"The Benny Hill Show" (1969) TV series 1969-1989

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

John Robins

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19

Release Date:

January 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A skit based show with Benny Hill, often containing smutty humour.

Plot Keywords:

Buxom | Sketch Comedy | British | Eccentric | Actor Playing Multiple Roles

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Benny Hill	...	Host / ... (59 episodes, 1969-1989)
Henry McGee	...	Himself / ... (46 episodes, 1969-1989)
Jackie Wright	...	Himself / ... (44 episodes, 1969-1985)
Bob Todd	...	Himself / ... (42 episodes, 1970-1989)
The Ladybirds	...	Vocal Backing / ... (42 episodes, 1969-1989)
Sue Upton	...	Various Roles / ... (28 episodes, 1977-1989)

(more)

Series Directed by
Dennis Kirkland		(25 episodes, 1979-1989)
John Robins		(14 episodes, 1969-1974)
Mark Stuart		(11 episodes, 1974-1985)
Keith Beckett		(5 episodes, 1972-1985)
Ronald Fouracre		(4 episodes, 1975-1979)
David Bell		(2 episodes, 1971)
Benny Hill		(2 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Writing credits
Benny Hill		(59 episodes, 1969-1989)

Series Produced by
Dennis Kirkland	....	producer (25 episodes, 1979-1989)
Nigel Cook	....	associate producer (15 episodes, 1980-1985)
John Robins	....	producer (14 episodes, 1969-1974)
Mark Stuart	....	producer (11 episodes, 1974-1985)
Philip Jones	....	executive producer (9 episodes, 1969-1985)
Keith Beckett	....	producer (5 episodes, 1972-1985)
William P. Cartlidge	....	associate producer (3 episodes, 1973-1974)
David Bell	....	producer (2 episodes, 1971)
Ronald Fouracre	....	producer (2 episodes, 1975-1978)
John Howard Davies	....	executive producer (2 episodes, 1989)

Series Cinematography by
Ted Adcock		(16 episodes, 1977-1985)
Dick Bayley		(9 episodes, 1973-1976)
Ray Sieman		(5 episodes, 1988-1989)
Chic Anstiss		(3 episodes, 1973-1974)
Roy Pointer		(3 episodes, 1978-1979)
Jim Howlett		(3 episodes, 1982-1985)
Alan Jonas		(3 episodes, 1986)
Peter Lang		(2 episodes, 1971-1972)

Series Film Editing by
John Wright		(11 episodes, 1984-1989)
John Plummer		(10 episodes, 1971-1982)
Archie Ludski		(7 episodes, 1973-1976)
Ray Ball		(5 episodes, 1978-1989)
Beryl Wilkins		(4 episodes, 1976-1981)
Dan Carter		(3 episodes, 1973-1983)
Roy Hayden		(3 episodes, 1977)

Series Casting by
Pat Hayley		(13 episodes, 1984-1989)
Shirley Teece		(10 episodes, 1980-1983)

Series Production Design by
Tony Borer		(15 episodes, 1970-1977)
Bill Laslett		(6 episodes, 1980-1985)
Darrell Lass		(5 episodes, 1972-1975)
Jan Chaney		(5 episodes, 1985-1986)
Harry Clark		(4 episodes, 1969-1970)
David Marshall		(4 episodes, 1975-1985)
Robin Parker		(4 episodes, 1978-1985)
Bill Palmer		(3 episodes, 1973-1975)
Mike Hall		(3 episodes, 1975-1985)
David Richens		(3 episodes, 1981)
Ian Russell		(3 episodes, 1989)
Norman Garwood		(2 episodes, 1971-1976)
Neville Green		(2 episodes, 1972-1973)
Robin Tarsnane		(2 episodes, 1979)
Anthony Cartledge		(2 episodes, 1984)
Alison Wratten		(2 episodes, 1988)

Series Costume Design by
Frances Bolwell		(17 episodes, 1972-1989)
Pam Doolan		(7 episodes, 1981-1983)
Allard Tobin		(5 episodes, 1984-1985)
Louise Walker		(4 episodes, 1980-1983)
Jean Kelly		(3 episodes, 1975-1976)
Derek Needs		(3 episodes, 1979-1980)
Graham Williams		(2 episodes, 1979)

Series Makeup Department
Christine Morrell	....	makeup artist (9 episodes, 1975-1978)
Gilly Wakeford	....	makeup artist (6 episodes, 1982-1988)
Dianne Millar	....	makeup artist (5 episodes, 1978-1986)
Lesley Sanders	....	makeup artist (5 episodes, 1980-1983)
Pearl Rashbass	....	makeup artist (4 episodes, 1985-1989)
Carol Green	....	makeup artist (3 episodes, 1981)
Ann Briggs	....	makeup artist (3 episodes, 1989)

Series Production Management
Nigel Spong	....	unit supervisor: outside broadcast (1 episode, 1978)

Series Art Department
Mike Webb	....	graphic designer (14 episodes, 1978-1985)
Lester Halhed	....	graphic designer (13 episodes, 1983-1989)
Geoff Alexander	....	graphic designer (3 episodes, 1982-1984)
John Stamp	....	graphic designer (2 episodes, 1982)
Andy Armstrong	....	props (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Clive Hall	....	sound / dubbing mixer (18 episodes, 1980-1989)
Richard Churchill	....	sound / sound effects (16 episodes, 1978-1989)
Julian Ford	....	sound / sound effects / ... (11 episodes, 1978-1982)
Dick Bradford	....	sound / sound effects (4 episodes, 1977-1981)
Paul Gartrell	....	sound (4 episodes, 1980-1985)
Stuart Gain	....	sound / sound effects (4 episodes, 1981-1984)
Bruce Englefield	....	sound (3 episodes, 1977)
Basil Rootes	....	film sound recordist (2 episodes, 1971-1972)

Series Special Effects by
Peter Boffin	....	vision mixer (10 episodes, 1979-1986)
Martin Perrett	....	vision mixer (7 episodes, 1978-1989)
Nick Bigsby	....	vision mixer (3 episodes, 1980-1981)

Series Stunts
Nosher Powell	....	stunt double (1 episode, 1971)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Adrian J. Fearnley	....	senior camera operator (10 episodes, 1981-1989)
Allan James	....	vision controller (8 episodes, 1979-1989)
Bill Marley	....	vision controller (6 episodes, 1978-1988)
Roy Easton	....	senior camera operator (5 episodes, 1978-1986)
Peter Howell	....	senior camera operator (5 episodes, 1980-1988)
Allen Harradine	....	lighting technician / lighting director (5 episodes, 1981-1984)
Andy Andrews	....	lighting director (5 episodes, 1984-1988)
Peter Bower	....	lighting director / vision controller (4 episodes, 1978-1989)
Bob Simmons	....	lighting director (4 episodes, 1978-1986)
Albert Almond	....	senior camera operator (4 episodes, 1979-1989)
Malcolm Harrison	....	lighting technician (3 episodes, 1977-1979)
Chas Watts	....	senior camera operator (3 episodes, 1980-1984)
Ian Jones	....	vision controller (3 episodes, 1980-1981)
Bob Mason	....	vision controller (3 episodes, 1985-1989)
David Motture	....	lighting director (2 episodes, 1977-1986)
Brian Kerr	....	vision controller (2 episodes, 1980-1982)
Keith Reed	....	lighting technician (2 episodes, 1980)
Richard Waiting	....	vision controller (2 episodes, 1981-1986)
Ian Coram	....	vision controller (2 episodes, 1985-1988)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Keith Rosson	....	wardrobe assistant (1 episode, 1988)
Vernon White	....	wardrobe set supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Colin Bocking	....	editor: video tape (7 episodes, 1980-1988)
Camilla Keenan	....	editor: video tape (6 episodes, 1978-1982)
Dave Lewinton	....	editor: video tape (5 episodes, 1978-1989)
Peter Phillips	....	vision mixer (5 episodes, 1979-1989)
Thomas Kavanagh	....	editor: video tape (5 episodes, 1984-1989)
Roger Holmes	....	editor: video tape (4 episodes, 1983-1989)
Grant Goodwin	....	editor: video tape (3 episodes, 1981-1985)
Terry Badham	....	editor: video tape (3 episodes, 1986-1989)
Fred Turner	....	editor: video tape (2 episodes, 1978)

Series Music Department
Ronnie Aldrich	....	musical director (56 episodes, 1969-1989)
Ted Taylor	....	music associate / musical associate (47 episodes, 1969-1989)
Boots Randolph	....	composer: theme "Yakety Sax" (44 episodes, 1969-1989)
Joyce Sharpen	....	music executive (27 episodes, 1978-1989)
Syd Lucas	....	music associate / musical associate (12 episodes, 1970-1973)
Albert Elms	....	musical director (3 episodes, 1973-1974)

Series Other crew
Auriol Lee	....	stage manager (25 episodes, 1979-1989)
Fizz Waters	....	floor manager (13 episodes, 1979-1988)
Libby Roberts	....	choreographer: Hill's Angels (13 episodes, 1984-1989)
Bruce Englefield	....	studio supervisor / operational supervisor (12 episodes, 1978-1988)
Eamonn Duffy	....	location manager (10 episodes, 1984-1989)
Bernard Allum	....	title designer (9 episodes, 1978-1981)
Linda Finch	....	choreographer: Hill's Angels / choreographer (7 episodes, 1980-1983)
John White-Jones	....	studio supervisor (7 episodes, 1981-1983)
John Lopes	....	floor manager (6 episodes, 1979-1982)
Debbie Newman	....	production assistant (6 episodes, 1986-1989)
René Bloomstein	....	production assistant (5 episodes, 1970-1978)
Angela Carter	....	production assistant (5 episodes, 1984-1985)
Johnny Greenland	....	choreographer (4 episodes, 1971-1973)
Iris Frederick	....	booking executive (4 episodes, 1978-1979)
Angie Piper	....	production assistant (4 episodes, 1981-1982)
Eric Pavitt	....	location manager / location supervisor (4 episodes, 1982-1983)
Mike Mulloy	....	stand-in: Benny Hill (4 episodes, 1988-1989)
Michele Green	....	production assistant (3 episodes, 1980)
David Downing	....	floor manager (3 episodes, 1981)
Gill Horwood	....	production assistant (3 episodes, 1981)
Gerry Levy	....	location manager (3 episodes, 1981)
Bridget Moore	....	production assistant (3 episodes, 1981)
Maria Finnis	....	production assistant (3 episodes, 1984-1988)
Peter Ernster	....	studio supervisor (3 episodes, 1986-1989)
Keith Lund	....	location manager (3 episodes, 1986)
Dennis Kirkland	....	program associate (2 episodes, 1973)
Arlene Phillips	....	choreographer: "Love Machine" (2 episodes, 1976-1977)
Dee Dee Wilde	....	choreographer / choreographer: Pan's People (2 episodes, 1979)
Michele Green	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1980)
Julie Hervieu	....	choreographer: Hill's Angels (2 episodes, 1981)
Angie Billington	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1983)
Brian Kerr	....	studio supervisor (2 episodes, 1984)
Ann Tivendale	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1988)
Aidan Boulter	....	floor manager (2 episodes, 1989)

Production Companies

• Thames Television

Distributors

• A&E Home Video (2004-) (USA) (DVD)
• AZUL Televisión (1999-2002) (Argentina) (TV)
• Canal 11 Buenos Aires (1980-1988) (Argentina) (TV)
• D.L. Taffner Syndication Sales (1979-1989) (USA) (TV)
• Fox Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• France 3 (FR 3) (1992) (France) (TV) (edited version) (dubbed version)
• France Regions 3 (FR3) (1975) (France) (TV) (dubbed version) (edited version)
• Fremantle Media (2001-) (worldwide) (TV)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• Independent Television (ITV)
• RTL 9 (2005) (France) (TV) (dubbed version) (recut version)
• Televisión Federal (Telefe) (1989-1994) (Argentina) (TV)
• Uni/Polydor (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Thames Studios, Teddington, Middlesex, England, UK  taping location

Runtime:

60 min (58 episodes) | France:35 min (edited version) (dubbed version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (1970-1971) (3 episodes) | Color (1969-1970 and 1971-1989)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | USA:TV-PG | UK:12 (some epiosodes) | UK:PG | Singapore:PG (some episodes) | Australia:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16

Company:

Thames Television

Trivia:

Though ratings were still good, the show was axed by Thames in 1989 due to a backlash against the show and its ribald content. There was talk of doing a new Benny Hill show until Hill's death in 1992.

Quotes:

Henry McGee: [referring to Scuttle's fellow astronaut] How old is he?
Captain Fred Scuttle: Fifty-eight. He's a late developer.
Henry McGee: He looks older.
Captain Fred Scuttle: Well, he worries a lot.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Family Guy: From Method to Madness (#3.18)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

The Age of Aquarius

Unfairly vilified comic genius

Benny Hill was fair game for people who wanted to take the moral high ground. These people brought the trumped up charge of being degrading to women against him but there were very few complaints about him being degrading to short bald-headed elderly men. British clean-up TV campaigner Mary Whitehouse was always going on at him and I once heard his best-known critic after Mary Whitehouse, Ben Elton, practically accuse him of inciting violence against women. The truth is, Benny only wanted to make people laugh and brighten their lives up and I think he was definitely hurt by the criticism. As I said, you could say he was degrading to short bald headed elderly men like in a very funny sketch where he and the entire cast of his show were performing a musical number. Jackie Wright and Bob Todd are sitting together singing and Benny goes over with two xylophone sticks and plays a wooden xylophone tune on top of their heads! Benny had a knack for making the obvious funny, like in a short sketch where he's looking after his neighbour's cat and his neighbour tells him "don't put yourself out" or when he plays a man going out the door with a four foot high package and his wife tells him "don't forget to post it". He had tremendous international appeal and many celebrities in the states including Burt Reynolds and Walter Cronkite and Greta Garbo was rumoured to be a fan. When Benny took ill and was in hospital Michael Jackson visited him (wonder if Wacko Jacko promised him a trip to Disneyland). One thing Benny did on his show was parodies of TV commercials. He did a parody of the Sunlight Washing Up liquid commercial where he was dressed up as the woman in the commercial and says in response to the rather obvious questions from the voice-over "of course it gets my dishes clean, are you damn stupid or something?". I can remember wishing that the woman in the real commercial would say that. In the early 1970s there was a commercial for Fry's Chocolate Cream which showed a girl reclining on a couch enjoying a bar of the chocolate. Her cat walks along the shelf next to her and knocks a porcelain figurine off the shelf and she catches it. Benny parodied this commercial. He was dressed up as the girl and when the cat knocked the figurine off the shelf he failed to catch it and the figurine shattered on the floor. A guy ran on to the set and shouted "clumsy fool" at Benny. It was predictable but still very funny. One thing his critics chose to overlook was that he nearly always played the character who came off worst in his sketches. The crux of his humour was that he played a lecherous man chasing after young girls who got his come-uppance. He was a guy very good at taking a joke on himself but definitely stung by critics.