AustLit

This episode was pulled from the production schedule without being aired, at the request of the television network. Based on the script's content, it seems likely that they found it inappropriate for the timeslot, or even inappropriate for a later timeslot. Schreck spends some time, for example, establishing the 'Mona Lisa'/'Lolita' quality of the murder victim, with lengthy stage directions. At one point, the stage directions for the fourteen-year-old victim read:

'SONIA IS STANDING AT HER BEDROOM WINDOW. HER BACK TO CAMERA. SHE'S NAKED, HOLDING HER NIGHTIE IN ONE HAND. THE ROOM IS DARK AND THERE'S NOTHING DELIBERATELY PROVOCATIVE ABOUT IT. JUST CHILDISH INNOCENCE. IN FACT, IT MUST COME ACROSS AS CHILDISH INNOCENCE, OTHERWISE CUT THE NAKED BIT.'

Other stage directions include:

'SHE'S WEARING A WHITE NYLON NIGHTIE. IT'S NOT TRANSPARENT, BUT THE WAY IT FITS HER, IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE'

and

'SHE'S SEXY AS HELL - NYLON NIGHTIE, JUTTING NIPPLES BUT NOT DELIBERATELY PROVOCATIVE.'

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'THE PARTY PEOPLE: It's a bit pointless doing detailed outlines on each of these people because on of the points of the story is that they're all of the same type. Upper middle-class, all on twenty thousand a year and up, and all living well beyond their means. The cars tend to be fitted with air conditioners and four speaker sound. Dishwashers are standard equipment in every kitchen, together with just about every other piece of electrical junk-gadgetry you can think of. Gardeners keeps the lawns and poolsides groomed, and the barbeques are, of course, gas fuelled. Maybe they burn a few gumleaves on the side for authenticity.

'It says something that, despite all their expensive toys, they are not "upper-class". They need this conspicuous consumption just to establish and hold their standing in the middle class.

'The men are in their mid-thirties, fashionably casual in their dress, and aggressive as hell in their business lives. The aggression carries over into their social lives - though it comes out as brash talk and hard laughter rather than overt violence. They play squash, watch football, and try to do something adventurous at least once a year. Last year they hired a Land Rover and tried to find Lasseter's Reef. They're into booze rather than drugs, though they've all tripped occasionally. "Balls" are very important in this circle.

'The wives know they have to keep up with the men, they have to be "exciting". They spend a fortune on health clubs, clothes and grooming. They know more about the latest groups than most teenyboppers, and they were among the first to see Last Tango in Paris - and cut their fingernails.

'On the surface they're a modern, healthy, liberated group of people living the good life and enjoying it to the hilt.

'JEFF WILSON: 35. Advertising Account Exec. - in some ways the nastiest of the lot. More concerned with "toys" than the others, less conscience. It doesn't show, but he also has more financial and job-security worries. Drives.

'TRISH WILSON: 33 - (and looks and dresses 25). She's a bit tougher and sexier in her dress, attitude and talk than the others - mainly because he husband is.

'DAVE FORD: Marketing Manager. A little older, and a little more secure. Drives.

'NIKKI FORD: A little desperate because she's a little older. She has to keep up with Trish - even though she has a fourteen year old son.

'ROSS KNIGHT: About Jeff's age. In the import - export business. He's trying to fit in, but at least the bastard has a conscience.

'DI KNIGHT: Less likeable than her husband.

'DOUG MITCHELL/SHIRL MITCHELL: At least they dance together at parties.

'KEITH FORD: Fourteen and going through the problems of adolescence. Sometimes sulky, sometimes co-operative. He'll probably turn out like his father, and his father (if he feels anything at all about it) will probably be proud of it. At the moment he's got a problem - all these adults are out there having a ball and he's stuck in his bedroom with his father's cast-off girlie magazines. One of the few people for whom we should feel sympathy.

'THE HOLLANDS: ... they just don't fit into this particular street, and they know it. Renting their home, wrong age group, wrong income bracket. They don't actually run to "ducks up the wall", but almost. In fact they probably have more money in the bank than any of the others, but they haven't yet learned how to spend it - or throw it away.

'ROBERT HOLLAND: Morose and bitter - continually comparing himself and his lifestyle to that of the young people across the road. Initially there's not much to like about him, but he's got pretty good reasons for his bitterness and he turns out O.K. Late forties.

'SUSAN HOLLAND: Late forties. There's no doubt at all she's one of the most pleasant people in the street. Perhaps it's unfortunate that she's so pleasant, she also shows up as a bit bland. But at least she's content - and she's the only one.

'SONIA HOLLAND: Fourteen years old, very big tits, childish innocence. She dies in the teaser, but she's important because of the Mona Lisa touch.

'VERA BURNS: Cleaning lady. 55.'