Customer Reviews

Mother and Son: Season 1

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This show aired in America on PBS stations in some locales, and quite frankly, it is one of the absolute best shows in the history of television. In my book, it is tied with All In The Family for best show of all time. If you like some of the better classic BBC comedies..you'll love this Australian show!
Not only is this show roaringly funny- (largely thanks to senile Maggie, and the various circumstances that always seem to make her live-in caretaker son Arthur look like the bad guy...while her other son, Robert, a well-to-do dentist who has little real concern for his mother maggie, always seems to come out looking like the responsible one) but it is also a quite dramatic show, and you can empathize with virtually all of the characters at various times.
I was elated to see this show finally come to DVD....but i am also annoyed at the fact that they are only releasing the first season- which only consists of 7 episodes- whereas they could have just released the whole series at once- it's only comprised of 40 episodes.
Even though this is a great show, I think the fact that one has to pay $27 for 7 episodes will probably make it a dismal seller, even among long-time fans of the show, and will probably result in future seasons not being released. I am very reluctant to buy a series that is released this way...but for this show, I am making an exception.
I do wish the DVD producers would stop jerking us around like this though- and my dissatisfaction with their self-defeating marketing ploys has resulted in me buying far fewer DVDs than I otherwise would have, had the various companies released seasons of various shows in a more timely manner.

I'm in the US, and I started watching this show in 1986, when our public TV stations ran a lot of old episodes of "Britcoms" (though maybe this is an "Ozcom"). Ruth Cracknell is a mother in the Olivia Soprano school of Evil Parents, always criticizing her dutiful (if not always happy about it) son Arthur for "whinging" (I word I learned from Britcoms) and treating her other son, the negligent but smoothly glib Robert (who takes credit for Arthur's good deeds whenever he can), with overweening affection that's meant to be a barb for Arthur.
While I don't think it was as great a series as "All in the Family", it was reliably very, very funny. My then future hubby and I watched it faithfully, even when we had to get out of bed to do it :)And though the entire cast is good, you really should watch Ruth Cracknell as the Mother. She's a pistol.
And as some other have said, $27 for 7 episodes is just price gauging. I think I'm gonna have to wait to buy it. But if you have the money (I don't), you should check it out.

These discs are "region 1" and will play on your DVD player. Mother & Son, a product of Australian television, is quite possibly one of the best sit-coms ever made.

I fondly remember watching "Mother and Son" back in the 1980's and reveling at Maggie's latest antics and poor son Arthur's frustration especially when Maggie constantly interrupts his love life.
Ruth Cracknell as Maggie was one of the most respected Australian actresses of the stage and this was a courageous and brilliant change for her and she STEALS the show!

I do wish that the entire show will be released soon especially the one where Maggie stops the Funeral Cortege of her brother-in-law in order to buy some oranges along the road and ends up dropping them into the grave!! :)

HIGHLY recommended.

This is a funny show. It's a shame PBS doesn't show this one. Can't wait to buy season two.

My mom and dad always loved this show. I was thrilled to find in on a DVD that plays on American machines. It's Australian, but very much in keeping with the style of brit coms. I will definately buy other seasons.

I was so excited to see that they finally had this item for sale. I used to watch the series years ago and could not ever find it to purchase it. I hope to be able to buy all of them.

Great characters and story lines. If you are a fan of British comedies you will love this series from Australia. We especially loved the episode entitled "The Funeral". I can't wait to get the rest of the series.

I agree with what others have said. This is the funniest show I think I have ever seen. I am thrilled to get the first season. It really is one of the best sitcoms ever.

Enjoyed this dvd ,seen it years ago and the second time around was as good as the first time