It was made by Associated-Rediffusion for ITV, which at the time was available only in the London area, the Midlands and Northern England.
Spike Milligan concentrated on writing and only made small walk on appearances, leaving the lead acting to Peter Sellers.
The minimalist format, with little or no scenery and few props, sketches without any real purpose or punch line, and mixing live action and short animations directly influenced the format of Monty Python's Flying Circus.
The 1997 convention of the Goon Show Preservation Society was billed as Son of a Weekend Called Fred.
The show is believed lost, with the exception of the first episode, which is available to stream on BFI Player.