A highly successful soap opera, Number 96's permissive and adult tone emerged, in Moran's terms, from 'the atmosphere of censorship liberalisation that had occurred in Australia in the early 1970s, and the intention to screen the serial in a late evening timeslot'. As such, the programme interspersed the domestic and romantic storylines that usually drive soap operas with plots exploring rape, drug abuse, and homosexuality. For example, the long-running character Don Finlayson (played by Joe Hasham) was an openly gay character whose relationships attracted neither censure nor any unusual degree of attention from his neighbours, showing him as unusually (for the time) integrated into a mainstream community.
According to Moran, 'Number 96 moved the Australian television soap opera completely away from its radio predecessor by organising a series of simultaneous storylines with various characters moving in and out of these, the storylines lasting only two to six weeks on air.' Long-running storylines included the 'Knicker Snipper' (a msyterious figure stealing the residents' underwear) and the Pantyhose Murderer (a serial killer).
As the show's ratings began dropping in 1975, various attempts were made to revitalise interest in the series, including killing (or otherwise writing out) long-running characters, increasing the amount of location shooting, and publicising the increased amount of nudity in the show (including both female and--briefly--male full-frontal nudity). Despite this, ratings continued to drop to the point where the show was cancelled in July 1977.
This Is It, Kids
Sydney
:
Cash Harmon Television
,
1976
6695404
1976
single work
film/TV
Episode 1000 of the long-running soap opera Number 96.
Sydney : Cash Harmon Television , 1976'High school education underwent a radical change in Australia in the 1960s and 1970s, commensurate with the major changes experienced within other institutions and social environments. This article is an exploration of Australian television’s use of the schoolroom within drama during the 1970s, with a focus on three productions: 290 half-hour episodes of Class of ’74/’75, 39 hour-long instalments of Glenview High and a pilot for Jackson High, a one-hour show that was not developed but which proved to be a forerunner for Glenview High. The article demonstrates that such shows provide insight into attitudes to both schooling and to teenage life in Australia in the 1970s, as well as being in themselves important and engaging examples of early Australian television drama.' (Publication abstract)
'For five nights a week in the 1970s, the show brought nudity, plot twists and progressive politics to primetime. Its stars remember how it was made.'
'In his 2006 thesis, “‘Staying Bush’ – A Study of Gay Men Living in Rural Areas”, author Edward Green described his subject as the “largely hidden and untold story of gay men living in rural areas”. That was a pivotal year for gay men living in the bush, with Australian television broadcasters platforming two of their stories. In the space of one 12-month period, this cohort went from “hidden and untold” to prime time. From as early as 1989, rural politician Bob Katter had been declaring that he would “walk to Bourke backwards if the poof population of North Queensland is any more than 0.001 per cent”. Analysing media and popular culture, this article explores the visibility and portrayal of rural gay men in Australia prior to and after 2006. In spite of Katter’s minuscule population estimates, the rural gay cohort continues to defy assumptions.' (Publication abstract)
Number 96 : 50th Anniversary Album
Nigel Giles
(editor),
Melbourne
:
Australian Scholarly Publishing
,
2022
24873084
2022
anthology
essay
autobiography
'It was raunchy, it was riotous and it was a revelation. It was called Number 96 and soon after making its spectacular debut on our TV screens in 1972 it became the hottest show around. Since then it has earned its reputation as one of the most iconic TV shows ever produced anywhere in the world. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this beloved series the cast and crew share their recollections of life at television’s most notorious address.' (Publication summary)
Super Aussie Soaps : Behind the Scenes of Australia's Best Loved TV Shows
North Melbourne
:
Pluto Press
,
2004
Z1511282
2004
single work
criticism
The definitive history of Australian TV soaps, Super Aussie Soaps examines Australian television serials, in chronological order from 1958 to the early 2000s. Among the series presented are Bellbird, Number 96, The Sullivans, Prisoner, Sons and Daughters, Neighbours and Home and Away.
Number 96, Mavis Bramston and Me
Fremantle
:
Vivid Publishing
,
2013
Z1933393
2013
single work
autobiography
'Two shows changed the face of Australian television forever, and rocked the nation to its foundations. And now, the creator of Number 96 and the Executive Producer of The Mavis Bramston Show takes you behind the scenes of these two controversial, outrageously ground-breaking series for a jaunt through the industry's Golden Years.
Australian Television : A Genealogy of Great Moments
South Melbourne
:
Oxford University Press
,
2001
10504917
2001
multi chapter work
criticism
