Son of Fred
Encyclopedia
Son of Fred was the successor series to The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d
and A Show Called Fred
. It was made by Associated-Rediffusion
and broadcast only in the London
area, Midlands
and Northern England
.
It was the third and final in a series of sketch comedy
shows attempting to translate the humour of The Goon Show
to television. Spike Milligan
concentrated on writing and only made small walk on appearances, leaving the lead acting to Peter Sellers
. The series was produced and directed by Richard Lester
.
. The unconventional format was revived in Spike Milligan
's Q
series more than a decade later.
A half hour special Best of Fred was broadcast on September 18, 1963 combining surviving sketches from A Show Called Fred
and Son of Fred.
The 1997 convention of the Goon Show Preservation Society
was billed as Son of a Weekend Called Fred.
The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d
The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d was the first serious attempt to translate the humour of the Goon Show to television. It was made by Associated-Rediffusion during 1956 and was broadcast only in the London area....
and A Show Called Fred
A Show Called Fred
A Show Called Fred was the successor series to The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d. It was made by Associated-Rediffusion and broadcast only in London area...
. It was made by Associated-Rediffusion
Associated-Rediffusion
Associated-Rediffusion, later Rediffusion, London, was the British ITV contractor for London and parts of the surrounding counties, on weekdays between 1954 and 29 July 1968. Transmissions started on 22 September 1955.-Formation:...
and broadcast only in the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
area, Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
and Northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
.
It was the third and final in a series of sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
shows attempting to translate the humour of The Goon Show
The Goon Show
The Goon Show was a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme...
to television. Spike Milligan
Spike Milligan
Terence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
concentrated on writing and only made small walk on appearances, leaving the lead acting to Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
. The series was produced and directed by Richard Lester
Richard Lester
Richard Lester is an American film director based in Britain. Lester is notable for his work with The Beatles in the 1960s and his work on the Superman film series in the 1980s.-Early years and television:...
.
Impact on comedy and culture
The minimalist format, with little or no scenery and few props, sketches without any real purpose or punch line, and mixing live action and short animations directly influenced the format of Monty Python's Flying CircusMonty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
. The unconventional format was revived in Spike Milligan
Spike Milligan
Terence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
's Q
Q (TV series)
Q... was a surreal television comedy sketch show from Spike Milligan which ran from 1969 to 1982 on BBC2. There were six series in all, the first five numbered from Q5 to Q9, and a final series titled There's a Lot of It About...
series more than a decade later.
A half hour special Best of Fred was broadcast on September 18, 1963 combining surviving sketches from A Show Called Fred
A Show Called Fred
A Show Called Fred was the successor series to The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d. It was made by Associated-Rediffusion and broadcast only in London area...
and Son of Fred.
The 1997 convention of the Goon Show Preservation Society
Goon Show Preservation Society
The Goon Show Preservation Society is a non-profit organisation formed to help preserve and research the history of the Goon Show. It was founded in 1972 by the Kent born Michael Coveney ....
was billed as Son of a Weekend Called Fred.