Fred Dagg at the Opening of Avalon TV Centre

In April 1975, TV One officially launched from Avalon Television Centre, New Zealand's first custom-made television facility. Comedy talent Fred Dagg (John Clarke) was asked to take part in its opening night celebration. The first excerpt shows a studio audience introducing Dagg with one of his famous catch cries. The second clip features Dagg in his best cut off dinner suit paying tribute to Avalon Television Centre or, as Dagg calls it: "the largest chaff container in the Southern Hemisphere". TV One started after the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation split its single channel model into TV One and TV2 (South Pacific Television).

A staggering 23,000 square metres of floor space made it one of the largest television-making facilities in Australasia. Former Lower Hutt mayor Sir John Kennedy-Good had persuaded the government of the time to plonk the Stalinist-style tower block in the middle of Hutt Valley, for the good of local development.

– Excerpt from an article about the history of Avalon TV Centre, The Dominion Post, 11 April 2011

Key Cast & Crew

John Whitwell

Director

Tony Rimmer

Producer

John Clarke

As: Fred Dagg

Colin Gardiner

Designer

Geoff Shirkey

Sound

Dougal Stevenson

Presenter