In todays age of political correctness one wonders how a story about a rogue of a headmaster thrashing his pupils with a cane daily would go down? Such abuse surely would not be funny…well, actually it was, and still is! That’s me blindfolded and up against the wall then. Like most adolescents growing up in the 50s and 60s on a diet of Jennings and Just William this was of course ‘just like real life’ and ‘jolly exciting’ as the boys invariably got one over on ‘Jim’
This classic sit-com started life on BBC Television in October 1956 and starred ‘Professor’ Jimmy Edwards. Written by the masterful team of Frank Muir and Denis Norden, this was undoubtedly one of the major successes of early British television. There were 8 series in all with a couple of special shows, giving a grand total of 60 half hour shows, and 3 shorts. But the story doesn’t stop there, and this is one of the more unusual shows where a radio series and even a film were spawned from the TV version.
RADIO.
Cast list
* Professor James Edwards- Jimmy Edwards
* Mr. Oliver Pettigrew- Arthur Howard (first show only)
* Mr. Aubrey Potter- Roddy Maude-Roxby
* Mr. Alfred Tennyson- Frederick Treves
* Mr. Arnold Halliforth (series 2&3)- Edwin Apps
* Matron- June Whitfield
* A.J.Lumley (series 2&3)- Roger Shepherd
* Phipps (series 2)- John Coxall
* Fenner (series 3)- John Coxall
The Radio ran for three series from 1961 to 1963. Of the 44 known episodes 41 exist still and can be be found to enjoy on the links at the end of this item. Should you have any of the 3 missing ones please contact me!!!
The film ‘Bottoms Up!’ was made at Elstree in 1960. The script was written by Michael Pertwee with contributions from Frank Muir and Denis Norden – some lines from the film are reproduced exactly in the radio series, identifying them as the work of Muir/Norden. The film was directed by Mario Zampi and provided Professor Edwards with a main student irritant by the name of Wendover (inspirationally played by John Mitchell), who would become Lumley in the radio series.
Now you’ve finished reading the comic here’s the Radio episode links
