Number 96 (TV series)

Number 96 was a revolutionary Australian daily soap opera set in a Sydney apartment block that gave the show's title. The series explored the relationships of the residents of Number 96 and tackled such topics as racial intolerance, drug use, rape within marriage, adultery, homosexuality along with more prosaic romantic and domestic storylines. The show featured a multi-racial cast, had frequent nude scenes, and featured a long-running gay male relationship that drew no particular interest from any of the show's other characters.

The show's most popular character was malaproping gossip Dorrie Evans (Pat McDonald). Abigail was the show's most famous sex symbol. She left the series suddenly in June 1973. As the series progressed it increasingly focused on comedy characters such as inventor Les Whittaker (Gordon McDougall) and the bookish Arnold Feather (Jeff Kevin) who proved irresistible to the ladies.

The series made good use of end-of-episode and end-of-year cliffhangers, and whodunit type storylines proved particularly popular. These included a panty snatcher dubbed the Knicker Snipper, a serial killer called The Pantyhose Strangler, and deadliest of all the Mad Bomber. The Mad Bomber storyline in September 1975 was calculated to boost the show's by then declining ratings and shake-up the cast. Unfortunately the writers went too far, killing off several long running cast favourites, and viewers increasingly turned away from the series. Another blatant grab for publicity saw the show feature Australia's first full frontal nude scene in April 1977.

The series ran on Channel Ten from 1972 until 1977. It was Australia's highest rating program for 1973 and 1974. The series was shot on videotape initially in black and white but switching to colour in late 1974. Many black and white episodes are now lost, a victim of wiping videotapes for re-use, the official Channel Ten policy at the time. A colour feature film version was released in 1974. In 1980 a short-lived US remake of the same name retained the comedy but toned-down the sexual elements of the series.

Principle cast members included: Johnny Lockwood, Philippa Baker, Gordon McDougall, Sheila Kennelly, Pat McDonald, Ron Shand, Bunny Brooke, Joe Hasham, Chard Hayward, Carol Raye, Jeff Kevin, Pamela Garrick, Chantal Contouri, Mike Dorsey, Wendy Blacklock, Frances Hargreaves, Elaine Lee, James Elliott, Elisabeth Kirkby, Bettina Welch, Abigail, Tom Oliver, Thelma Scott.