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 Andrew Mercado has been a busy man since the release of his book, Super Aussie Soaps. “The response to the book has been great,” he says. “I got to meet some of my childhood heroes and reveal some of the behind-the-scenes gossip, in some cases never before told.” The book entailed three years of intensive research, interviews and writing, and has become the definitive text on all things soap in this country.
“It was a labour of love, drawing on my love of the soap genre and its characters, shows and stories,” Mercado explains. “I’d been a fan of Aussie soaps since Number 96 days,” he says. “I’d seen an advertisement for 96 and it fascinated me. It alarmed my parents who forbade me to watch it, but I eventually wore them down.”
I asked Mercado why Number 96 still captures viewers’ imaginations. “It was a groundbreaking show in so many ways; there has never been anything like it before or since,” he explains. “Thanks to Number 96 a whole generation learnt about sex much earlier than planned. Sooner or later every kid found out what a virgin, a knicker-snipper and a homosexual were,” laughs Mercado.
“Number 96 provided a television world-first in having a regular gay character, Don Finlayson played by Joe Hasham. What a positive role model he turned out to be,” says Mercado. “He was a well-adjusted and upstanding lawyer who would help out every character in the show.”
The movie version of Number 96 is currently out on DVD along with an audio commentary provided by Mercado and the legendary Elaine Lee, one of the original stars, as well as original writer David Sale. It is a must for anybody interested in the show.
“David [Sale] helped me with the chapter on Number 96 for the book,” says Mercado. “Through him I got to meet Elaine Lee, who has some wonderful stories to tell and keeps in touch with remaining cast members. Over the course of a few lunches and dinners we got to know each other really well. So by the time we did the audio commentary we were very comfortable with one another.”
I asked Mercado how optimistic he is about the future of local television production in this country, and he is very upbeat. “For the first time in years, Aussie shows rated as the top ten most popular with audiences. Shows like City Homicide demonstrate we can still produce high quality drama and this is very reassuring. We watch such a lot of American shows, our own culture and identity are at risk of being obscured. I still think people want to hear our voices and see our stories played out in a familiar environment.”
Mercado sees it as a national tragedy that so much of our early TV footage has been lost forever. “Early tape was very expensive, so it was simply re-used without any thought as to the cultural significance of the material being lost. With the advent of colour television, masses of footage ended up as landfill,” he says. “Anything remaining needs to be cherished.”
Mercado is contributing to this endeavour by releasing E-Street in a new DVD package along with the third volume of Chances. Viewers will be able to reacquaint themselves with Jeremy Sim’s shapely bottom.
“When we record the old programs onto DVD, we ensure everything is digitalised onto a master tape. This is vital for future preservation. It’s so important as there is a wealth of material out there still at risk.”
Next year will see the release of more Sons and Daughters and The Young Doctors. Also planned is the release of Class of 74 and 75, The Restless Years and complete chronological episodes of Number 96, starting with the gripping panty-hose strangler storylines; “Oh my God – it’s you!” screams the intended victim in a typically sensational Friday night cliff-hanger. How could we forget?
Mercado says he is looking forward to hosting the inaugural Not-For-Profit Awards later this month. The awards are designed to recognise the achievements of individuals and organisations in the non-profit sector and the enormous contribution they make to the community.
“I got behind the awards because the work of organisations like The Cancer Council, RSPCA, National Breast Cancer Foundation and Diabetes Queensland, among others, is so important. Fantastic people like Paula Duncan are also involved. I also love any opportunity to get back to Queensland, as I grew up there,” explains Mercado, now based in Sydney. Cosima De Vito, the cast from Home and Away, Barry Crocker, Mimi Macpherson and Angry Anderson will also be attending. “It’ll be a big night,” he says.
The Not-For-Profit Network Awards will be held at Warner Bros Movie World on the Gold Coast on Friday November 23. If you are a non-profit organisation looking for support, go to www.nfpn.com.au . Super Aussie Soaps is available from Pluto Press and can be ordered from bookstores or online.
To win a $350 voucher from Deery’s Restaurant at the Story Bridge Hotel, write to
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and tell us why the LGBT not-for-profit organisation of your choice deserves to be nominated for an award. The best entry received by November 15 will win the voucher.
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