Number 96, an Australian soap opera, was the first television series to feature an openly gay character as a regular. The show ran from 1972 to 1977 and covered many controversial topics. Actor Joe Hasham played Don Finlayson, a lawyer who had a partner Dudley Butterfield, played Chard Hayward. It also featured the first transgender character portrayed by a transfender actress, Carlotta. The show also featured an interracial romance.
