Editing Mother and Son (section)

==Main characters==

===Maggie Beare===
Maggie ([[Ruth Cracknell]]), full name Margaret May Lapsley Beare, is the widow of [[World War II]] veteran Leo, mother of Robert and Arthur, sister to Lorna and grandmother to Damien and Teonie. Maggie is apparently in the early stages of some form of dementia and her younger son Arthur lives with and takes care of her. However, despite being increasingly forgetful, Maggie is lucid enough to manipulate Arthur when she wants to, usually for something devilish that will seriously inconvenience him. Maggie was a former nurse and met Leo while treating him for war wounds.

===Arthur Beare===
Younger son of Maggie and Leo, brother of Robert, uncle to Damien and Teonie and recent ex-husband of Deidre, Arthur ([[Garry McDonald]]) is an [[Copy editing|editor]] and [[journalist]] for a newspaper. When he is not working, he is usually at home attending to the demands of his impish and increasingly confused mother. He drives a 1955 [[Morris Minor]] Series II Tourer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caradvice.com.au/9296/mother-and-son-morris-for-sale/|title=Mother and Son Morris for sale {{!}} CarAdvice|website=CarAdvice.com|language=en|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref> convertible that is constantly breaking down, has trouble bringing female friends back to the house because of his mother's deliberate interference, and is almost always thwarted by Maggie whenever he attempts to socialize with his work friends. Maggie frequently excoriates Arthur, labelling all his would-be girlfriends as "floozies", Arthur is nicknamed "Artie" by brother Robert.

===Robert Beare===
Elder son of Maggie and Leo, brother of Arthur, husband to Liz and father of Damien and Teonie, Robert ([[Henri Szeps]]) is a successful dentist who takes many holidays and has extramarital affairs. He does so by disguising his overseas holiday trysts as dental research conferences. His mother tells him off for his womanising and says that it is the reason he failed medical school, much to the disappointment of his late father. He is a 'man of leisure' who is adept at providing excuses as to why it is Arthur and not he that must take the primary care of their elderly mother. Robert loves to play tennis and golf, listening to [[classical music]], and throughout the show owns a series of luxury cars: a [[Jaguar Cars|Jaguar]], [[Volvo]] and a [[BMW]]. When Arthur asked him for a loan to buy a new car, all Robert would offer him was a seriously impaired Volvo at a discount.

===Liz Beare===
Wife of Robert, mother to Damien and Teonie, the long-suffering Liz ([[Judy Morris]]) is well aware of her husband's affairs but finds it difficult to prove any of them, because of Robert's well-honed skill at covering them up. So in the meantime, Liz compensates by spending Robert's money and socialising with her equally rich, bored and unhappy friends. She occasionally seeks consolation from Arthur, using behaviour that could suggest that she is attracted to him. She is frequently, however, just as insensitive and selfish as Robert is and just as eager to put Maggie in a home. Liz has a verbal drawl, and is frequently heard to say "Oh Gawd" or "You're weird, Arthur".