses his sexy girlfriend Kate Randall (Kris
McQuade) and has a picture of her in his cell. Kate
was introduced entertaining a male friend in her bedroom. After providing a
topless nude glimpse while ushering him out to go visit her main squeeze
Rick, who she playfully explained spent a lot of time working “behind bars”,
Kate arrived to visit him wearing a low-cut red dress causing Rick to lust
over her cleavage in the visiting booth. Unfortunately the fragmented
narrative soon seems to side track again as the story bogs down in the
visiting room and time is spent introducing the various wives and girlfriends
of several of the prisoners. Larry’s wife Susan (Michelle Fawdon)
visits and while he tries to advise her of an important key he has hidden at
home, she quickly disowns him and storms out. Alice Wells also visits and we
learn she supports and pities Paul while holding the despised Sam responsible
for their predicament. Later as the various women ride the bus away from the
prison, Susan Morrison is so perturbed by Kate’s incessantly flippant and
cheerful chatter that she runs from the bus in a panic; Kate helps herself to
the handbag Susan has left behind and is intrigued by the security box key it
contains. Abandoned by the bus Susan is about to throw herself from an ocean
side cliff when at the last moment she is rescued by a friendly stranger. As viewers wonder where all this might be heading
Susan awakes that night in a strange bed in a darkened house as moody library
music is heard. She is soon met by the friendly stranger played by Robert Coleby, who introduces himself as Christopher Lang, a
medical doctor. While she doesn’t seem at all perturbed when he casually
reports he has sedated her, she is rather taken aback when his throwaway
comment reveals he works as a doctor at a nearby prison. Soon she returns to
her old rooming house to collect her possessions; however she has been
followed there by vicious criminal Hopgood (Robin
Stewart). Meanwhile Kate has managed to gain access to Larry Morrison’s
security vault where she finds a large suitcase filled with cash and a large
supply of heroin. Finally the story returns to prison where
foundations for some ongoing situations seem to be being established. Vicious
Officer Jack Hudson hits young and innocent inmate Paul Wells. Hudson and
Smith discuss the imminent hanging of pretty boy bit part prisoner Christos - the apparent lover of briefly glimpsed inmate
Arthur Willets (Jon Ewing). Smith also asks Hudson to remove Munro from his
post of gardener around the home of Smith and his as-yet unseen wife. Overall the debut episode’s story seems
fragmented and rather than present one clear and contained story it instead
introduces a range of disparate story threads that side track away from the
prison before the viewer has been properly introduced to it or its
inhabitants. Indeed several prisoners seem to be little more than cameos -
there’s Christos’ angry friend Arthur Willets being
dragged out of his cell to be taken to solitary, and an endlessly
guitar-strumming older prisoner Andy “Pop” Epstein (Arthur Sherman) - but we
barely get to know them. The technical standard seems uneven. There are some
nice shots in the prison building, but much of the episode looks gloomy
rather than atmospheric, with overall a cheap videotaped look. The titles sequence begins with a street scene -
just like the original Prisoner opener
that was phased-out after four episodes in 1979 - which freeze-frames on the
one stationary man. After this a rather effective series of animated
illustrations seem to depict the lost denizens lined-up in a male prison and
torn-from-the-newspaper-headlines tales of crime as grim theme music
trumpets. End credits roll over abstract black and white images of prison
interiors: shots of stone walls, wire fences and barbed wire are shown as the
downbeat theme song plays. This song, with its highly literal lyrics (“They
call it Punishment, they call it Punishment!”), was composed by Paul O’Gorman
and Doug Trevor and sung by O’Gorman. The lettering is a striking crimson and
the regular cast members are credited in alphabetical order. THE CAST
Several of the cast members took their roles
seriously, spending time researching their roles and examining their
characters. Ken Wayne who took the role of thuggish officer Jack Hudson
explained the character to TV Week. “In
the old days Hudson would have become superintendent one day. Now, with the appointment of an outsider
and an academic as superintendent,
he sees that it will never happen. He’s of the old school that believes
prisoners are in jail to be punished, not reformed, and that brings him into
conflict with the new superintendent.” Wayne had
researched his role by speaking to former prisoners and prison officers.
“Discussing it, the ex-prisoners say they prefer my man. They know how far
they can push him. He’s predictable. They’re suspicious of the new type. They
have a grudging respect for the Michael C Smith made several visits to Parramatta Jail to visit prisoners and officers. “It was
nothing like I imagined but as frightening - although not in the sense the
media has built up. The mental picture of prisons now is of people being
beaten up and hysterical images of caged animals but it’s not so. There are
just a lot of lonely men out there just trying to get on with their lives.” [5] Smith
reported that “we could never be given an accurate report by the media of
what things are really like in there. I felt it was important to go into the
jail if I was going to play the part of a prisoner for real.” Indeed Smith
took the research so seriously he was soon attending weekly meetings at the
prison, and formed personal associations with prisoners who communicated with
him by mail and sometimes even used their allocated telephone calls to speak
to him at home. [6] Barry Crocker who was known as a singer and
variety performer and for playing Barry McKenzie in two feature films, told TV Week that
“I’ll be pleased if people don’t recognise me. As
an actor I’d like people to believe the character I’m playing.” Compared to
the Barry McKenzie character Crocker said that Alan Smith would be “quite the
opposite. He’s a quiet, depressed sort of person.” Of the ongoing tension
between his character Smith and officer Hudson, Crocker explained that “Smith
believes in rehabilitation, giving the prisoners a bit of leeway and improved
conditions. While this is all well and good, the question
remains as to whether such seriousness was the best approach for an ongoing
serial? The well researched realistic angle seems better suited to a feature
film; for a weekly soap opera drama it seems much too heavy handed, wearying
and intense. In any event much the same theme had been explored in Prisoner with Erica Davidson and Vera Bennett – but in an
engaging and entertaining way. Meanwhile the role of Hopgood
was more your stereotypical villain. English actor Robin Stewart, previously
the son of Sid Abbott (Sid James) in UK comedy series Bless This House, was signed up for four weeks of Punishment. Stewart described Hopgood
as “a verbal muscleman. He’s the one who says, ‘If you don’t do this and this
I’ll cut your ears off’. And then sends in the boys to do the dirty work. Hopgood is a good character to play. There are lots of
things you can do with that sort of character. He’s not a one-dimensional,
cardboard figure.” [8] THE SERIES PROPER
By episode three several changes were already
apparent. Several actors - Mel Gibson (prisoner Rick Munro), Michelle Fawdon (Larry’s earnest wife Susan Morrison), Robert Coleby (the friendly
prison doctor who had not even been seen inside the prison) - had
disappeared. New characters included officer Mike Rogers (Ross Thomson), an
idealistic teacher forced of economic necessity to take the unwanted job of
prison officer. His home life with wife Heather (Penne Hackforth-Jones)
is examined in great depth. She soon befriends Alice Wells and ignores her
husband’s warnings that as an officer’s wife it could be seen as breaking
rules to fraternise with a
relative of the Wells prisoners. Much time is spent on Heather and Alice
sipping cocktails in the hotel lounge and planning shopping expeditions in
the small and unfriendly town that has become their new home. While the
friendship between Heather and Alice seemed sincere and was well-played, this
was hardly riveting drama. Also introduced is Governor’s wife Julie Smith
(Julie McGregor), an apparently prim and class-conscious woman who hates
being locked-up in her prison-grounds quarters and having to advise guards of
her movements: usually trips into town for hair appointments and shopping
excursions. By this stage many more attempts are made to
depict the oppressive prison atmosphere on screen. The much discussed and
purportedly flawed new “C Block” of the pilot episode (a small corner of
large and open birdcage-like barred cells) seems to have been dispensed with.
It seems convenient that this block’s simple and spare cell design was in the
first episode described as an innovative experiment but a resounding failure.
For the on-going series it has been replaced by a two-storey, older-style
stone cell block of small enclosed cells and iron-work stairways and balcony
walkways that looks far more effective and foreboding on screen. This new set
had been based on the real-life Parramatta prison. [9] In an apparent bid to build the sense of dread and
oppression in the prison there’s an omnipresent voice issuing commands over
the prison public address system. Cell block and prison garden scenes are
constantly overlaid with monotone “42798, Jones to the kitchen”-type
announcements from a never-seen speaker. Unfortunately these voice-overs seem
cloying and obvious rather than inspired or effective. Like several elements
in the series you can see what they are trying to achieve, but it doesn’t
quite come off. They also have the unfortunate effect of recalling the UK
cult spy drama series The Prisoner. In a
series already battling to avert unavoidable comparisons with the similar -
and similarly titled - Prisoner,
evoking comparisons with THE Prisoner as
well is just too much. Some new characters enliven the proceedings.
George Spartels is the rebellious young inmate David
“Robbo” Roberts, apparently now filling the role of cocky
and “appealing” prisoner previously taken by Gibson. Rostered on to garden
duty, Robbo fancies himself as someone the
Governor’s wife might enjoy communing with. Teaming up with Larry Morrison he
plans to escape while on garden duty; they will secretly hide in the spacious
boot of Mrs Smith’s Leyland P76 when she drives
into town. The escape attempts are played for comedy which is mildly funny,
and with a double-cross story twist emerging in Robbo’s
plan, these sequences are probably the liveliest element of the episode. In
other story threads Sam Wells shows little concern for his son Paul, and
after spending his hours leaning on a broom and eavesdropping in the cell
block, sets himself up as Hudson’s prison informant reporting on the escape
plot, in return for hopefully an easier ride for himself. More time is devoted to the snarling and
unappealing inmate Arthur Willets and the wise old American prisoner “Pop”
Epstein. Arthur is apparently the prison’s unofficial inmate boss, or “top
dog”. Unfortunately, unlike Prisoner’s Bea
Smith, this uncompromising, flawed and deeply-troubled person does not also
have the characteristics of a quick wit or charismatic and irresistible
appeal that Bea had. The rat-faced Arthur merely seems cold, evil, and
unpleasant. Like the character of “Mum” in Prisoner, “Pop”
was a wise, advice-giving, seen-it-all old-timer with pot plants in his cell.
As stories progress Paul Wells has been pushed from a high stairway by evil
officer Jack Hudson, and like Prisoner’s Lynn
Warner he quickly learns it is much safer to claim it was an accident.
Another new character was the apparently calm-tempered officer Wally Webber
(Brian Wenzel). Outside the prison the evil villain Hopgood is still in pursuit of Larry Morrison’s suitcase
of cash - now in the possession of Kate who makes plans to skip the country. Hopgood is now assisted by a new stooge Howe (Terry
Bader). These extended interludes away from Longridge
are
strictly speaking pointless diversions given their very tenuous link to the
prison. After all, Kate’s boyfriend is not at Longridge
any
more, and while Prisoner frequently
explored events leading to a woman’s incarceration in prison, if Kate gets
caught by police she won’t be sent to the men-only Longridge.
Nevertheless, given the pale and pallid nature of the events internal to the
prison, Kate’s activities emerge among the more lively and suspenseful
sequences as we hope she succeeds in her quest. The characters of Kate and of
Hopgood would disappear after the first few
episodes. Later episodes introduced Rosalyn Rowney (Lisa Peers), girlfriend of inmate Tim Jarrett who
finds herself in hot water while attempting to gather evidence for his
retrial, and tough new prisoner Gazza (James C.
Steele) who is sentenced for six years after bashing a policeman. Joining in
episode nine of the serial was Cathy Wells (Cornelia Frances), Sam Wells’
stylish sister who rushed back from America and stepped in to support the
incarcerated members of her family after Alice suddenly had to leave and
resume control of the family business (in reality, Alice’s portrayer Anne Haddy had abruptly left the series due to illness. [10]) Then
prisoner Tim Jarrett departed after his portrayer David Spencer opted to
leave the production after his initial seven-week contract. Spencer accepted
the offer to act, teach and direct at the actor’s studio in Montreal, Canada
where he had trained. As a result his character Tim would only feature in the
serial’s first ten episodes. [11] PRODUCTION NOTES
Production on the series had been fully completed
and the twenty six episodes of Punishment were
in the can by the end of 1980 - before even the pilot had gone to air.
Several episodes were scripted by former prison inmate Bob Jewson who had written the script for men’s prison
feature film Stir (1980) [12]
Meanwhile former Prisoner and The Young Doctors actor Anne Lucas assisted the
script editor on three episodes of the show. [13]
Finally Punishment was scheduled to
begin screening starting early 1981; a decision about further episodes would
be made after the first batch had screened. [14]
However when the series was eventually programmed by the Ten Network in early
1981 it was buried in the wholly inappropriate dead end timeslot of 8.30 pm
on Saturday evenings. Saturday was Australia’s least-watched television
evening, and in any event, a gritty, violent and realistic prison drama
hardly seemed appropriate for viewers opting to stay in that night. The show
premiered at 8.30 pm on Saturday 14 February 1981 but was deemed a failure
and taken off air after only three episodes had screened. [15] [16] The unscreened episodes were played out later
that year over the summer non-ratings season. In Sydney the rerun started
with episode four, and a compilation of events from the three episodes
already broadcast was screened as a pre-credits recap. In ANALYSIS
Apart from the deadly timeslot allocated to the
series, its failure does not seem surprising because the program itself is
simply not appealing or engaging. The prison seems neither exciting nor
dangerous - rather it is relentlessly dull and miserable - and the storylines
are very mundane. That may well be the reality, but that level of realism
will hardly work in a weekly serial. In addition, few of the characters seem
in any way appealing. It seems difficult to really drum up much sympathy for
Tim or Paul, no matter how innocent and polite the script suggests they are.
While Prisoner’s top dog Bea was
ruthless and uncompromising she was also appealing. When she acted the
selfish thug it would aggravate viewers. Here top dog Arthur merely seems
unpleasant. It is difficult to feel much emotion about someone so blandly
unappealing. Officious and embittered Officer Vera Bennett in Prisoner could be delightfully bitchy and was sometimes
the officer viewers loved to hate. Yet she was a deeply flawed and complex
character who also evoked much sympathy. Here Hudson seems a colourless bully. Like the
character of Arthur it seems the strongest viewer reaction that can be
mustered up for the character is one of indifference. When the storylines
involving bashings, violence and implied rape were played out by these
characters it was difficult to really care too much about any of it. |
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Originally uploaded May 2000 Last updated 4 December 2008 |
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