Dave Freeman

David Freeman (22 August 1922 – 28 March 2005) was a British film and television writer, working chiefly in comedy.

He was one of the first generation of writers who established television, taking over from radio, as the most popular medium for comedy. His works were known for their usage of puns and double entendre.

During the small screen's Golden Age, he wrote scripts for comedians including Benny Hill, Tony Hancock, Ted Ray, Terry Scott, Spike Milligan, Eric Sykes, Peter Sellers, Charlie Drake, Arthur Askey, Sid James, Leslie Crowther, Roy Hudd, Jimmy Edwards, Tommy Cooper, Harry Worth and Frankie Howerd.

After a period back at Special Branch, he became a journalist, then took a job as a security officer for the American Officers' Club in Regent's Park, London. One of his tasks was to book entertainment acts and when he struck up a friendship with Benny Hill, the pair started writing together. There, he teamed up with John Junkin and Terry Nation to write two series for Elsie and Doris Waters, Gert and Daisy. He then went on to contribute sketches to Spike Milligan's The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d (1956) starring Peter Sellers, the first successful attempt to transform the comedy of The Goon Show from radio to television. and It's Tommy Cooper (1970).

In 1982, Key for Two co-written with John Chapman was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy after opening at the Vaudeville Theatre starring Moira Lister. His third play Kindly Keep It Covered opened in 1987 at the Churchill Theatre starring Terry Scott and Amanda Barrie.

All three plays have since been performed all over the world.

Commercials Freeman wrote over 50 advertisements in a series of television commercials for the soft-drinks company Schweppes starring Benny Hill. The commercials became the first from Britain to win the Grand Prix de la Télévision at the 1961 Cannes International Festival of Publicity Films.

Following the success of the Schweppes adverts, Freeman was asked to write a series of television commercials for the Egg Marketing Board starring Tony Hancock and Patricia Hayes.