PAT THE RAT

Pat the Rat was an iconic character in Australian TV throughout the early to mid eighties.

She was arch bitch in Sons and Daughters - a half hour soapie that dealt with the poor Palmer family of Melbourne and the rich Hamilton family in Sydney. At the start of the show, David Palmer and his pregnant lover Patricia show up at an ex madam's house. Patricia has twins but hotfoots it early on with the daughter, leaving the son with David. FYI - Patricia was played by a very young Jackie Woodburne aka Susan Kennedy in Neighbours. Anyway, this is all set as flashback right at the start of the 1st episode. The show then cuts to about twenty years later and "present day" Australia. David and his son John are living in Melbourne with David's uber frumpy wife Beryl, of all names to be given.. Why Beryl? Patricia is living the high life as a wellkept woman in Sydney thanks to her rich hubbie Gordon Hamilton, Patricia's daughter Angela has grown up to be sensible and beautiful in an early 80s bad hair way.

John and Angela are drawn to each other when John turns up in Sydney but the shocking family secrets are exposed before incest occurs- Patricia is unhappily reunited with her son but is none too pleased and this sets the tone for a fair few years of ridiculous storylines and even more ridiculous hair.

A dvd has been released called "The Best of Pat The Rat". It documents the first few episodes and the most exciting time of all - when Pat the Rat left.

Actress Rowena Wallace was tired of the role and left whilst on top and producers concocted a story where she was going to be charged with murder so escaped with a gangster to Rio De Janeiro. Her friend goes looking for her and finds her beaten up in hospital by the gangster - Pat tells her doctor to tell her friend (the annoying Charlie Bartlett) that she is actually dead. She then instructs the doctor to give extensive plastic surgery so she doesn't look at all as she has done.

Cut to almost a year later in the soap and Patricia returns but portrayed by Belinda Giblin playing Pat's new identity of Alison Carr. Alison is just as devious as Pat always was - it gets even wierder when David, her lost love returns from Rio with a woman who thinks she is Pat and looks like the old Pat but this one has amnesia. Alison realises this and thinks she's lost David whom she loves again after walking out on him all those years before. The charade continues but then near the end of the run to boost ratings, producers persuaded Rowena Wallace to return as Pamela, Patricia/Alison's long lost sister who's been in jail. All very bizarre but so was the show.

It's highly addictive and complete nonsense but thoroughly recommended. There's a family called the Morrell family - no relation - however one character is Caroline Morrell who had HUUUUGGGEEEE hair and was played by well known Aussie sexpot Abigail. Add in a new Hamilton wife, evil Wayne Hamilton who is almost killed by a shark, thousands of long lost relatives and poor Beryl and her awful wardrobe and it's a surefire hit of 5 seasons!

Sons and Daughters ran for years and has been repeated a fair few times, there are plans to release a "Cliffhangers" dvd later this year which would be fab. Anything to see some of the male cast in tight shorts as they were so often found. And wearing lipgloss and bouffant hair of course.