Share
Clip description
Arnold (Jeff Kevin) has a heart-to-heart chat with Norma (Sheila Kennelly) about Rhonda.
Curator’s notes
In this scene you can hear Norma Whittaker’s infamous expression ‘duckie’ and Arnold’s catchphrase ‘in point of actual fact’.
This clip shows the use of a green screen backdrop in the window of Norma’s Bar, which allows for real moving footage outside rather than keeping the curtains drawn or showing a painted backdrop. The new footage of moving cars and pedestrians was actually filmed outside the real building at 83 Moncur Street, Woollahra. It was part of an effort to keep Number 96 looking fresh and more modern. This upgrade had begun in episode 709 when color TV transmission revealed how fake the painted backdrops looked.
The use of green screen is similar to Crawford Production’s 1979 airport soap Skyways. In that show, the actors complained because hairstyles had to be sprayed down like helmets in case a stray hair ruined the effect. Other problems with the technology also caused delays in filming. Perhaps Number 96 had similar issues because after just a few episodes, green screen was dropped from Norma’s Bar window and rarely used again.
