The Frost Report

Image: David Frost squares up to Ronnie Barker in a promotional shot for the special 'Frost Over England' in March 1967. 

The satirical comedy show The Frost Report made its first appearance on 10 March 1966. Each week David Frost took a different subject and examined it with the help of illustrative sketches. The supporting cast for the first episode was Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Corbett, John Cleese, Nicky Henson and Nicholas Smith. In addition Julie Felix and Tom Lehrer provided music. Barker was already well known but it was Cleese, Corbett and Henson's first break on television.

The theme of the first week was Authority. Subsequent weeks looked at Holidays, Sin and Elections. The fifth week - on Class - featured the series' most enduring sketch, with Cleese, Barker and Corbett cast as upper, middle and lower class. It was written by Marty Feldman and John Law. Other writers on The Frost Report included future Pythons Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, alongside Tim Brooke-Taylor and established names such as Frank Muir and Denis Norden.

The Frost Report helped establish satire as a staple of television comedy, inspiring programmes such as Not the Nine O'clock News. The on screen and backstage talent involved with making the show went on to contribute to the some of the most loved programmes on television. Frost himself continued his ascent and became known for his with searching political interviews. He was knighted in 1993 and died in 2013.