Mar 13 2007

“The night Australian TV lost its virginity……….”

  • 13 March 2007

It was thirty five years ago tonight, 13 March, that Australian TV ‘lost its virginity’ with the tell-all tales of life in a suburban block of flats in Sydney – Number 96.

The critics hated it, the censors constantly monitored it, and the viewers couldn’t get enough of it – as Number 96 became compulsive viewing five nights a week. The novelty of Australia’s first major prime-time soap, bundled with racy storylines, melodramatic cliff-hangers, comic relief, and generous amounts of flesh, helped the financially challenged 0-10 Network to its first ratings win.

The characters from Number 96 became cult heroes and also added quite a number of phrases into the language (most of which came from the prattling Dorrie Evans). Also, at a time when Australia was still in the grips of the White Australia policy, Number 96 embraced multiculturalism with various nationalities and cultures represented – perhaps not always in the most appropriate light – but was groundbreaking nevertheless.

The popularity of the series was reflected in the swag of awards it won during its five year run – including several TV Week Logie Awards for Best Drama, and also a Gold Logie for Pat McDonald in 1974 – and a movie spin-off that gave fans the chance to see their favourite apartment block in colour when TV was still in black and white.

Number 96 finally came to a halt in 1977, after a record breaking 1218 episodes but the series had proven that soap opera drama could be a viable prime time format. Though while it was a hit in Australia, America’s NBC network was not so lucky when it adapted the series for US audiences in 1980, though it could be said that the Americans embraced the concept a generation later in the guise of Melrose Place.

TelevisionAU: Number 96

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2007/03/the-night-australian-tv-lost-its-virginity.html

Mar 03 2007

Happy Birthday NBN3!

  • 3 March 2007

It was this day, 4 March, forty five years ago that New South Wales’ first regional station NBN3 began transmission from studios in Mosbri Crescent, Newcastle, and transmitter located at Mt Sugarloaf, covering Newcastle and the Hunter Valley region.

NBN was unlike many regional stations in that it was one of the first to have to deal with competition. Most regional areas (up until aggregation) were served by only one commercial station and the non-commercial national broadcaster ABC, however it was quickly apparent that a large portion of NBN’s coverage area also received fortuitous coverage of the Sydney television stations. However in 1979 it was reported that despite the competing signals from Sydney, NBN still managed a 60 per cent share of the local audience – attributed largely to NBN’s emphasis on local production and supporting the local community through such ventures as their annual telethon.

In the early 1970s, NBN launched what may have been Australia’s first one-hour evening news bulletin – combining local, national and international news stories – a format that continues to this day.

In 1991, the implementation of aggregation saw NBN expand its coverage area across Northern NSW and the Gold Coast – increasing its audience reach from 500,000 to over 1 million, in competition with other regional operators Prime and NRTV (now Southern Cross Ten), as well as ABC and SBS. NBN not only continues to dominate in the Newcastle/Hunter region but is also dominant across the Northern NSW market, maintaining market shares not seen in any other competitive market.

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2007/03/happy-birthday-nbn3.html

Mar 01 2007

Whatever happened to …. ?

  • 1 March 2007

While watching the TV in the waiting room at the GP’s today, i was confronted by what is known as Good Health Television.. basically a “channel” of segments discussing various health topics.

While this concept is nothing new, it has apparently been playing in doctors waiting rooms for 15 years, I was surprised to see a somewhat familiar face presenting some of the segments… former Network Ten newsreader of the 1980s, Jo Pearson.

Ms Pearson (and weatherman husband Rob Gell) made headlines when they packed up from ATV10 Melbourne to go to Nine with a rumoured $1m contract in 1987. Rob continued with Nine until only recently (and is now appearing on Seven News in Melbourne), but Jo had less success at Nine hosting ill-fated late-afternoon shows such as Live At Five and Body & Soul, before returning to ATV10 perhaps a bit wiser in 1991. After two years back at Eyewitness News, she vanished again and then re-surfaced on ABC‘s TVTV program.

(Picture: Nine Network, 1988 )

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2007/03/whatever-happened-to.html

Feb 28 2007

Welcome!!

  • 28 February 2007

Welcome to Talking TelevisionAU – the blog for the website TelevisionAU The History Of Australian Television which will provide some articles or updates on a more immediate basis than the website – and also (hopefully!) allow some discussion along the way. Would be pleased to know what you think and any suggestions for the website or the blog also welcome.

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2007/02/welcome.html