Yes, What?
| Genre | Radio sitcom |
|---|---|
| Running time | 12 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language(s) | English |
| Starring | Ralph Peterson, Jack Craig-Gardiner, Jim Williams, Frank McCarron, Richard Harding-Browne. |
| Directed by | Rex Dawe |
| Air dates | June 23, 1936 to 1941 |
| No. of episodes | 520. |
Yes, What? was an Australian radio comedy first broadcast in 1936, and is one of the best known examples of Australian radio drama. Originally called The Fourth Form at St Percy's, it was a comedy set in a school classroom. The program ran for 520 episodes and was written, produced and directed by Rex Dawe.
Yes, What was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry in 2013.
Yes, What? began its life as The Fourth Form at St. Percy's. It was based on the radio serial The Fourth Form at St. Michael's by Will Hay, which aired in the 1920s. Rex Dawe, a young Adelaide broadcaster, wrote the program after having the concept pitched to him by Rex Heading. 5AD Programme Manager Morrie Chapman granted a fifty shillings budget for the show as well as an additional ten shillings for the writer / producer. The cast were mostly chosen from a youth production group The Kangaroo Club. Fifteen-year-old Ralph Peterson was hired to play the larrikin Bottomly and is often described a being a classroom rebel himself. The character Greenbottle was to be voiced by Jack Craig-Gardiner, born in 1915 so only a few years Dawe's junior. The youngest member of the class, Jim Williams, played Standforth, beginning when he was 14. Dawe cast himself as the school-master Dr Pym.
Other characters, such as Mr Snootles played by Frank McCarron, were introduced as the show's popularity increased. The name was changed to Yes, What? after studio executives decided the old title was too long and something more catchy was needed. Richard Harding-Browne first appeared in the show as a barrister in episode 49 and was later given his own character, de Pledge, after Jack Craig-Gardiner's health prevented him from playing Greenbottle. Greenbottle temporarily left the show on the pretext of attending university in episode 342 and de Pledge arrived in episode 344. Greenbottle came back in episode 394 and the cast of four pupils was used. In episode 437, de Pledge left the show as Harding-Browne had enlisted himself into the air-force.
The show first aired on the 23rd of June, 1936 at 9:15pm. The show's timeslot was occasionally altered but for the most part it was given air twice per week, on Tuesday and Thursday nights. 520. episodes were produced, the first 50 or so of which went live to air without being recorded. A total of 130 hours were broadcast before the show finally ended in 1941 in the outbreak of the Second World War. However, the show was rerun countless times even outside of Australia, with New Zealand and South Africa both popular audiences. Episodes 209 to 520 were the most commonly broadcast as earlier episodes were not as fast-paced nor regarded as favourably. For instance, the character Greenbottle initially resembled an old man rather than the falsetto miscreant audiences were more familiar with. Dawe later attempted to revive the character of Dr Pym in the series Dr Pym's Progress but this was a critical and commercial failure.
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