ITMA - 1943-10-14

Hitler on Thin Ice: The Turbulent Life of "It's That Man Again"Born from a cheeky challenge to American comedy, "It's That Man Again" (later, simply ITMA) was a wartime whirlwind of satire and silliness. With Tommy Handley, a reigning comic king, at the helm, the show took aim at the absurdity of war, particularly the ever-expanding Nazi menace.Its title, a mischievous nod to headlines trumpeting Hitler's conquests, was initially deemed a bit "walligag" for the airwaves, morphing into the catchier "ITMA." The pilot set sail on a pirate radio ship, a whimsical choice nixed in the face of wartime realities. Enter the Ministry of Aggravation and Mysteries, a bureaucratic funhouse populated by Handley's deliciously exasperated Minister and Jack Train's iconic "This is Funf speaking" spy, forever lurking in the shadows.As the war darkened, even ITMA's playful mockery became a tightrope walk. The show underwent a summery reinvention as "It's That Sand Again," swapping Whitehall for the seaside resort of Foaming at the Mouth (cue the eyebrow raises) with Handley trading in his ministerial hat for the town mayor's dubious crown.In 1941, ITMA reclaimed its original name, its spirit never dampened. But in 1949, tragedy struck. Tommy Handley, the show's comedic anchor, passed away. Without him, ITMA felt adrift, losing its rudder and ultimately fading into history.So, remember "It's That Man Again," not just for its wartime escapades, but for the way it dared to laugh in the face of tyranny, using wit and wordplay to carve out a space for satire amidst the rubble. Its legacy serves as a reminder that even in the darkest times, a dose of absurdity can go a long way.