David Freeman

**David Freeman** was a British film and television writer, working chiefly in comedy, one of the first generation of radio comedy writers who established television. A prolific practitioner, he was a master of the pun and double entendre and a long-time associate of comedian Benny Hill. During his career, he wrote scripts for comedians including Hill, Tony Hancock, Ted Ray, Terry Scott, Spike Milligan, Eric Sykes, Charlie Drake, Arthur Askey, Sid James, Leslie Crowther, Roy Hudd, Jimmy Edwards, Tommy Cooper, Harry Worth and Frankie Howerd.

Freeman was born August 22, 1922 in Marylebone, London. He trained as an electrician before joining the Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm during World War Two, serving in the Pacific fleet through Ceylon, India, South Africa, Kenya and Australia where he met and married his wife, Alberta. Upon returning to England after the war, he joined the Metropolitan Police as a police constable in Paddington rising to a Special Branch detective at Scotland Yard.[1][2]
After a period back at Special Branch, Freeman became a journalist and later a security officer for the American Officers' Club in Regent's Park, London. While booking entertainment acts for the club, he struck up a friendship with Benny Hill that lasted through the BBC incarnation of "The Benny Hill Show," Freeman also appeared as an actor in sketches and also partnered with Benny for his short-lived anthology series in 1956. Freeman also contributed to sketch-based TV shows such as "The Ted Ray Show" and "Great Scott - It's Maynard." After joining the Associated London Scripts Agency in 1955, he teamed up with members John Junkin and Terry Nation to write two two TV shows for for Elsie and Doris Waters and contribute sketches to Spike Milligan’s "The Idiot Weekly." Freeman and Hill also created the theatrical play, "Fine Fettle," which opened at the Palace Theatre in 1959.

Mostly working for television, Freeman worked for both the BBC and ITV, creating the TV shows "Charlie Drake," "Arthur's Treasured Volumes" and "The Arthur Askey Show" as well as sitcoms for Roy Kinnear and Jimmy Edwards. He also wrote the fantasy serial "Knock Three Times," based on the children's book by Marion St John Webb.

In addition to his writing and behind the scenes work, Freeman also starred in the movies "Carry on Behind," "Carry on Columbus" and "Bless This House." In 1968, he wrote the screenplay to "Jules Verne’s Rocket To The Moon" and scripted episodes for "The Avengers" and "It’s Tommy Cooper." He also wrote the feature films "Carry On Behind" and "Carry On Columbus." In 1973, his stage farce, "A Bedfull of Foreigners" opened at the Victoria Palace later moving to the Duke of York's Theatre.[

Most of his subsequent career was spent contributing episodes to some of television's most popular sitcoms, including "Bless This House," "Robin's Nest" and "Keep It in the Family," writing nine episodes with his son, Greg Freeman, between 1980 and 1983. He also wrote for "Terry and June" which starred June Whitfield. He wrote more plays, "Key For Two," with John Chapman in 1982 and "Kindly Keep It Covered" in 1987 at the Churchill Theatre. After creating Benny's award-winning advertisements for Schweppes, he also wrote a string of commercials for soft drinks and the Egg Marketing Board. Mostly retired by the 90s, he appeared in the A&E "Biography" episode on the life of Benny Hill.

Freeman passed away March 28, 2005 at his home in Queen's Park, London. He was survived by his wife and three children.

## Episode(s)

* February 1, 1958
* March 1, 1958
* March 29, 1958
* April 26, 1958
* November 4, 1961