Whack-O! - Revision history

Kurt at 04:55, 15 February 2023

2023-02-15T04:55:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:55, 14 February 2023
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	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2021}}~~
	{{Infobox television		{{Infobox television
	\| image = Whacko title screen.png		\| image = Whacko title screen.png
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	==External links==		==External links==
	*{{IMDb title\|0162833\|Whack-O!}}		*{{IMDb title\|0162833\|Whack-O!}}
			*{{Screenonline TV title\|1092471\|Whack-O\|}}
	*''[http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/whacko/ Whack-O]'' at BBC Online Comedy Guide		*''[http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/whacko/ Whack-O]'' at BBC Online Comedy Guide
	*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b060c2nz/episodes/guide BBC Radio 4 Whack-O Episode Guide]		*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b060c2nz/episodes/guide BBC Radio 4 Whack-O Episode Guide]
	*[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1092471/index.html British Film Institute Screen Online]
	*[https://www.radioechoes.com/?page=series&genre=OTR-Comedy&series=Whack-O Audio Download and Streaming]		*[https://www.radioechoes.com/?page=series&genre=OTR-Comedy&series=Whack-O Audio Download and Streaming]
	*[https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/whack_o/repeats/ Dates of Airings]		*[https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/whack_o/repeats/ Dates of Airings]

Kurt: /* See also */

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External links

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:24, 14 December 2022
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	*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b060c2nz/episodes/guide BBC Radio 4 Whack-O Episode Guide]		*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b060c2nz/episodes/guide BBC Radio 4 Whack-O Episode Guide]
	*[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1092471/index.html British Film Institute Screen Online]		*[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1092471/index.html British Film Institute Screen Online]
			*[https://www.radioechoes.com/?page=series&genre=OTR-Comedy&series=Whack-O Audio Download and Streaming]
			*[https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/whack_o/repeats/ Dates of Airings]
	[[Category:BBC television sitcoms]]		[[Category:BBC television sitcoms]]
	[[Category:Lost BBC episodes]]		[[Category:Lost BBC episodes]]

Kurt: /* Details of radio adaptation */

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Details of radio adaptation

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:24, 14 December 2022
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	==Details of radio adaptation==		==Details of radio adaptation==
	BBC Radio adapted the TV scripts into 45 thirty-minute shows, mostly with the original cast, of which 42 recordings survive. There were three series which originally ran on the [[BBC Light Programme]] from 23 May 1961 until 22 July 1963. They have been repeated on BBC Radio Extra since 2015 and the last airing was in 2020.		BBC Radio adapted the TV scripts into 45 thirty-minute shows, mostly with the original cast, of which 42 recordings survive. There were three series which originally ran on the [[w:BBC Light Programme\|BBC Light Programme]] from 23 May 1961 until 22 July 1963. They have been repeated on BBC Radio Extra since 2015 and the last airing was in 2020.

	*[https://www.radioechoes.com/?page=series&genre=OTR-Comedy&series=Whack-O] Audio Download and Streaming
	*[https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/whack_o/repeats/] Dates of Airings

	==See also==		==See also==

Kurt: /* Theme of School Corporal Punishment */

2022-12-14T16:24:01Z

Theme of School Corporal Punishment

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	Both Jimmy Edwards and Arthur Howard were gay men and Anthony Slide, a biographer of Edwards with "Wake Up at the Back There! It’s Jimmy Edwards (BearManor, 2018)", has written: "I know I’m a little perverse, but I cannot find it anything but fascinating and decidedly weird that two gay men were starring in a BBC series involving the use of a cane on the bottoms of young boys."		Both Jimmy Edwards and Arthur Howard were gay men and Anthony Slide, a biographer of Edwards with "Wake Up at the Back There! It’s Jimmy Edwards (BearManor, 2018)", has written: "I know I’m a little perverse, but I cannot find it anything but fascinating and decidedly weird that two gay men were starring in a BBC series involving the use of a cane on the bottoms of young boys."
	*[https://www.altfg.com/film/jimmy-edwards/] Biographer of Jimmy Edwards

	This is how the BBC sums up this aspect of ''Whack-O!'' on its official website: "Watching the series now is a little painful in one respect – we're too sensitive to find canings amusing – but it's right on the money in other ways, mainly because finding over-privileged kids vile hasn't gone out of fashion."		This is how the BBC sums up this aspect of ''Whack-O!'' on its official website: "Watching the series now is a little painful in one respect – we're too sensitive to find canings amusing – but it's right on the money in other ways, mainly because finding over-privileged kids vile hasn't gone out of fashion."

Kurt: /* Theme of School Corporal Punishment */

2022-12-14T16:23:19Z

Theme of School Corporal Punishment

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	==Theme of School Corporal Punishment==		==Theme of School Corporal Punishment==
	~~{{Original research\|table\|date=February 2022}}~~
	TV comedy historians have written that the central theme of ''Whack-O!'' and ''Bottoms Up!'' was corporal punishment and specifically the caning of boys’ backsides. This however was largely absent from the revived series in 1971, as by that time corporal punishment was becoming less acceptable in Britain and was eventually banned in state and many independent schools in 1986.		TV comedy historians have written that the central theme of ''Whack-O!'' and ''Bottoms Up!'' was corporal punishment and specifically the caning of boys’ backsides. This however was largely absent from the revived series in 1971, as by that time corporal punishment was becoming less acceptable in Britain and was eventually banned in state and many independent schools in 1986.

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2022-08-11T17:21:56Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 12:21, 11 August 2022
(No difference)

en>Mndata2: /* Details of radio adaptation */Improved link

2022-06-26T13:59:48Z

Details of radio adaptation: Improved link

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Whacko title screen.png
| caption = The title sequence emulated a chalk blackboard, with caricatures of Jimmy Edwards interposed with credits, often with letters the wrong way around.
| genre = [[Situation comedy|Sitcom]]
| runtime = 30 minutes
| creator = [[Frank Muir]]<br/>[[Denis Norden]]
| starring = {{plain list|
* [[Jimmy Edwards]]
* [[Arthur Howard]] (series 1–7)
* [[Julian Orchard]] (series 8)
* [[Kenneth Cope]]
* [[Norman Bird]]
* John Stirling
* [[Peter Glaze]]
* [[Edwin Apps]] (series 1–7)
* Peter Greene (series 8)
* David Langford
* [[Keith Smith (actor)|Keith Smith]]
* [[Brian Rawlinson]]
* Gordon Phillot (series 1–7)
* [[Harold Bennett]] (series 8)
* Frank Raymond
* Gary Warren (series 8)
* [[Greg Smith (actor)|Greg Smith]] (series 8)
}}
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| network = [[BBC One|BBC1]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|1956|10|04|df=yes}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1972|02|26|df=yes}}
| num_episodes = 60
}}

'''''Whack-O!''''' is a British sitcom TV series starring [[Jimmy Edwards]], written by [[Frank Muir]] and [[Denis Norden]], and broadcast from 1956 to 1960 and 1971 to 1972.

The series (in black and white) ran on the [[BBC]] from 1956 to 1960 and (in colour) from 1971 to 1972. Edwards took the part of Professor James Edwards, M.A., the drunken, gambling, devious, cane-swishing headmaster who tyrannised staff and children at Chiselbury [[Independent school (UK)|public school]] (described in the opening titles as "for the sons of Gentlefolk"). The Edwards character bore more than a passing resemblance to [[Sergeant Bilko]] as he tried to swindle the children out of their pocket money to finance his many schemes.

The first six episodes were subtitled "Six of the Best". In 1959 a film was made based on the show, called ''[[Bottoms Up (1960 film)|Bottoms Up!]]''. The series was revived in colour with updated scripts in 1971–72, slightly retitled ''Whacko!''. In all, it ran for a total of 60 episodes, with 47 of black-and-white and 13 colour, of 30 minutes each. There were three special shorts. There was also a radio version with [[Vera Lynn]] starring as herself in the second episode. Many of these radio episodes were recovered by a BBC archivist from a listener's collection of tapes in 2012, and are now being broadcast on Radio 4 Extra.

The front of the historic house of [[Great Fosters]] near [[Egham]] in [[Surrey]] was used in the opening title sequence of the TV comedy series, behind the name of the fictional Chiselbury School.<ref>{{cite web|title = Whack-O! Opening titles, BBC TV|url = http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/tv/adults/whacko/whacko.htm|accessdate = 28 July 2008}}</ref>

==Cast==
* Professor James Edwards played by [[Jimmy Edwards]]
* Mr Oliver Pettigrew played by [[Arthur Howard]] in 1956–60 and [[Julian Orchard]] in 1971
* Mr F.D. Price Whittaker played by [[Kenneth Cope]]
* Mr S.A. Smallpiece played by [[Norman Bird]]
* Lumley (a pupil) played by John Stirling
* Mr R.P. Tench played by [[Peter Glaze]]
* Mr Halliforth played by [[Edwin Apps]] in 1956–60 and Peter Greene in 1971
* Parker played by [[David Langford (actor)|David Langford]]
* Mr Forbes played by [[Keith Smith (actor)|Keith Smith]]
* Mr Proctor played by [[Brian Rawlinson]]
* Mr Dinwiddie played by Gordon Phillot in 1956–60 and [[Harold Bennett]] in 1971
* Mr Cope-Willoughby played by Frank Raymond
* Matron played by Barbra Archer, [[Liz Fraser]] and by [[Charlotte Mitchell]]
* Taplow played by Gary Warren in 1971
* Potter played by [[Greg Smith (actor)|Greg Smith]] in 1971
*Proctor played by [[John Clegg (actor)|John Clegg]]
* [[Clodagh Rodgers]] appeared as herself during the colour series in 1972<ref>{{cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9fe1eec7951242cf8e981bcf54941861|title=Whacko! - BBC One London - 19 February 1972 - BBC Genome|website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk|accessdate=20 September 2018}}</ref>
* [[Max Bygraves]] appeared as himself in one episode in 1960<ref name="IMDB">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162833/fullcredits|title=Whack-O! (TV Series 1956–1972)|accessdate=20 September 2018|via=imdb.com}}</ref>
* [[Vera Lynn]] appeared in one episode in 1959<ref name="IMDB"/>

== Surviving episodes ==
Most of the show's episodes are missing, presumed lost. Six of the original black-and-white episodes are known to exist today; from the colour revival series of the early 1970s, only one is known to have survived.<ref>[http://www.lostshows.com/default.aspx?programme=be8e049e-8975-45cb-9e13-19eacbfd91f9 "Whack-O!"], Kaleidoscope website</ref>

Only 7 episodes exist in the BBC TV archives, with 3 (out of the 6 remaining B&W episodes) having been rediscovered in December 2016.

*TBA
*Series 3 episode 5 (21 October 1958)
*Series 5 episode 4 (1 December 1959)
*Series 6 episode 4 (3 June 1960)
*Series 7 episode 1 (22 November 1960)
*Series 7 episode 5 (20 December 1960)
*Series 8 episode 2 (4 December 1971)

==Theme of School Corporal Punishment==
{{Original research|table|date=February 2022}}
TV comedy historians have written that the central theme of ''Whack-O!'' and ''Bottoms Up!'' was corporal punishment and specifically the caning of boys’ backsides. This however was largely absent from the revived series in 1971, as by that time corporal punishment was becoming less acceptable in Britain and was eventually banned in state and many independent schools in 1986.

''Whack-O!'' tended to glorify a ritualised form of punishment that had been an accepted practice in British schools, but by modern standards the popular humourizing of corporal punishment is an anathema, and it may seem somewhat perverted in the way it was featured in the series.
The comedy of the series was built around whether boys would be caught and punished for minor misdemeanours, and the size and effectiveness of canes and the building of caning devices. In one episode a device and long cane was made so six boys could be punished together. In another a device was made so the teacher carrying out the caning did not see the boy, and it turned out that all the backside seen to be caned were that of deputy headmaster Pettigrew (when played by Arthur Howard). A feature of Edwards carrying out punishment was the clear enjoyment he exhibited.

Both Jimmy Edwards and Arthur Howard were gay men and Anthony Slide, a biographer of Edwards with "Wake Up at the Back There! It’s Jimmy Edwards (BearManor, 2018)", has written: "I know I’m a little perverse, but I cannot find it anything but fascinating and decidedly weird that two gay men were starring in a BBC series involving the use of a cane on the bottoms of young boys."
*[https://www.altfg.com/film/jimmy-edwards/] Biographer of Jimmy Edwards

This is how the BBC sums up this aspect of ''Whack-O!'' on its official website: "Watching the series now is a little painful in one respect – we're too sensitive to find canings amusing – but it's right on the money in other ways, mainly because finding over-privileged kids vile hasn't gone out of fashion."

==Details of radio adaptation==
BBC Radio adapted the TV scripts into 45 thirty-minute shows, mostly with the original cast, of which 42 recordings survive. There were three series which originally ran on the [[BBC Light Programme]] from 23 May 1961 until 22 July 1963. They have been repeated on BBC Radio Extra since 2015 and the last airing was in 2020.

*[https://www.radioechoes.com/?page=series&genre=OTR-Comedy&series=Whack-O] Audio Download and Streaming
*[https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/whack_o/repeats/] Dates of Airings

==See also==
* [[List of films based on British sitcoms]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0162833|Whack-O!}}
*''[http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/whacko/ Whack-O]'' at BBC Online Comedy Guide
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b060c2nz/episodes/guide BBC Radio 4 Whack-O Episode Guide]
*[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1092471/index.html British Film Institute Screen Online]

[[Category:BBC television sitcoms]]
[[Category:Lost BBC episodes]]
[[Category:1950s British sitcoms]]
[[Category:1960s British sitcoms]]
[[Category:1970s British sitcoms]]
[[Category:1956 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:1972 British television series endings]]
[[Category:Television shows adapted into films]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:25, 14 December 2022
Line 87:		Line 87:
	==Details of radio adaptation==		==Details of radio adaptation==
	BBC Radio adapted the TV scripts into 45 thirty-minute shows, mostly with the original cast, of which 42 recordings survive. There were three series which originally ran on the [[w:BBC Light Programme\|BBC Light Programme]] from 23 May 1961 until 22 July 1963. They have been repeated on BBC Radio Extra since 2015 and the last airing was in 2020.		BBC Radio adapted the TV scripts into 45 thirty-minute shows, mostly with the original cast, of which 42 recordings survive. There were three series which originally ran on the [[w:BBC Light Programme\|BBC Light Programme]] from 23 May 1961 until 22 July 1963. They have been repeated on BBC Radio Extra since 2015 and the last airing was in 2020.

	~~==See also==~~
	* [[List of films based on British sitcoms]]

	==References==		==References==