Ferry Boat Fred (1991)

Ferry Boat Fred is an Australian children's programme which was first broadcast in 1992. The main character is a ferry on Sydney Harbour named Fred, along with his older sister Kate, two other ferries, Lou and Bill, as well as Jean, a really jolly and colourful submarine. There is also the Captain, a Koala who is always found asleep behind Fred's wheel. Fred has a voluntary deckkie named Pete, a "know-it-all" Pelican who befriends Fred and follows him around the harbour, assisting Fred and tying him up at Wallaby Wharf. The show was a success during its limited run. It was created by Polka Dot Productions, a company set up by the Producer/Writer John Pye in 1992 with 25 episodes. John Pye, a model maker originally from Dagenham Essex UK, grew up watching the classic British children's TV shows, "Ivor the Engine" and "Noggin the Nog" Not only did Pye write the scripts and the incidental music but was also responsible for making most of the models. The entire series was filmed by Pye and three friends in a loft in the inner Sydney suburb of Surry Hills. The narrator is Jack Osborn, who also provides the voices.