Mother and Son (2023 TV series)

Last updated

Mother and Son
Mother and Son (2023) opening titles.png
Opening intertitle for the first episode
GenreSitcom
Created by
Based on Mother and Son
by Geoffrey Atherden
Written by
Directed by
Starring
Composers
  • Jordie Lane
  • Clare Reynolds
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
  • Jude Troy
  • Richard Finlayson
  • Matt Okine
  • Todd Abbott
  • Louise Smith
  • Geoffrey Atherden
Producers
  • Jude Troy
  • Alexandra Cameron
Production location Sydney
CinematographyDrew English
Editor Gabriel Dowrick
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companyWooden Horse Productions
Original release
Network ABC
Release23 August 2023 (2023-08-23) –
present
Related
Mother and Son

Mother and Son is an Australian television sitcom reboot of the series of the same name broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) since 23 August 2023. [1] The series stars Denise Scott and Matt Okine as Maggie and Arthur, respectively. [2] [3] In August 2024, it was confirmed that the series would be renewed for a second series. [4] [5]

Contents

Filming for the series began in Sydney in March 2023. [6] Unlike the original series which filmed on a sound stage with a multi-camera setup with an audience, the series is filmed as a single-camera setup. [2]

Plot

Following a breakup from his long-suffering girlfriend, Arthur puts his future on hold to move back home with his widowed mother, Maggie. Arthur and his older sister, Robbie, attempt to care for Maggie, who may recently have almost burnt down the kitchen, but still runs circles around her children. [7]

Cast

Production

Development

The series is a "fresh reimagining" of the original sitcom Mother and Son , which starred Garry McDonald as Arthur and Ruth Cracknell as Maggie, and ran from 1984 to 1994 on the ABC. The rebooted series was developed and funded by Screen Australia and Screen NSW. Original series creator Geoffrey Atherden collaborated with Matt Okine to create the new series. [1]

Matt Okine had wished to create a reboot of Mother and Son since 2013, when he had been touring Hong Kong with Denise Scott, who would later play Maggie in the series. Okine admired the original series, describing it as "a beautiful snapshot of 1980s Australian suburbia, made hilariously unforgettable by its co-stars Ruth Cracknell and Garry McDonald". Although he acknowledged that he and Scott had "huge shoes to fill", Okine was optimistic that the series could work: "With my hairline going the way it is, I feel like I was born to play a 2023 version of Arthur!" [6]

Jennifer Collins, the Acting Director of Entertainment and Specialist for the ABC, revealed that the idea of a reboot of the original series had been "around for quite some time" and described the new series as being "a long time in the making". She noted that the series was "not something that has just been cooked up. It's something that's been given a lot of love and attention, detail and thought." [6]

Filming

Filming for the series began in March 2023 and took place in southwest Sydney. [6] [8] Okine chose this location because he wanted to use a realistic setting for where Arthur Boye's father would have moved from Ghana in the 1970s, as Sydney has been noted for being a culturally diverse city. [8] Maggie's house is located in the Sydney suburb of Dolls Point. [9]

One of the first aspects of the series that Okine considered was whether the series would be shot using a single-camera or multi-camera format. Ultimately, Okine chose to film the series using a single-camera format because he did not wish the series to be stuck in 1980s Australia; he wished to distance the series from the original and reasoned that modern sitcoms no longer use the single-camera studio format. [8]

Future

In November 2023, the ABC's Chief Content Officer Chris Oliver-Taylor revealed that a second series of Mother and Son is currently in development: "The numbers were okay, I think we would have liked a bit more, but this is one of the most iconic ABC shows of all time. I want the show to have the respect it deserves and see if we can find an audience across two series. Now, whether it will finance or whether it will creatively develop, I don’t know." He cited that no new series would be produced for 2024. Instead, the producers wished to give the second series "the best shot" for a 2025 release. [10]

In August 2024, it was confirmed that a second series of Mother and Son would be broadcast on ABC TV and released on ABC iview in 2025. Directed by Shaun Wilson, the series is set to be composed of six episodes. [4] [5]

Episodes

Series 1 (2023)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateAus. viewers
1"Pilot"Neil Sharma Matt Okine 23 August 2023 (2023-08-23)441,000 [11] [12]
When Maggie sets fire to the kitchen, her recently-single son, Arthur moves back into the family home where eccentric Maggie calls all the shots.
2"Donation"Neil SharmaMatt Okine and Sarah Walker 30 August 2023 (2023-08-30)344,000 [13]
Maggie tries to inspire a visit from her grandchildren, while Robbie seeks a sperm donation from Arthur for her friends, a lesbian couple.
3"Tracking Maggie"Neil SharmaMatt Okine and Tristram Baumber 6 September 2023 (2023-09-06)304,000 [14]
Maggie keeps going missing, leaving Arthur and Robbie to get creative in their attempts to keep track of her so Arthur can go on a date. Arthur meets Maya, whose family has taken over the dance studio that Maggie frequents.
4"The Lodger"Neil SharmaMatt Okine13 September 2023 (2023-09-13)282,000 [15]
Arthur battles with his identity when Maggie takes in a Ghanaian lodger at her house. Maggie and her new 'son' decide to run a Ghanaian food stall at the local markets. Arthur helps Dee pack for her move to Canberra.
5"Bodies" Kriv Stenders Matt Okine and Sarah Walker20 September 2023 (2023-09-20)265,000 [16]
Arthur and Maggie both engage in sexual misadventures with disastrous results. Maggie is horrified to learn that Leo's restaurant has been leased. Robbie tries to convince Maggie to sign over her Power of Attorney.
6"Test"Kriv SendersSarah Walker27 September 2023 (2023-09-27)258,000 [17]
Maggie and Arthur aren't speaking to each other after Arthur finds out Maggie's plans to take her health into her own hands.
7"Roadtrip"Kriv SendersMatt Okine and Tristram Baumber4 October 2023 (2023-10-04)253,000 [18]
Arthur is determined not to take Maggie to Canberra with him to visit his ex, Dee, but Maggie has other plans. Maggie fears she is becoming 'invisible'. Arthur comes to terms with the nature of his relationship with Dee.
8"Bad Influence"Kriv SendersTristram Baumber11 October 2023 (2023-10-11)254,000 [19]
Arthur is concerned that Maggie's friend Heather may be a bad influence. Robbie's marriage faces a crisis after Arthur unwittingly gets involved. Maggie and Heather cause chaos at Tony and Maya's new restaurant.

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef
2024Silver LogieBest Lead Actress in a Comedy Denise Scott Won [20] [21]
Silver LogieBest Lead Actor in a Comedy Matt Okine Won [20] [21]
Silver LogieBest Scripted Comedy ProgramWon [20] [21]

Reception

Reviews for the series were mixed. A reviewer on The Guardian Australia wrote that, "As a remake it's lacklustre (and not a patch on the original), but as its own production, doing its own thing, it’s modestly entertaining." He went on to conclude that, "The new Mother and Son is at its best when focusing on interpersonal dynamics and snarky back-and-forth between the titular characters. Scott and Okine both do a good job, bringing likability and some charisma. But talk about a poisoned chalice. The genius of McDonald and Cracknell is even more apparent now that others have performed in their shadows." [22]

A Sydney Morning Herald reviewer wrote that, "For a sitcom, this Mother and Son is not necessarily funny; in fact, it's low-key depressing. A lot of the gags sit there without a sharp pay-off, lending the series […] a flat energy that might be the best argument yet for the return of the TV laugh track." However, he continued to write that, "The series feels significant in broaching those icky topics we'd often rather ignore," and concluded by acknowledging that, "The show's overarching pleasantness is reason to stick with it [...] Despite its famous template, this version feels like a breath of fresh air." [23]

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References

  1. 1 2 Vann-Wall, Silvi (12 July 2023). "New Mother and Son series coming to ABC this winter". Screenhub. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 Knox, David (24 November 2022). "2023 Upfronts: ABC". TV Tonight . Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  3. ↑ Molk, Steve (24 November 2022). "UPFRONT: Everything from the ABC in 2023". TV Blackbox. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  4. 1 2 Knox, David (15 August 2024). "Renewed: Mother & Son". TV Tonight . Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Maggie and Arthur return to the ABC for a second season of Mother and Son". Screen Australia . 15 August 2024. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Knox, David (8 March 2022). "Production begins on Mother & Son reboot". TV Tonight . Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  7. ↑ Knox, David (11 July 2023). "Airdate: Mother & Son". TV Tonight . Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 Mother & Son – Behind the Scenes, YouTube: Screen Australia, 22 August 2023, retrieved 18 December 2023
  9. ↑ Behind the scenes with Matt Okine | Mother and Son | ABC TV + iview, YouTube: ABC TV & iview, 6 October 2023, retrieved 18 December 2023
  10. ↑ Knox, David (12 November 2023). "Bay of Fires, Mother & Son new seasons in development | TV Tonight". TV Tonight . Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  11. ↑ Knox, David (24 August 2023). "Wednesday 23 August 2023". TV Tonight . Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  12. ↑ Knox, David (24 August 2023). "The Voice, Mother & Son score on Wednesday". TV Tonight . Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  13. ↑ Knox, David (31 August 2023). "Wednesday 30 August 2023". TV Tonight . Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  14. ↑ Knox, David (7 September 2023). "Wednesday 6 September 2023". TV Tonight . Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  15. ↑ Knox, David (14 September 2023). "Wednesday 13 September 2023". TV Tonight . Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  16. ↑ Knox, David (21 September 2023). "Wednesday 20 September 2023". TV Tonight . Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  17. ↑ Knox, David (28 September 2023). "Wednesday 27 September 2023". TV Tonight . Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  18. ↑ Knox, David (5 October 2023). "Wednesday 4 October 2023". TV Tonight . Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  19. ↑ Knox, David (12 October 2023). "Wednesday 11 October 2023". TV Tonight . Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  20. 1 2 3 "Logies 2024 winners". Nine News . 19 August 2024. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  21. 1 2 3 "Logies 2024 winners list". ABC News . 18 August 2024. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  22. ↑ Buckmaster, Luke (21 August 2023). "Mother and Son review – Matt Okine's remake can't hold a candle to the original". Guardian Australia . Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  23. ↑ Moran, Robert (17 August 2023). "The new Mother and Son reboot taps into Millennial-Boomer divide". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 31 October 2023.
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