Matt Okine worked for a decade to reboot Mother & Son
It's out with the multicam and studio audience and in with a new vision for a classic tale.
- Published by David Knox
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When Mother & Son is reimagined on ABC in 2023 there will be changes to the original show, which screened from 1984 – 1994.
It will not be a multicam sitcom with a studio audience, but a single-camera comedy with no laugh track, a la Fisk, Utopia or Aftertaste.
When his widowed mum, Maggie (Denise Scott), sets fire to the kitchen, recently-single Arthur Gbeme (Matt Okine) moves back in to the family home. As he tells it, he has “put his life on hold” to care for his mum, but the truth is, there isn’t much to put on hold.
A former nurse, Maggie used to be a firebrand – a free-thinking renegade of the ‘60s. But since the death of her husband, Maggie has been… a little off.
The idea to reboot the classic sitcom came from star and writer, Matt Okine.
ABC Acting Director of Entertainment and Specialist Jennifer Collins tells TV Tonight, “This is an idea that’s been around for quite some time…. so it’s been a long time in the making. They’ve been talking about this idea, developing this idea quietly on the side. It’s taken this period of time to get the idea right and into shape. So it’s not not something that has just been cooked up. It’s something that’s been given a lot of love and attention, detail and thought. Matt and Denise have genuinely got a great relationship as fellow comedians, and I think that’s going to come out on screen through their characters.”
Matt Okine says “The idea to re-create Mother and Son first came to me back in 2013 when I was touring Hong Kong alongside Denise. It was a staple of the Okine family TV when I was growing up; a beautiful snapshot of 1980s Australian suburbia, made hilariously unforgettable by its co-stars Ruth Cracknell and Garry McDonald. Ten years in the making, it feels like a dream come true to have this idea brought back to life. Denise and I have huge shoes to fill but with my hairline going the way it is, I feel like I was born to play a 2023 version of Arthur!”.
Original creator, Geoffrey Atherden is a collaborator on the series along with Okine, Sarah Walker and Tristram Baumber.
ABC Head of Comedy Todd Abbott says “I honestly thought Matt and the team were joking when they suggested revisiting this classic series, but the more excited they got, the more it became clear we absolutely had to make it. Australia has changed a lot in 40 years, and this cheeky, fired-up, laugh-out-loud series reflects that beautifully. And for anyone who needs any more convincing, I have two words: Denise Scott!”
“This warm and funny reimagining of Mother and Son is the perfect antidote to the doom and gloom of the last few years. The pandemic forced many of us to reconnect with family and this series will resonate all the more as a result. A beautiful mix of comedy and pathos superbly crafted by Matt Okine, Sarah Walker and Tristram Baumber, Mother and Son shines a timely lens on an ageing population and modern family life in a contemporary, multicultural Australia. With the blessing of Mother and Son’s original creator, Geoffrey Atherden, we are thrilled to bring this hilarious and provocative reimagining to the ABC and audiences the world over,” said Jude Troy and Richard Finlayson, Producers and joint CEOs, Wooden Horse.
Screen Australia’s Head of Content Grainne Brunsdon says, “This hilarious and relatable series is sure to capture the hearts of Australians as it playfully brings this classic story into a modern Australian setting. With such a strong creative team behind the production, I’ve no doubt Mother and Son will charm a new generation when Maggie and Arthur return to the ABC in 2023.”
Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth says “Screen NSW is thrilled to support Wooden Horse and the talented team of Matt Okine, Sarah Walker and Tristram Baumber to bring the revamped Mother and Son to Australia and beyond. This iconic Australian series was hugely successful during its original run on the ABC, and I am confident it will leverage the success of the original series and attract new audiences with a modern take.”
Production credit: Mother and Son is a Wooden Horse production for the ABC. Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with the ABC. Financed with support from Screen NSW. Produced by Jude Troy and Richard Finlayson. Associate Producer Alexandra Cameron. Executive Producer / Creator / Writer Matt Okine. ABC Executive Producers Todd Abbott and Louise Smith. International Sales: ABC Commercial.
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15 Responses
This is not going to work!!!. Remakes just confirm writers don’t have imagination and just try and rewrite what has gone before.
Fans of the original classic may want to give this new version a chance, Australian comedy can be a bit hit or miss, but we do need a laugh nowadays even at our own expense which in some ways was what the 1984 Mother and Son was all about. Having comedy actors like Ruth Cracknell and Garry MacDonald was a bonus as well.
Glad Geoffrey Atherden is involved as one of Australia’s best tv writers! Loved many of his shows especially Grass Roots and Mother and Son. Why not make this new series as Arthur’s son and his mother. Garry McDonald could make cameo as Arthur!
How about a new series of Grass Roots too!
I Have never heard of Matt Okine who is he? Will give it ago but it won’t be as good as the original was?
Comedian, he had his own series on Stan and various other shows. Hit the Search if you’d like more info.
It would be like remaking fawlty towers . Why bother. If it’s all new scripts then I’ll probably give it a go
Yes all new scripts.
If they are going to “reimagine “ this show just call it something else. It’s not Mother and Son, that show holds a special place in lots of people’s hearts.
I do wish they would just leave these classic TV shows alone. Can’t they think up something new?
There are new shows announced in the ABC slate, and new shows such as Fisk ar going great guns.
Will Garry McDonald appear at all? The original series is a classic.
Yes, a cameo appearance would be nice, but I think as might have been mentioned, he’s either old or busy nowadays. Maybe even the original theme song or a familiar derivation would be nice.
A sequel maybe but a reimagined/revamped reboot, just why? Is nothing sacred? PS the pandemic excuse is wearing thin too.
It’ll be interesting to see if the difference with single-camera and without laugh track will work. I really like their idea to reboot it. Every so often, the thought of a show or a song will come to mind from a long time ago and there’s a deep impression, you know it’s something special. Mother & Son is one of those works. I hope it does well.
Totally agree.
Hopefully this works. Mother and Son is special. Reboots either shine and reimagine or they totally miss the mark and tarnish a great history.