Punishment (TV series)

Punishment
Genre	Drama Soap Opera
Created by	Reg Watson
Country of origin	Australia
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	26
Production company(s)	Reg Grundy Organisation
Release
Original network	Network Ten
Original release	20 February 1981 – 1981

Punishment is an Australian television soap opera made by the Reg Grundy Organisation for the Ten Network in 1981.

Set in a fictional men's prison, the series attempted to present a male version of the successful soap Prisoner. Attempts by the show's makers to differentiate the series from Prisoner saw Punishment imbued with greater realism; however, the formula did not attract high viewing figures. Network Ten deemed the new series a failure after only three episodes had gone to air, and it was quickly removed from the schedules. The remainder of the 26 episodes produced were shown out-of-ratings later that year. Unusually for a soap opera, the series was taped using the single camera technique.

The programme was produced and directed by Alan Coleman. The regular cast featured many notable Australian actors including Brian Wenzel, Barry Crocker, Michael Preston, Ross Thompson, Anne Haddy, George Spartels, Cornelia Frances, Lisa Peers and Julie McGregor. Mel Gibson played a prisoner in the first episode. Kris McQuade played the girlfriend of Gibson's character and was phased out of the series after the first few episodes due to Gibson's departure.

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