| Son of Fred | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Spike Milligan |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | Associated-Rediffusion |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 17 September (1956-09-17) – 5 November 1956 (1956-11-05) |
| Related | |
Son of Fred is the successor series to The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d and A Show Called Fred. It was made by Associated-Rediffusion for ITV, which at the time was available only in the London area, the 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.
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 Circus. 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 18 September 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.
Archive status
The show is believed lost, with the exception of the first episode, which is available to stream on BFI Player.
Footnotes
- Terry Jones quoted in Roger Wilmut From Fringe to Flying Circus, London: Eyre Methuen, 1980.
- "Watch Son of Fred". BFI Player. Retrieved 20 June 2021.