Fred Figglehorn is a fictional character who appears in the YouTube video series Fred (stylized as "FЯED") created by American Internet personality Lucas Cruikshank from 2006 to 2015 and revived from 2020 to 2021.[1] The characters' initial popularity yielded other spin-off series and a relationship with Nickelodeon, including three movies and a television series.
| Fred Figglehorn | |
|---|---|
| Fred character | |
 Fred Figglehorn in videos he made in 2006 (top left and right) and 2010, Fred: The Movie, (bottom left) and It's Fred! (bottom right) | |
| First appearance | Fred on Halloween (2006) |
| Last appearance | Lucas Defeats Yuksung (2014) HeyItsFred TikTok account (2020) |
| Created by | Lucas Cruikshank |
| Portrayed by | Lucas Cruikshank Jack Coughlan (young; film series) |
| Voiced by | Lucas Cruikshank |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation | Student |
| Nationality | American |
| Catchphrase | Hey, it's Fred! |
| Age | 6 years (YouTube) 15 years (Nickelodeon) |
History
editLucas Cruikshank introduced the Fred character in a video on JKL Productions, a channel he started on YouTube with his cousins, Jon and Katie Smet on June 11, 2006. Cruikshank uploaded several videos testing out different characters. The first Fred video was uploaded on October 30, 2006, and a few more videos were uploaded throughout 2007.[2] On April 30, 2008, these videos were moved to the Fred (often stylized as FЯED) channel, and on May 1 the first official video of the series, titled "Fred on May Day" was released. By April 2009, it became the first YouTube channel to have over one million subscribers.[3][4]
Zipit Wireless Messenger (Z2) sponsored the first season of Fred, with several product placements. Walden Media hired Cruikshank to promote the film City of Ember, along with the sci-fi novel it was based on, cameos from the film's star Tim Robbins in Fred episodes, and a mock movie trailer.[5]
Cruikshank made a cameo appearance as both Fred and himself on Nickelodeon's iCarly in "iMeet Fred", which originally aired on February 16, 2009.[6] The episode has iCarly facing a huge loss of popularity after Freddie Benson criticizes Fred on-air, resulting in Cruikshank pretending to cancel his own show, and the characters organizing a crossover episode between the two web shows to regain popularity.
In December 2009, Cruikshank filmed Fred: The Movie, which aired on Nickelodeon on September 18, 2010. Nickelodeon created a franchise surrounding the character,[7][8][9] with the sequel, Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred, airing on October 22, 2011. In 2012, Fred: The Show aired, consisting of 24 11-minute episodes; a third movie, Fred 3: Camp Fred, premiered that year.
In June 2010, Fred appeared on the Annoying Orange web series. In October and November 2011, Ari Gold cameos in Fred as Power, from the film Adventures of Power.[10]
Leading up to the second films' release, a new series Figgle Chat premiered on the channel in which Fred interviewed various stars such as Alphacat and iJustine among others. Additionally, an animated series titled, It's Fred!, joined the channel. Each episode followed Freds' various schemes to win Judys affection while attending School. While unrelated to the film series, Jake Weary reprised his role as Kevin. Both series ended in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
The last video in the Fred franchise was an appearance by Cruikshank in the video “Lucas Defeats Yuksung”, an episode of “The New Fred”. Cruikshank made one final appearance in a promo for the new era of the channel in which users could send in their own videos before selling off the channel, making few appearances from then on. The channel made its final upload in 2015.
In 2020, Cruikshank created a TikTok channel based on Fred named HeyItsFred, reviving the character,[11] although it has been inactive since 2021.
Format
editFred lives with his mother who is a recovering drug-addict, and as a result, has been the victim of child abuse. His father is a former rock musician, and currently on death row in the state penitentiary. Fred has medication that he needs to take in order to act like a "normal kid", it also alluded that he will die from not taking it. In the video "Fred's Mom is Missing", Fred discovers that his mom is suddenly gone, prompting his grandma to move in and watch over him until she returns. Fred's mom would eventually return to the series, having went to rehab, two months later in "Fred's Mom Returns".
The series uses a floating timeline, meaning it is always taking place in the current year, and Fred is perpetually six years old and in kindergarten. The videos primarily consist of the character speaking to the audience about what is happening in his life. Fred has a high-pitched voice and is hyperactive, achieved by speeding up the footage.[2] Cruikshank has described the channel as "programming for kids by kids"[1] as a parody of people who "think that everyone is so interested in them". He believes that viewers either "automatically love Fred or automatically hate Fred, there is no in-between".[12]
A recurring plot line that lasted through the series was a feud that Fred had with the original owner of his YouTube channel. In the episode "Fred on May Day", Fred stated that he acquired his YouTube channel by pestering their HQ. In subsequent videos, Fred would update his viewers with messages he would be receiving from the original channel owner, in which they threatened to hurt him and that they knew his location. This would culminate with the episode "Fred Gets Kidnapped by Claudio" in which a man named Claudio Gregory (also portrayed by Cruikshank), imprisons Fred in a Dog crate while he temporarily took over the channel. In the episode "Lucas Defeats Yuksung", it is revealed that Claudio was the original channel owner, and as an act of revenge towards Fred for stealing his fame, he partnered with Yuksang to produce Fred videos worse than the originals so the channel would lose its popularity. However, he reforms after Fred and Lucas offer to be his friend.
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Comedy [13] |
US Heat [13] | |||
| Who's Ready to Party? |
|
1 | 29 | |
Extended plays
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Comedy [13] |
US Heat [13] |
US Holiday [13] | ||
| It's Hackin' Christmas with Fred |
|
8 | 24 | 13 |
Charted songs
edit| Title | Year | Peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Comedy [16] |
US Holiday [17] | |||
| "Christmas Cash" | 2009 | 22 | 5 | It's Hackin' Christmas with Fred |
| "Christmas is Creepy" | 9 | 1 | ||
| "Fred's 12 Days of Christmas" | – | 28 | ||
| "I Wanna Be a Celebrity" | 2010 | 11 | – | Who's Ready to Party |
| "—" denotes the song did not chart. | ||||
Films
editFred: The Movie
editFred: The Movie is a 2010 film based on the YouTube series about Fred Figglehorn. It features Lucas Cruikshank as Fred, Pixie Lott as Judy, Jennette McCurdy as Bertha, Jake Weary as Kevin Cen, John Cena as Fred's imaginary dad, and Siobhan Fallon Hogan as Fred's mom. It follows the character as he tries to track down his crush, Judy after she moves away. It is written by David A. Goodman, directed by Clay Weiner, and produced by Brian Robbins.[18] Filming began November 9, 2009, and wrapped up December 20, 2009.[19] The movie premiered on Nickelodeon on September 18, 2010, and the DVD was released October 5, 2010[7] as well as streaming media such as Netflix.
Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred
editFred 2: Night of the Living Fred is a 2011 Halloween-themed sequel to Fred: The Movie. It first aired on October 22, 2011. After Fred has broken up with Judy, he meets Kevin Cen's sister Talia, and becomes convinced that his new neighbor is a vampire. The Judy character does not appear, and Jennette McCurdy was replaced by Daniella Monet in the role of Bertha.
Fred 3: Camp Fred
editIn late 2011, a third Fred movie was announced. Fred 3: Camp Fred premiered July 28, 2012, on Nickelodeon,[20] which also aired Fred: The Show, a series of 24 11-minute-long episodes,[21] in 2012. For summer, Fred attends Camp Iwannapeepee, where he meets several different characters, and must compete against Kevin Cen's camp.
TV series
editFred: The Show
editIn 2012, Fred became the protagonist in his own TV series, which ran between January and August 2012. The series received dismal reviews, particularly for Fred's childish attitude and annoying voice, and ratings continued to plummet until the show was axed, after which Cruikshank severed ties with Nickelodeon, and Fred was retired.
References
edit- ^ a b Andrew Keen (July 28, 2008). "Andrew Keen on New Media: Kids with cameras lead the way in giving web users their daily Fred". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on February 19, 2009. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
- ^ a b partnersproject (April 21, 2011). "Lucas Cruikshank aka Fred Exclusive Interview: The Partners Project Episode 19". YouTube. Archived from the original on July 12, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
- ^ Editorial Team (November 13, 2008). "BB Suggests: The Best of Web TV". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- ^ Sarno, David (April 8, 2009). "YouTube's Fred is first online video star to break 1M subscribers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ Sanders, Pete (September 18, 2008). "Studios Hope YouTube Tie Sells Movie". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on March 25, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
- ^ Albrecht, Chris (November 18, 2008). "'Fred' Cranks Up the YouTube Views and Ad Dollars". Business Week. Archived from the original on May 12, 2009. Retrieved July 7, 2009.
- ^ a b Barnes, Brooks (March 24, 2010). "'Fred: The Movie' Lands on Nickelodeon - Media Decoder Blog - NYTimes.com". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
- ^ Cruikshank, Lucas (February 22, 2011). "Tweet 40139239941210112". Twitter. Archived from the original on September 22, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
- ^ Cruikshank, Lucas (March 3, 2011). "Tweet 43282065155829760". Twitter. Archived from the original on September 22, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
- ^ lucas (October 27, 2011). "Lucas Gets Kidnapped!". YouTube. Archived from the original on January 23, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
- ^ "TikTok". www.tiktok.com. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ^ Brook, Anderson. "The Teen Behind Fred". YouTube. CNN. Archived from the original on September 12, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "Fred Figglehorn Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on January 24, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ^ "Who's Ready to Party? by Fred Figglehorn - Download Who's Ready to Party? on iTunes". iTunes. Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
- ^ "YouTube Sensation Fred Releases Christmas Album and Premiers Music Video « Pynk Celebrity". Archived from the original on November 13, 2009. Retrieved November 26, 2009.
- ^ * "Christmas Cash" and "I Wanna Be a Celebrity": "Comedy Digital Tracks: Oct 2, 2010". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- "Christmas is Creepy": "Comedy Digital Tracks: Jan 1, 2011". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ^ "Holiday Digital Songs: Oct 09, 2012". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 14, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ^ Barnes, Brooks (December 7, 2009). "A High-Pitched Whine Brings to the Movies: Bigger Screen for a High-Pitched Whine". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
- ^ Sanchez, Adrian (December 28, 2009). "Cruikshank's YouTube character to hit silver screen". Columbus Telegram. Archived from the original on March 27, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
- ^ ""Fred 3: Camp Fred," Premieres". The Futon Critic. July 12, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (December 1, 2011). "Nickelodeon Greenlights Third 'Fred' Movie, Picks Up 20-Episode 'Fred' Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 3, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2011.