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Clip description
In Norma’s wine bar, Norma (Sheila Kennelly) and Weppo (Roger Ward) discuss the new barman. Edie (Wendy Blacklock) comes in with her nephews, Grant (Michael Howard) and Lee (Stephen McDonald), and has trouble understanding their teenage talk.
Curator’s notes
The ‘bloody good bartender’ that Norma refers to is Lenny (Terry Fisher), who will soon be revealed to be the dreaded Hooded Rapist.
Edie’s teenage nephews confuse her with their groovy expressions from the era. Edie is not sure what ‘turns you on’ means and is also unfamiliar with the term ‘cool’. These new boys (unemployed university dropouts) and resident schoolgirl and ex-heroin addict Debbie Chester (Dina Mann) were an obvious attempt to drag in younger viewers from watching colourful American programs on the other channels, like Starsky and Hutch (1975–79) and Charlie’s Angels (1976–1981).
During the controversial early days of Number 96, religious leaders and school authorities were alarmed at the popularity of the show with children (one poll named it the favourite show of six-year-old kids!). When ratings dipped in 1975, the producers suddenly felt the need to cater to the youth audience and it ultimately proved disastrous (particularly the makeover of Norma’s Bar into the decidedly uncool Duddles’ Disco). Whilst teenagers were taking over though, the older characters still addressed each other, despite everyone being the best of friends, by the more formal ‘Mr’ and ‘Mrs’.
