| Fun with Frith | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Children's |
| Presented by | John Frith |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 15 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 5 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | HSV-7 |
| Release | 9 March – 15 June 1957 |
Fun with Frith was an early Australian television series. It aired on Melbourne station HSV-7 in 1957, from 9 March to 15 June 1957 for a total of 15 episodes. The series was broadcast at 7:25PM on Saturdays, each episode being a brief 5 minutes long. The series featured cartoonist John Frith, who provided jokes and sketches. [1]
Fun with Frith was preceded on HSV's schedule by US series Kaleidoscope and followed by another US series, Grantland Rice . [2]
The archival status of Fun with Frith is not known. Additionally, it was not the only five-minute series to have aired on HSV-7 during 1957. For example, Green Fingers started off as a five-minute series before expanding to 15 minutes. GTV-9, meanwhile, offered a five-minute music series, also at 7:25PM on Saturdays, with Dennis Gibbons and Stan Stafford alternating each week. [3]
The Story of Peter Grey was an Australian television daytime soap opera produced by the Seven Network and first broadcast in July 1962. James Condon starred in the title role as a church minister.
Take That was one of the earliest Australian television series. It debuted in late 1957 and ran till March 1959. As was often the case with early Australian television, it aired only on a single station, in this case HSV-7, in Melbourne.
Teenage Mailbag was an Australian television series which aired in 1957 to 1958 on Melbourne station HSV-7. Information on this series is scarce. According to a 2008 article in The Age, the format consisted of Ernie Sigley, Gaynor Bunning and Heather Horwood singing requested songs in a 15-minute slot, and later expanded to an hour. The one-hour version became the series The Teenage Show (1958-1960?). At one point, the series aired at 7:15PM, preceded by another 15-minute series titled Take That and followed by an American program.
The Teenage Show, also known as The Teenage Hour, is an Australian music television series which aired on Saturdays from 25 October 1958 to 1960 on Melbourne station HSV-7.
That's My Desire is an Australian television game show which ran from 1958 to 1960 on Melbourne station HSV-7. Hosted by Danny Webb, it was a panel game. The half-hour series changed time-slot several times. At one point it aired at 4:45PM, it later aired at 3:00PM, then at 4:00PM, and finally at 2:30PM.
The Chef Presents was an early Australian television series, which aired from 1957 to 1959 on Melbourne station HSV-7, and was hosted by Willi Koeppen, who became a celebrity in Melbourne due to the series. At one point, the series aired in a 5-minute time-slot, later expanding to a 15-minute timeslot at 7:15 p.m. before being moved to 2:15 p.m., and finally aired at 4:00 p.m. In 1976, long after the series ended, Koeppen mysteriously vanished. One of the earliest cooking shows on Australian television, there is little information available on the series, and it is unlikely that any kinescope recordings exist of it.
Guest of the Week was an early Australian television series which aired from 1956 to 1957 on Melbourne station HSV-7. Little information is available on the series. Hosted by Mary Parker, the series debuted on 18 November 1956 and ended about a year later during November 1957. It was a 15-minute series aired at 7:15PM on Saturdays, following HSV-7's newscast, which itself was 15-minutes at the time. On other days of the week, the station filled the 15-minutes after the newscasts with programmes ranging from American imports like The Patti Page Show to locally produced series like The Isador Goodman Show. This was similar to practices in the US during the 1950s, in which newscasts were followed by series like The Dinah Shore Show.
The Late Show is an Australian television variety series which aired from 1957 to 1959 on Melbourne station HSV-7. Aired on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and competing in the time-slot with GTV-9's popular In Melbourne Tonight, the series included a mix of music and comedy. People who hosted the series during its run included John D'Arcy, Bert Newton and original host Noel Ferrier.
Lovely to Look At is an Australian fashion show television series broadcast on Melbourne station GTV-9 from March 1957 to November 1957. Episodes were 15-minutes in duration, broadcast live, originally aired at 10:15PM on Sundays though towards the end of the run the episodes were broadcast at 10:30PM. Each episode typically was preceded on the schedule by a newscast and followed by Epilogue and station sign-off. It is notable as representing an early effort by GTV-9 at locally produced content. It was compered by Maxwell Gibb.
Stairway to the Stars was an early Australian television series that aired on Melbourne station HSV-7. The first episode aired 9 November 1956, with the series ending circa November 1958.
Blues, Studio One was an Australian television series which aired live on Melbourne station HSV-7 for five episodes in 1957. The first episode aired Tuesday, 24 September 1957 at 7:15PM, while the remaining episodes were aired on Wednesdays at 7:00PM. The series starred singer Joan Bilceaux and her Quintet.
Movie Guide was an Australian television program which aired on Melbourne station HSV-7 from 29 August 1958 to 24 July 1959.
Tea for Two was a short-lived Australian television series, which aired on Melbourne television station HSV-7 on Tuesdays from 1 March to 2 August 1960. The series was a music programme with Jocelyn Terry and singer Guido Lorraine. Each episode was aired in a 15-minute daytime time-slot.
Football Inquest is the name of two Australian television series, which both aired in Melbourne. The first aired 1957 on GTV-9, while the second aired 1960-1974(?) on HSV-7. There was also a South Australian version.
Mannequin Parade was an Australian television series, or possibly a highly unusual commercial break/TV show hybrid, which aired on Melbourne station GTV-9 from weekly on Saturdays 1 June 1957 to 24 May 1958.
Be My Guest is an early Australian television series, which aired weekly on Melbourne station HSV-7 from 30 January 1957 to 24 April 1957. Episodes were 15 minutes in duration, and hosted by Eric Pearce. It was likely an interview series, but little is known about it, and it is not known if any kinescope recordings were made of it. However, despite its obscurity, it is notable as an early example of Australian-produced television content.
Health Club is an Australian television series which aired from 1957 to 1959, also known as Health and Happiness. A daytime series aired on Melbourne station HSV-7, very little information is available on the series, however it is notable as an early example of an Australian television series aimed at women. A 15-minute series, it was hosted by Beryl Wright and aired weekly on Wednesdays.
Beauty is My Business is an early Australian television series for which very little information is available, but which represents an early example of television content produced in that country. It was a weekly series which ran on Fridays, ran from 27 September 1957 to 3 January 1958, aired in a 15-minute time-slot, and like most early Australian television series it aired in a single city only. In this case, it aired on Melbourne station HSV-7. Mary Parker, who was a newsreader at HSV-7, was the host of the series.
Handyman is an Australian television series which aired on Melbourne station HSV-7 from 1957 to 1958. Originally hosted by Jack Easton, it was later hosted by Colin Burns. It aired live, and consisted of "hints to the home handyman". It aired in a 15-minute time-slot on Sundays, later moved to Saturdays. It is not known if any of these episodes were kinescoped.
John Coleman on Football was an Australian television series which aired in 1957 on Melbourne station HSV-7. It featured former footballer John Coleman. It aired in a 15-minute time-slot on Thursdays. In an episode telecast on 18 April 1957, the series aired at 9:30PM, preceded by Hit Parade and followed by news and weather. The episode aired on 19 September 1957 aired at 10:40PM, preceded by The Late Show and followed by news and weather.
