Whack-O!(1956)

Whack-O! is a British sitcom starring Jimmy Edwards as Professor James Edwards, the disreputable headmaster of Chiselbury public school. A heavy drinker and compulsive gambler, Edwards rules with an iron cane, terrorizing both staff and pupils while dreaming up elaborate schemes to swindle the children out of their pocket money. Written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden, the series captures the chaos of a school run by a man more interested in personal gain than education. Edwards' scheming nature echoes the cunning of Sergeant Bilko, though transplanted to the British classroom. The show aired on the BBC from 1956 to 1960, then returned for a brief revival from 1971 to 1972, becoming a beloved fixture of mid-century British comedy.