frank sidebottom gets his own itv show frank side bottom's fantastic shed show

From Frontman To Funnyman It’s…..

Frank Sidebottom’s Fantastic Shed Show, 1992

Frank Sidebottom was a character created by the late Chris Sievey, who during the 1970’s/80’s had fronted a band called The Freshies.

The Frank Sidebottom character was first introduced to us on a 12″ promotional record that came free with the Chris Sievey-created video game entitled: The Biz.  This was produced for another iconic 1980’s legend: the Sinclair ZX Spectrum.

The character was initially created to be a fan of Sievey’s band: The Freshies, but his popularity lead Sievey to shift his output from Freshies records to Frank Sidebottom comedy records,  The character developed a cult following in the late 1980s/early 1990s thanks to extensively touring the country.

Frank Sidebottom performances were varied, featuring straightforward stand-up comedy combined with novelty components such as a tombola and a lot of crowd interaction.  Sometimes the show also included lectures.

In stark contrast to the emerging alternative comedians who were becoming popular at the time, Frank Sidebottom’s humour was always family-friendly, if a little bizarre for some.

Through the 1980’s and into the early 1990’s Frank Sidebottom’s popularity kept on growing.

Such was the character’s popularity eventually he got his own ITV show.  Debuting  in 1992: Frank Sidebottom’s Fantastic Shed Show, ran for seven episodes (pilot show and one series of six episodes).

Interesting that Caroline Aherne pops up as his neighbour Mrs Merton and a contribution from Little Frank.  Now twhere have we heard of Mrs Merton before?

Summary

Broadcast from the converted shed that functioned as his showbiz HQ, join Frank Sidebottom for his very own TV show.

Also featuring diminutive sidekick Little Frank, the shows featured Frank’s take on Crimewatch, Timperley’s contribution to Manchester’s Olympic bid, pioneering rocket science in the back garden, and even a staging of Live Aid 2!

Clips

 

[AdSense-A]

 

 

[AdSense-A]

 

Starring

Chris Sievey – Frank Sidebottom
Caroline Aherne – Mrs Merton

Details

Channel: ITV
Written By: Chris Sievey
Original Transmission Dates:
10th January 1992 (pilot)
24th July – 28th August 1992