Willing and Abel
Willing and Abel is an Australian television comedy series which was made in 1987, about two handymen.
| Willing and Abel | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Lynn Bayonas Ted Roberts |
| Starring | Grant Dodwell Shane Withington Martin Vaughan Rebecca Rigg Lucius Borich Simon Chilvers Tina Bursill |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | Nine Network |
| Original release | 1987 |
The main cast were Grant Dodwell as "Charles Willing", Shane Withington as "Abel Moore", and Rebecca Rigg as "Angela Reddy". Their names ("Reddy", "Willing" and "Abel") were a pun on the saying: "Ready, Willing and Able".
It had problems in attaining an audience. The show was produced as a "comedy drama" however some at the Nine Network wanted to steer it to be a heavier drama. There was much discussion between production executives and the Network and not much agreement. One episode scripted by Ted Roberts dealt with a hostage situation at a bank, the pathos being reinforced by series characters caught up in the action.
The series dealt with contemporary issues in a subtle way, sometimes making observations through humour.
Broadcast
The series first aired in Australia on the Nine Network and years later went onto air in a number of other countries such as South Africa and Indonesia.
References
- "The Australian Film and Television Companion" — compiled by Tony Harrison — Simon & Schuster Australia, 1994