The Long Tail of Mother and Son : The Transnational Career of an Australian Situation Comedy

Abstract

This article challenges the proposition that Australian television comedy does not succeed in overseas markets through a discussion of the transnational career of the ABC sitcom, Mother and Son (1984–94). A brief account of the development of the Australian sitcom up to 1984 is provided, with attention to British and American influences on the Australian genre. Following a close discussion of the comedy operational within the show, an examination of the international sales and adaptations of Mother and Son reveals how the specific tonal qualities of the humour may have been lost in translation or adapted to suit different cultural contexts. The implications of these findings for the transnational career of contemporary Australian comedy are then raised.