Nostalgia Central

HOME NEWS DECADES MUSIC TELEVISION POP CULTURE MOVIES SHOP UK SHOP USA HELP

  Established in 1998, Nostalgia Central is your one stop reference guide through five decades of music, movies, television, pop culture and social history


1 9 5 6 - 1 9 6 0 (UK)
1 9 7 1 - 1 9 7 2 (UK)
55 x 30 minute episodes

THE CAST

Prof. Jimmy Edwards
Jimmy Edwards
Mr Oliver Pettigrew

Arthur Howard

Whack-o!


Comedy series from the pens of Denis Norden and Frank Muir and starring Jimmy Edwards who had been awarded the DFC during the war as a fighter pilot with the RAF. 

His Dakota was shot down over Arnhem and his injuries were such that half of his face had to be rebuilt, hence the trademark handlebar moustache.

Edwards had been a radio star since the 1940's as Pa Glum, but it was for his role as Professor Jimmy Edwards, the corrupt, crafty and cane swishing headmaster of Chiselbury School for which he will always be most famously remembered.

His bullying tactics were not confined simply to his students, and members of his staff were given a particularly rough ride, especially his right-hand man, weedy science master Mr. Oliver Pettigrew. (Played by Arthur Howard, brother of movie star Leslie).

Pettigrew was forced to double up as boxing instructor, model for the art class, relief boilerman and left-hand goal post in inter-house soccer matches.

During it's initial four-year run Kenneth Cope (Marty Randall in Randall and Hopkirk), and Peter Crackerjack Glaze appeared regularly. 

The series was revived in 1971 and a cinema version, Bottoms Up, was released in 1960.