Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Comedy
    Comedy TV Shows - 1980s 2 Mins Read

    Willing and Abel

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 8 7 (Australia)
    26 x 50 minute episodes

    This ill-fated comedy/drama series from the Australian Nine Network revolved around two likeable but workshy and inept scam artists who would do anything to make money.

    Smalltime conman Charles Willing (Grant Dodwell) and his street-smart hustler partner Abel Moore (Shane Withington) lived on an ancient ferry berthed in Sydney Harbour.

    On the sidelines were Parramatta Jones, a street urchin who lived in a charity clothing bin (unconvincingly acted by Lucius Borich, son of guitar-legend Kevin Borich); manic policeman Sergeant Dobson (future Comedy Company star Mark Mitchell); Abel’s alcoholic bum father “Just One” Moore (Martin Vaughan); aspiring actress Angela (Rebecca Rigg); public solicitor Maggie (Tina Bursill) and Pisani (Simon Chilvers) whose nightclub was a front for all manner of shady deals.

    Debuting in February 1987, the series – which was shot on film rather than videotape and cost more than $200,000 an episode to produce – was patchy and derivative of shows like Simon & Simon or Moonlighting but without the characterisations.

    By March, Willing and Abel was being trounced in the ratings by Family Ties and Hey Dad! and was moved to a less-competitive timeslot on Thursday evenings.

    It was eventually moved again – to the “funeral slot” at 7.30 pm on Fridays – but still rated behind most of the other channels.

    Channel 9 decided to let the remainder of the 26-episode first series run its course but not to produce any further episodes.

    And so the series joined the Nine Network graveyard along with shows such as Prime Time, Possession, Waterloo Station and Taurus Rising, and Grant Dodwell and Shane Withington managed to lose all the goodwill they had earned in A Country Practice

    Charles Willing
    Grant Dodwell
    Abel Moore
    Shane Withington
    Angela Reddy
    Rebecca Rigg
    Parramatta Jones
    Lucius Borich
    Sergeant Dobson
    Mark Mitchell
    ‘Just One’ Moore
    Martin Vaughan
    Maggie Hill
    Tina Bursill
    Pisani
    Simon Chilvers

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Shimmering Light (1978)
      Shimmering Light (1978)
      This Australian made-for-TV movie presented 29-year-old American dropout Kevin Pearse…
    • Wolfe at the Door
      Wolfe at the Door
      1 9 5 6 (UK) 7 x 30 minute episodes This…
    • Dudley
      Dudley
      1 9 9 3 (USA) 6 x 30 minute episodes This…
    • Young Charlie Chaplin
      Young Charlie Chaplin
      1 9 8 9 (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes This…
    • Bachelor Gaye, The
      Bachelor Gaye, The
      1 9 7 1 (Australia) 5 x 30 minute episodes This…
    • Rose Tattoo
      Rose Tattoo
      Australian hard rockers Rose Tattoo made their live debut on…
    • Alas Smith and Jones
      Alas Smith and Jones
      1 9 8 4 - 1 9 8 8 (UK) 43…
    • Roy's Raiders
      Roy's Raiders
      1 9 9 1 (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes…

    Australia
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleCuckoo in the Nest
    Next Article Hampton Court

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Andy Capp
      1 9 8 8 (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes Andy Capp (James Bolam) is […]
    • Bearcats!
      1 9 7 1 (USA) 1 x 90 minute episode 13 x 60 minute episodes A […]
    • Parnell and the Englishwoman
      1 9 9 1 (UK) 4 x 60 minute episodes Unlikely Irish political […]
    • And Soon The Darkness (1970)
      A cycling holiday in France for two young pretty British nurses […]
    • Last Bastion, The
      1 9 8 4 (Australia) 3 x 120 minute episodes) In 1939, at the […]
    • Godspell (1973)
      A rock gospel according to Saint Matthew, David […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.