Don Groves is a Deadline contributor based in Sydney

Nick McMahon, a highly respected Australian TV executive and producer and NATPE’s long-time Pacific Rim rep, died in Melbourne on Monday after a long illness. He was 66. McMahon spent a total of 27 years with Crawford Productions, initially as tour director in the live theater department, rising to director of sales and marketing. He and Michael Lake headed production company McMahon & Lake, which made the 1988 Mission Impossible TV series. McMahon later served as managing director of Village Roadshow Pictures Australia. In 1999 he rejoined Crawford as managing director, where he executive produced the children’s TV series The Saddle Club. He was a consultant to HBO for three years and served as a vice president of the Screen Producers Association of Australia.