Matt Okine and Denise Scott commence filming ABC reboot of the classic 80s sitcom Mother and Son

It was one of Australia’s greatest home made TV hits of the 80s.

And now the ABC is getting set to reboot Mother and Son, with comedians Matt Okine and Denise Scott starring in roles made famous by Gary McDonald and Ruth Cracknell.

The series began filming in Sydney this week.

Debuting on the ABC in 1984, the iconic sitcom starred McDonald as a bewildered adult son trying to cope with his ageing mother, played by the late Cracknell. 

Original Mother and Son creator Geoffrey Atherton is on board as a consultant reports TV Tonight.

Comedian Denise Scott (pictured) will play Maggie 

Comedian Matt Okine (pictured) will play Arthur in the reboot, which he also created and wrote

Best known for his stand-up comedy, Okine, who created the new series, said he had the idea of doing a revamp of the classic comedy when he was on tour with Scott in 2013. 

Describing the original show as a ‘beautiful snapshot of 1980s Australian suburbia,’ Okine said he and Scott had ‘big shoes to fill’ when it comes playing the roles made famous by two of Australia’s most beloved comedy actors.

Okine and Scott appeared together in a new trailer to give viewers a taste of what they can expect from the reboot. 

‘For anyone who is not familiar with the original, Mother & Son is all about a journalist called Arthur who has a break up and has to move back in with [mother] Maggie,’ Okine explained.

‘Pretty soon the big question is, who is looking after who?,’ Scott adds. 

The original show won over audiences for its funny and poignant depiction of the challenges adult children often face when dealing with an ageing parent Pictured: Ruth Cracknell (L) and Gary McDonald in a scene from a 1985 episode Mother and Son

Maggie (Cracknell) became a fan favourite as she ran rings around her well-meaning family, especially Arthur (McDonald), who were left to wonder just how ‘out of it’ she really might be

The original show won over audiences for its funny and poignant depiction of the challenges adult children often face when dealing with an ageing parent who suffers from ‘memory loss’.

Maggie (Cracknell) became a fan favourite as she ran rings around her well-meaning family, especially Arthur (McDonald), who were left to wonder just how ‘out of it’ she really might be.

The original half-hour series, which is now streaming on Stan, was a major ratings success for the ABC and ran to six seasons, finally ending in 1994.

The Mother and Son reboot will be screened on the ABC later in 2023.