Mother and Son

Mother and Son
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Geoffrey Atherden
Directed by	Geoff Portmann
Starring	Ruth Cracknell Garry McDonald Henri Szeps Judy Morris
Country of origin	Australia
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	6
No. of episodes	42 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	John O'Grady
Producer(s)	Geoff Portmann
Running time	22 minutes per episode
Release
Original network	ABC TV
Picture format	576i (SDTV)
Original release	16 January 1984 – 21 March 1994

Mother and Son is an Australian television sitcom produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 16 January 1984 until 21 March 1994. The show stars Ruth Cracknell, Garry McDonald, Henri Szeps and Judy Morris. It featured many Australian actors of the time in guest roles. It was created and written by Geoffrey Atherden AM. Its theme song features the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, playing to "I Want a Girl", a jazz standard which was recorded by Al Jolson in the 1920s.

The stage version of Mother and Son was written by Geoffrey Atherden and will star Noeline Brown, Darren Gilshenan and Shane Jacobson. It will premiere at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne on July 18, 2014.

The plot of the show addresses the problems of ageing and caring for somebody with increasing memory loss, with an often sharp-edged humour which carried with it a tinge of sadness. Despite its unlikely subject matter for a comedy, the show was a favourite with audiences. Maggie's and Arthur's relationship was presented with a fascinating complexity - Maggie's cruel attacks on and emotional manipulation of Arthur disguised her deep dependence on and need of him, and Arthur's dutiful love of Maggie was constantly in conflict with his guilty frustration at the huge limitations for his own life which looking after his mother entailed. The performance of Cracknell, a famous stage actress, as Maggie was particularly lauded as one of the finest characterisations on Australian television. The series itself became extremely popular and has screened in constant reruns, particularly by Network Ten. Garry McDonald and Ruth Cracknell in character would appear in television adverts for Dynamo laundry liquid.

Margaret May "Maggie" Beare, is the widow of World War II veteran Leo, mother of Robert and Arthur, sister to Lorna and grandmother to Damien and Teonie. Maggie (Cracknell) is in the early stages of some form of dementia and her younger son Arthur lives with and takes care of her. However, despite being increasingly forgetful, Maggie is lucid enough to manipulate Arthur when she wants to, usually for something devilish that will seriously inconvenience him. Maggie was a nurse and met Leo while treating him for war wounds.

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