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Ferry Boat Fred facts for kids

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Ferry Boat Fred
Genre Children
Created by John Pye
Written by John Pye
Directed by Mark Osborn
Narrated by Jack Osborn
Music by John Pye
Opening theme "Ferry Boat Fred" theme
Ending theme "Ferry Boat Fred" theme
Country of origin Australia
Original language(s) English
Production
Producer(s) John Pye
Production company(s)
Release
Original network ABC
Original release 30 March (1992-03-30) – 1 May 1992 (1992-05-01)

Ferry Boat Fred is a fun Australian TV show for kids. It first aired in 1992 on ABC. The main character is a friendly yellow ferry named Fred. He lives and works on Sydney Harbour.

Fred has many friends and family. These include his big sister Kate, and other ferries named Lou and Bill. There's also Jean, a super cheerful and colorful submarine. Fred's captain is a sleepy Koala. Fred also has a helpful pelican friend named Pete. Pete is a "know-it-all" deckhand who always says "No Worries!". He helps Fred around the harbour and ties him up at Wallaby Wharf.

The show was quite popular during its short run. It was created by John Pye, who started Polka Dot Productions in 1992. There were 25 episodes made. John Pye did a lot for the show. He wrote the stories and the music. He also made most of the models used in the show.

The entire series was filmed in a loft in Surry Hills, Sydney. John Pye and three friends did all the filming. Jack Osborn was the narrator and also did all the voices for the characters. There were talks about making new episodes around 2015, but nothing new has happened since then.

Meet the Characters of Ferry Boat Fred

This section introduces you to the main characters from the show.

  • Fred – He's the main character, a yellow ferry boat.
  • Kate – Fred's big sister, a purple ferry.
  • Bill – A blue ferry.
  • Lou – A red ferry.
  • Jean – A blue submarine who is very jolly.
  • Spike – An Echidna who works as a mechanic.
  • Pelican Pete – Fred's best friend and deckhand. He's known for saying "No Worries!".
  • Koala – Fred's Captain, who loves to nap.
  • Emily – An Emu who enjoys shopping around the harbour.
  • Belinda Brushtail – A possum who works as a lighthouse keeper. She sleeps during the day.

Ferry Boat Fred Episode Guide

Here is a list of all 25 episodes of Ferry Boat Fred. Each episode first aired in 1992.

  1. Fred Meets Pete (March 30)
  2. Fred's Birthday Party (March 31)
  3. Fred's Sister Kate (April 1)
  4. Fred Goes to the Doctor (April 2)
  5. The Ferry Race (April 3)
  6. Pete The Magician (April 6)
  7. Belinda's Blown Bulb (April 7)
  8. Kate's Lost Bell (April 8)
  9. Major Mitchell's Washing (April 9)
  10. Fred at the Fairground (April 10)
  11. Jean the Submarine (April 13)
  12. Pete's Nephew Percy (April 14)
  13. Fred's Bad Dream (April 15)
  14. Fred Joins a Band (April 16)
  15. Fred and the Seagulls (April 17)
  16. Fred the Floating Zoo (April 20)
  17. Kate the Painter (April 21)
  18. Kate's Fancy Dress Party (April 22)
  19. Fred's Fishing Trip (April 23)
  20. Night Time Noises (April 24)
  21. Pete the Water Skier (April 27)
  22. Kate at the Fairground (April 28)
  23. Fred and the Whales (April 29)
  24. Emily's Lost Shopping (April 30)
  25. Fred Says Goodbye (May 1)

Who Made Ferry Boat Fred?

Many talented people helped create Ferry Boat Fred.

  • Told by: Jack Osborn
  • Director of Photography: Lawrence Kirkwood
  • Production Design: James Sawars
  • Production Assistant: Paul Lockwood
  • Models Made and Filmed at: Modelcraft Pty. Ltd.
  • Music: John Pye
  • A.B.C. Associate Producer: Glen Daly
  • Editor: Neela Sarkar
  • Sound Effects: Ian Neilson
  • Telecine: John Galbrath & Walter Pilarski
  • Special Thanks: Lynn Gallay, Bert Deling, Matthew Roche, Steve Mosley
  • Created, Written and Produced by: John Pye
  • Director: Mark Osborn

Ferry Boat Fred Merchandise

Fans of Ferry Boat Fred could find several cool products.

  • A book called "The Great Race" was released. It combined the stories from "The Ferry Race" and "Night Time Noises".
  • There were also T-shirts for fans to wear.
  • A music album was available on CD and cassette. It included the show's theme song. It also had songs by famous Australian children's performers. These included George Spartels, Franciscus Henri, and Gillian Eastoe.
  • Two videos were released, but they only had 17 of the 25 episodes.
  • A spoken word cassette was also available. It had 11 episodes, including "Major Mitchell's Washing" and "Belinda's Blown Bulb". These two episodes were never released on video.

Ferry Boat Fred Around the World

Ferry Boat Fred was shown in several countries outside of Australia.

  • In Ireland, the show was broadcast on RTÉ2. It was part of their children's programming block called The Den.
  • In the United Kingdom, the series aired on ITV. It was part of their children's block, CiTV.
  • In Portugal, the show was broadcast on RTP. It was known there as "Um Ferry chamado Fred".
  • In New Zealand, the series was shown on FTN.
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