Matthew and Son is a 1984 Australian television film about a single parent who is a police surgeon. It was filmed May to June 1984 and is a pilot for a TV series that never eventuated.[1]
| Matthew and Son | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Gary Conway |
| Written by | Christine Schofield Marcus Cole |
| Based on | short story by Bert Deling Michael Aitkens |
| Produced by | Damien Parer |
| Starring | Paul Cronin Darius Perkins Paula Duncan |
Production company | Television House Films |
| Distributed by | Channel Ten |
Release date |
|
Running time | 75 mins |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $800,000[1] |
Cast
edit- Peter Kowitz as Jerry Ashton
- Paul Cronin as Matthew Caine
- Darius Perkins as Stephen Caine
- Paula Duncan as Barbara Dean
- Nicole Kidman as Bridgette Elliot
- Ben Mendelsohn in a cameo role
Production
editThe film was one of several projects Paul Cronin made when at Channel Ten, and was done for Johnny Young's company. Cronin:
It was based on the life of Dr John Birrell, the police surgeon, who was instrumental in the .05 and seatbelt legislation. A fascinating man – I met him, and he was a great character to play. Ten Brisbane, Ten Melbourne and Ten Adelaide committed to a series – they had a 7:30 timeslot allocated for it and all – and the only fly in the ointment was Ten Sydney. They would not commit. The telemovie rated well when it did go to air. It was a very, very well constructed show, but Johnny's company collapsed after that, and I left channel Ten.[2]
The cast includes Cronin as Matthew Caine, Paula Duncan as social worker Barbara Dean, Darius Perkins as Matthew's son Stephen, and Nicole Kidman as Stephen's friend Bridgette Elliot.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p106
- ^ "Interview Paul Cronin" TV EYE No. 7, December 1995. Classic Australian TV accessed 13 July 2013
- ^ Lamont, Leonie (21 October 1984). "Police crusader". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
edit
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