Brief synopses for Episodes 16--30

Now that the early, surviving b/w episodes are available for streaming at "Brollie", here are some brief synopses that exist for Episodes #16 to #30:

Episode 16. (30/03/1972) Mark is aghast that Helen must have total recall of losing her baby if she is ever to make a full recovery. Vera is perplexed by a sense of deja vu. Where has she seen Gordon, the new chemist, before?

On Good Friday, 31st March, the show was pre-empted by "Telethon '72", in aid of the Royal New South Wales Institute for Deaf and Blind Children. However, as compensation, viewers were promised telethon appearances by celebrities Johnny Lockwood, Pat McDonald, Joe Hasham, Briony Behets and "the entire cast of 'Number 96'".

Episode 17. (3/04) Gordon is worried that Vera has recognised him and knows him to be the disgraced, former Doctor Vansard, so he takes action.

Episode 18. (4/04) Maggie discovers that Bruce is moonlighting again.

This plotline was novelised for the 1973 Arkon paperback, "Bev & Bruce & Maggie & Don". (This book was the only one in the series that featured an actual publicity still, of actors Joe Hasham and Abigail, on the cover.) The novelisation’s title is a homage to "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice", a 1969 American comedy-drama movie.

Episode 19. (5/04) Cliff calls by the deli late one evening and Rose discovers a whole new scene.

The censors decreed that Rose must be shown to dislike the effects of smoking a marijuana cigarette. (In Episode #523 Chris Benaud and Angela Punch-McGregor would portray cannabis-smoking teenagers. In Episode #869, Debbie Chester will be seen mainlining heroin, in a scene made with police participation.) Initially, Rose was supposed to "enjoy" being pack-raped by Cliff's bikie gang, but Vivienne Garrett objected and instead Rose put up a frantic struggle.

Episode 20. (6/04) Rose has been out all night, but when Aldo protests, she claims to have been with her friend, Jenny.

Episode 21. (7/04) In a hotel room, Janie reveals at lot more to Alex than she had planned. He cancels room service and they move straight to dessert. Aldo is seemingly swindled out of his life savings of $5000 by a con man, 10% of the price of the restaurant. When he goes to Mr Holloway's office to collect the official papers, the office is empty.

"TV Week" described the series on this night as being the story of the lives of "ordinary people" who live in an apartment block. The Janie/Alex plotline was novelised for the 1972 Arkon paperback, "Janie Stagestruck". (The book featured no actors from the series on the cover.)

Episode 22. (10/04) Aldo despairs over his real estate investment. The office caretaker (Les Foxcroft) hasn't seen the agent, Mr Holloway - and a firebug (Brian Hinselwood) sets fire to the site of Aldo's dream restaurant. A distraught Helen disappears into the night.

Mr Holloway's office caretaker was portrayed by Les Foxcroft, who would later return as the Magistrate presiding over Kerry Braddon's case in Episode #831, Quentin Flemming in Episode #905, and the recurring character, Sir William Mainwaring from Episode #1008. Brian Hinselwood, who plays the firebug, returns as Young Man in Plaza in Episode #1047.

Episode 23. (11/04) Helen's reaction to Rose's revelation causes great concern to all at "Number 96". Where has she gone?

The events of this episode cause Helen to leave Flat 4. She has also had verbal altercations with the Eastwoods' new boarder, Chad Farrell (Ronne Arnold). Helen's whereabouts would remain a mystery for some time.

Episode 24. (12/04) Aldo introduces Rose to restaurateur Roma Lubinski (Philippa Baker). Mrs Lubinski has an offer to make him. Helen's outraged father, Mr Fulton (Kevin Manser), arrives from Perth. He wants to know what has become of his missing daughter.

Episode 25. (13/04) In desperation, Bruce turns to Maggie once again.

Episode 26. (14/04) Herb tries to hide his gambling winnings from Dorrie, but she is suspicious.

Episode 27. (17/04) Janie, the understudy, must step in at the last minute when her play's lead actress, Gloria Gould (Judy Lynne), withdraws from the cast.

Judy Lynne came to Australia from the USA and was to rise to prominence as one of the stars of the Nine Network's "The Young Doctors". She was also a popular TV weather girl, journalist/producer at "A Current Affair" and spokesperson/manager of "Balloon Aloft".

Episode 28. (18/04) The tenants throw a party to celebrate Janie assuming the lead role in the play, The Rainbow Trap. Bev's romantic expectations are shattered during an encounter with Don.

Rod Mullinar's character in the Australian movie, "The Set" (1970), delivers a line that "Number 96" viewers would come to remember well (used by Abigail as Bev to Joe Hasham's Don). Mulliner's Tony Brown says to Sean [McEuan] Myers' character, Paul Lawrence, "You dirty, filthy, little..." when they have an unexpected bedroom encounter. Abigail actually completes this sentence in "Number 96".

Episode 29. (19/04) A distraught Bev faces the truth about Don, but there is nothing she, nor anyone else, can do to change him.

Episode 30. (20/04) Aldo is pleased when Roma offers him the restaurant - and he seems rather enamoured of her as well. Sharon Stevens (Mirren Lee) and her bikie husband, Cliff, taunt Aldo. They boast that Rose is already dealing drugs for them, and "she is in it up to her little earrings." Will Sharon prevent Aldo from shooting Cliff?