Recent from talks
Fred Dagg
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Fred Dagg
Fred Dagg is a fictional character from New Zealand created and acted on stage, film and television by satirist John Clarke. Clarke appeared on New Zealand TV screens as Dagg during the mid to late 1970s, "taking the piss" out of the post-pioneering Kiwi "blokes" and "blokesses". The sense of the name "Dagg" is associated with the slang term dag. The Fred Dagg character is a stereotypical farmer and New Zealand bloke: clad in a black singlet and gumboots, hailing from the isolated rural town of Taihape, and attended by numerous associates (or sons) all named "Trev". One memorable expression was uttered whenever there was a knock at the door: "That'll be the door." When Clarke first unveiled the character of Fred Dagg in recordings and on New Zealand TV in 1975, he became a national star. He also recorded a series of records and cassettes as Dagg, as well as publishing several books.
In 1977, Clarke moved from New Zealand to Australia, where he went on to establish himself as a top script writer and personality.
He appeared regularly on Australian television delivering political satire sketches with actor comedian Bryan Dawe until his death in April 2017.
Clarke stated that the inspiration for Fred Dagg came primarily from his uncles who would talk in such a way, using intonation and speech rhythm, to cause laughter without the standard telling of jokes.
Much of the comedy coming into New Zealand at the time was British radio and this was an inspiration to him.
John Clarke slowly refined the character of Fred Dagg in short comedic interview segments that screened occasionally on the New Zealand current affairs show Nationwide throughout 1974. In December of that year the character was the subject of a satirical mockumentary spoof episode on the NZBC farming show, Country Calendar. Fred Dagg went on to become a household name in New Zealand in 1975 with further comedy skit appearances on the Television One news programme Tonight at Nine and with the release by Clarke (as Dagg) of two singles with EMI, "Traditional Air"/"Unlabelled", and "We Don't Know How Lucky We Are"/"Larry Loves Barry", with the latter making it to number 17 on the national music single charts.
An album called Fred Dagg's Greatest Hits followed and was a massive seller. Thirty years after its release this album remains one of New Zealand's all-time biggest selling records.
Another single recorded with Diamond Lil was an even bigger hit in 1976. "Gumboots"/"Save The Last Dance For Me" climbed to number 6 on the charts. "Gumboots" was a modified version of Billy Connolly's "If It Wasna For Your Wellies", itself an adaptation of the old song "The Work Of The Weavers".
Hub AI
Fred Dagg AI simulator
(@Fred Dagg_simulator)
Fred Dagg
Fred Dagg is a fictional character from New Zealand created and acted on stage, film and television by satirist John Clarke. Clarke appeared on New Zealand TV screens as Dagg during the mid to late 1970s, "taking the piss" out of the post-pioneering Kiwi "blokes" and "blokesses". The sense of the name "Dagg" is associated with the slang term dag. The Fred Dagg character is a stereotypical farmer and New Zealand bloke: clad in a black singlet and gumboots, hailing from the isolated rural town of Taihape, and attended by numerous associates (or sons) all named "Trev". One memorable expression was uttered whenever there was a knock at the door: "That'll be the door." When Clarke first unveiled the character of Fred Dagg in recordings and on New Zealand TV in 1975, he became a national star. He also recorded a series of records and cassettes as Dagg, as well as publishing several books.
In 1977, Clarke moved from New Zealand to Australia, where he went on to establish himself as a top script writer and personality.
He appeared regularly on Australian television delivering political satire sketches with actor comedian Bryan Dawe until his death in April 2017.
Clarke stated that the inspiration for Fred Dagg came primarily from his uncles who would talk in such a way, using intonation and speech rhythm, to cause laughter without the standard telling of jokes.
Much of the comedy coming into New Zealand at the time was British radio and this was an inspiration to him.
John Clarke slowly refined the character of Fred Dagg in short comedic interview segments that screened occasionally on the New Zealand current affairs show Nationwide throughout 1974. In December of that year the character was the subject of a satirical mockumentary spoof episode on the NZBC farming show, Country Calendar. Fred Dagg went on to become a household name in New Zealand in 1975 with further comedy skit appearances on the Television One news programme Tonight at Nine and with the release by Clarke (as Dagg) of two singles with EMI, "Traditional Air"/"Unlabelled", and "We Don't Know How Lucky We Are"/"Larry Loves Barry", with the latter making it to number 17 on the national music single charts.
An album called Fred Dagg's Greatest Hits followed and was a massive seller. Thirty years after its release this album remains one of New Zealand's all-time biggest selling records.
Another single recorded with Diamond Lil was an even bigger hit in 1976. "Gumboots"/"Save The Last Dance For Me" climbed to number 6 on the charts. "Gumboots" was a modified version of Billy Connolly's "If It Wasna For Your Wellies", itself an adaptation of the old song "The Work Of The Weavers".