Mother and Son

This is a well written series, whose potential seems to me to be almost completely ruined by its tone and its central performances. Could it have been the writer's intention to create such a depressing sitcom, and the director's intention to have it played out in such mournfully bland surroundings by such unsympathetic actors? As written, the characterisations are interesting, and the situations inventive, but there's a general lack of fun, or joy or even amusement (for me), because the lead characters give such depressing readings. The mother (Cracknell) is unrelentingly cold, bullying and negative, and the son (McDonald) is a constantly anxious and negative loser. There's almost no relief. Every now and then there's some cute or farcical business, and I suspend my overall feeling of how unpleasant and pathetic these people are. Occasionally the other son (Szeps) appears. He's an overly confident dentist, with one of the most annoying personalities ever broadcast (and not funny annoying, just annoying.) The series has been very successful.

"A comedy about dementia" For anyone who has had to cope with a parent or grandparent who is 'losing it', this series of half-hour episodes will certainly lighten their burden.

As an ever new Australian I still found this show one of the most adorable, enjoyable, funny and intelligent show that was ever produced. It does nothing new, just highlight the facets of human nature. But it does it in a way that only Norman Guston could have done it!

I seem to have heard that he was the only fictional character to get an academy award,,, And to my view it was so deserved.

So all I have to say with the negative comment which appears on the imdb page now, is that his author should get a 'band aid' out of Norman Gunston's face and put it accross his mouth (or around his writing fingers)!

It's just a, not so, simple story about a middle aged man living with his aging mother...

I fully agree with the person that wrote that it's not understandable why this series "Mother and Son" hasn't been played on PBS since the 1980's. I live in Milwaukee and it was the same here. There are 42 episodes - more than enough to keep PBS viewers happy for months to come! I am lucky enough to have a friend in Germany, who sent me all the episodes that were played on German TV, but watching this show dubbed into German is not the same (the lack of Australian accents is disturbing - the accents really add to the genius of the show). Ruth Cracknell was indeed an Australian national treasure (not to take away from her other excellent actor co-stars) and it's really a shame that she never really got any exposure on American TV. I was lucky enough to also get her film "Spider and Rose" from my German friend - such things play on European TV, but here never! I can only hope that someday somebody will wake up here and look around for something different to play on our TV or sell in our video stores.

I watched this when I was young and it was one of the best comedies i'd seen. Its got wit and its well directed with a great cast. Sadly, Ruth Cracknell who played Maggie died of Respiratory complications on the 13th of May, in Australia, just last night. A great actress who'll be remembered for a long time.

Rest in peace, Ruth.