Editing It's That Man Again (section)

====Series 9 to 12, post-war: September 1945 to January 1949====
[[File:The Laugh!- the Recording of the Radio Comedy 'itma', London, England, UK, 1945 D24429.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|alt=Photo taken at a recording session, with two performers, front, and band and conductor behind|Handley (centre) and Dorothy Summers recording an episode of ''ITMA'' in 1945; the conductor [[Charles Shadwell (musician)|Charles Shadwell]] (right) laughs.]]

For the start of the post-war ''ITMA''s, Handley, Kavanagh and Worsley decided to change many of the cast to keep the show fresh; Dorothy Summers, Sydney Keith, [[Dino Galvani]] and Horace Percival were all released from the show and replaced by [[Hugh Morton (actor)|Hugh Morton]], Mary O'Farrell, [[Carleton Hobbs]] and Lind Joyce; Clarence Wright returned to the programme.{{sfn|Grundy|1976|p=79}}{{efn|ITMA broadcast four series after the war, from September 1945 to January 1949:
*Series 9: 20 September 1945 to 13 June 1946 (39 weeks){{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|pp=34–35}}
**"Whither Tomtopia? (A Discussion on a Burning Topic)" on 12 September 1946{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|p=36}}{{sfn|"Whither Tomtopia?". ''The Radio Times''}}
*Series 10: 19 September 1946 to 12 June 1947 (39 weeks){{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|p=37}}
*Series 11: 25 September 1947 to 10 June 1948 (38 weeks){{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|pp=37–38}}
*Series 12: 23 September 1948 to 6 January 1949 (16 weeks){{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|p=38}}}} The premise of the show changed too: Handley left Foaming-in-the-Mouth and became the governor of the fictional island of Tomtopia.{{sfn|Worsley|1949|pp=52–53}} The storyline towards the end of series 9 centred on a government investigation of the administration on Tomtopia; the series ended in June 1946 with Handley leaving Tomtopia to return to Britain.{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|pp=37, 42–43}}

A prequel programme to series 10, "Whither Tomtopia?", was based in the idea that Handley had "to face an enquiry into his governorship" of the island. He faced questions from, among others, [[Dilys Powell]]—the film critic from ''[[The Sunday Times]]''—the medical spokesman [[Charles Hill, Baron Hill of Luton|Dr Charles Hill]] and the author [[A. G. Street]]; the programme was chaired by [[Sir William Darling]], MP.{{sfn|"Whither Tomtopia?". ''The Radio Times''}}{{efn|The idea for the programme came from a real life lunch given at the [[Connaught Rooms]] on [[Great Queen Street]] for the cast of ''ITMA''. Postprandial speeches dealt with Tomtopia as if it were a real [[crown colony]], and "Handley's administration" of the island was found inadequate.{{sfn|Worsley|1949|p=56}}}} The remainder of the series dealt with Handley living in the fictional Castle WeeHoose in Scotland, where he was building a rocket to take him to the Moon. In about week six of the series, the rocket was launched, but crash-landed on Tomtopia, where a new governor—Percy Palaver, played by [[Deryck Guyler]]—was in charge.{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|pp=43–44}}{{sfn|Worsley|1949|pp=60–61}}

Series 11, which began in September 1947, had the final recruit to the ''ITMA'' cast: [[Hattie Jacques]], who played Ella Phant and Sophie Tuckshop. She became so nervous during the audition that Handley held her hand, which she found made her more nervous.{{sfn|Kavanagh|1975|p=136}}{{sfn|Merriman|2007|loc=924}} Handley's health was beginning to decline by the end of the 38-week series, and it was suggested that series 12 should be delayed. He said no, and ''ITMA'' began again in September 1948. On 9 January 1949, three days after the sixteenth episode of the series—the 310th episode of ''ITMA''{{sfn|Took|1981|p=23}}{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|p=24}}—Handley died suddenly of a [[cerebral haemorrhage]]. The news was announced on that evening's radio, at the close of the Sunday evening repeat of the show, by the Director General of the BBC, [[William Haley|Sir William Haley]], who insisted on making the announcement himself.{{sfn|Took|2011}}{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|p=47}}{{sfn|Davalle|1988|p=21}} Without its star, ''ITMA'' was cancelled; Took observes that Handley "was so much the keystone and embodiment of the actual performance that ''ITMA'' died with him".{{sfn|Took|2011}}