Underplayed Gems

Ferry Boat Fred (1992)

Ferry Boat Fred poster
Country
Australia
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this series is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

This is a children's show about a ferry named Fred who works on Sydney Harbour. He is joined by other boats, a sleepy koala captain, and a pelican friend who helps him around the wharf.

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What happens

Ferry Boat Fred is an Australian children's programme which was first broadcast in 1992 on ABC. The main character is a ferry on Sydney Harbour in Sydney, Australia 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 his Captain, a koala who is always found asleep behind Fred's wheel (due to koalas finding it difficult to stay awake all day). Fred has a voluntary deck hand named Pete, a "know-it-all" Pelican (also best known for his catchphrase, "No worries!") 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, London, England, grew up watching the classic British children's TV shows, Ivor the Engine and Noggin the Nog (made by Oliver Postgate's Smallfilms). Not only did Pye write the scripts and compose 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. A revamp was being made as of 2015; however, has been put on indefinite hiatus due to serious medical issues that John Pye had; leading to his death on 22 May 2025. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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