The Stan Freberg Show

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Stan Freberg's short-lived (15 episodes) Sketch Comedy radio series from 1957, featuring the voices of Daws Butler, June Foray and Peter Leeds. Greatly influenced The Firesign Theatre in their audio recordings.

Episodes can be (legally) downloaded here.

Tropes used in The Stan Freberg Show include:

"Believe you me, I couldn't break through the sound barrier every morning if I didn't start off my day with a stomach.... (long pause) ....full of Puffed Grass"

  • Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Yeti: The abominable snowman interviews
  • Bizarre Alien Biology: Miss Jupiter has "shapely wheels"
  • Doom It Yourself: The build-it-yourself piano
  • History Marches On: History is deconstructed humorously in the "Great Moments in History" sketches with "the real stories" behind those moments, including Washington crossing the Delaware and the ride of Paul Revere.
  • Mickey Mousing: As a tourist attraction, a "lover's spat" between Elizabeth Taylor and Mike Todd is portrayed with trumpets in one short segment.
  • No Reprise, Please: In the Lawrence Welk sketch, the song "Thank You For All Those Cards and Letters..."
  • Parody Commercial: "Puffed Grass" ("Bang Gunleigh, U.S. Marshal Field"); "Food" ("Gray Flannel Hat Full of Teenage Werewolves"); "Stan Freberg" (the second-to-last episode).
  • Running Gag: In several "Great Moments in History" segments, some historical figure like Barbara Fritchie or Paul Revere would say "First give me the money, then I'll _____ (get on the horse, stand on the burning deck, etc.)"
    • Also the nonsensical soundscapes that began a number of episodes.
    • "He's Swiss- that way we don't offend anyone."
  • Say My Name: A Soap Within a Show parody:

"John..."
"Marsha..."