REMEMBERING MOTHER AND SON'S HEARTBREAK & HILARITY

The show's writer and creator tells all about the series' impressive legacy

- Glen Williams

It was the show that cleverly walked the fine line between heartbreak and hilarity. Mother And Son captured the hearts of Australia - we couldn't get enough of second-guessing Maggie Beare, played by the lovable late Ruth Cracknell, wondering if she was losing her marbles, was on the borderline of dementia, or just simply cunning as she jousted, bickered and played mind games with her longsuffering son Arthur, played by the incomparable Garry McDonald, now 74.

So loved was Mother And Son, created and written by Geoffrey Atherden, it lasted a staggering 10 years, won countless awards, and was duplicated all around the world.

FINDING THE FUNNY

"I just had the perfect cast," says writer and the show's creator Geoffrey Atherden.

"They made it. Garry, Ruth, Henri [Szeps] and Judy [Morris] worked so brilliantly together. I had been able to see other actors having a go at the same scripts because there had been productions all around the world, including the UK and ours was the best. I'm not being all Aussie Aussie Aussie oi oi oi, this is just a fact. Ruth and Garry used to say they were each other's ideal working partner. They just loved working together. They were in tune with each other."

 Addressing the problems of ageing and caring for somebody with increasing memory loss - unusual components for a comedy - Mother And Son resonated with the audience because it reflected what was happening in real life.

In a sad case of life imitating art, muchloved actor Henri, who played selfish dentist son Robbie in the show, has recently revealed he is battling dementia.

Geoffrey is quick to pay tribute to the comic genius of Henri, 79.