Storylines
The initial episodes emphasised sex, scandal, and the political machinations of station personnel. The first episode showed a sexy young woman named Felicity (played by 20 year old Helen Hemingway) seduce a male TV compere. Felicity later claimed to be a 15-year-old schoolgirl, but it was eventually learned she was actually over 18. She later posed for a nude centerfold with a male action-hero TV actor, and was seduced by a scheming female journalist. This seduction featured Australian TV's first ever lesbian kiss.
The journalist in question was Vicki Stafford (Judy Nunn) who emerged as a popular character in the series. The show also featured an openly-gay television producer, the flamboyant Lee Whiteman (Paul Karo), and gossipy tea lady Mrs Hopkins (Lois Ramsey).
Along with constructing characters modelled on real-life Australian television figures of the day, The Box presented various fictional programs produced by UCV-12 that commented-on real-life Australian programs. Troubled action drama Manhunt with its accident-prone star Tony Wild (Ken James) was much like the police series produced by Crawfords at that time. Variety program Big Night Out was an In Melbourne Tonight style production, and later the medical drama Mercy Flight seemed connected to early Australian series The Flying Doctor (1959).
Read more about this topic: The Box (TV series)