Customer Reviews

Benny Hill - Golden Greats

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I guess you could divide the world into those who love Benny Hill and those who can't stand him. There doesn't seem to be anybody who is neutral about the lad and his show. Well, I'm one of his fans and this 2-disc DVD is my idea of fun.

Benny's TV show is represented here in 6 programs, 3 on each of the discs, each nearly an hour long. These programs are packed full of all the things that made The Benny Hill Show the classic comedy series: silly songs, quick joke sketches and cheeky gags, gorgeous gals in swimsuits and lingerie (aka Hills Angels), long wordless comedy routines with Benny and company, madcap chases to that geat saxophone, and the wonderfully uninhibited Benny Hill.

Benny is joined here by all his usual gang: Henry McGee, Jackie Clayton, Bob Todd and the beautiful and talented Hills Angels, particualarly Sue Upton, Erica Lynley and the delightful Louise English. Several of the programs also contain sketches featuring Benny teamed up with some adorable children. I think Benny does some of his best work with the kids. Look for the great sketch with Benny taking the kids along as he tries to do some fishing.

If you like Benny Hill and his TV show then I know you'll like this DVD.

I want to start off this review by stating that I still laughed out loud during some moments during this 2 disc compilation and will probably revisit this set again.

There were many classic sketches from Benny's 70's episodes which I thought should have been included, but it appears the sketches included on the set are from the mid to late 80's tv series. A compilation of sketches produced some years ago had more variety of Benny at his "classic" best.

The documentary was most enjoyable but more from an american perspective. It gave an insight to the comic genius and was of a reasonable length showing clips from his early tv series.

I am happy to announce the video transfer is of broadcast standard and that the mono soundtrack would not have benefited too much from a stereo soundtrack except for some musical sketches.

Whatever reason earlier 70s sketches could not be included should not deter customers too much. Benny Hill is still a unique performer who deserves to have a place in your comedy library.

This DVD was kind of a letdown. They cover the Benny Hill period when he went kind of lazy on the comedy and basically depended on gimmicks such as "Hills Angels" and endless and witless musical numbers. These are the shows that were shown years ago on HBO "uncensored" and that were such a disappointment to fans.

None of the classic, funny routines that made him famous in the U.S. are here. The quality of the DVD is great and it is nice to have some Benny Hill shows available( they aren't currently shown on any cable tv station), but this is not Benny at his best.

The good news: These are the U.K. hour long shows.
The bad news: These are from the tail end of Benny's career.

Shows included in this set:

season #14-1 show #45 03/16/1983
season #15-1 show #46 01/26/1984
season #16-2 show #49 04/08/1985
season #18-1 show #54 01/13/1988
season #18-2 show #55 04/27/1988
season #19-2 show #57 04/05/1989

This DVD is certainly for fans of Benny Hill, and for those who don't get it, they may as well skip it. There are fewer skits than in Golden Classics(AISN:B0000714A9), but they are longer skits. A plus for this DVD is the inclusion of Hill's Little Angels skits. There is a photo gallery and biography information, and background information that will give one a bit of Information on the connection between 'Daphne' (from Fraiser) and Hills Angels. If a person is seeking to gather a collection of Benny Hill skits and gags, this DVD will fit the bill nicely. Menus are easy to use, and it is quick to find one's favorits skits.

I have been a Benny Hill fan for years and have recorded a lot of the late 70's and early 80's shows from HBO and local station 'night spots'. I had expected this DVD set to have a lot of what I had recorded, especially since the DVD's are an HBO production, but such is not the case.

For one thing, I believe the shows are more recent. I recognize some of the 'girls' and they appear older and they sure wear a lot more clothes than they used to. Also, the actual singing and dancing, which was superb, is not as good as it used to be. But good 'ol Benny is the same.

This set contains Benny Hill episodes that were produced later in his sucess. The big sets, music and dancing creates a variety show atmosphere that is different than the intimate earlier years of Benny Hill. The fabulous sets, costumes and dancing in Benny Hill's CARMEN skit shows a new facet to this comedy genious. The site gags are big and broad. Just the CARMEN opera spoof is worth the price of the set. I laugh out loud every time I think of it, especially the gag of Benny hitting the high notes in the grand finale after skewing CARMEN with his sword.

The video transfers are excellent, even better quality than some of the broadcast tapes that are shown on cable channels.

The documentary on Benny Hill is a very interesting look into this bachelor comedian life and career. It shows what a perfectionist and workaholic he was, contributing probably to not having a family of his own.

Benny Hill holds a special place in my heart. I used to watch it on channel 9-WOR TV here in NYC (about 20 years prior to the UPN age)..boy oh boy! that channel and tv in general has really changed But then at time I could always look forward to watching Benny Hill at about 730...I used to get all happy when the Big Ben-Thames logo would pop up and then the do-doo-do-doo theme would play. Then it was on...I'd look at Grampa and then Benny would hit that baldguy on his head and then i'd pat my grampas head...that chase was always the best i used to drive my grandmother nuts running all around the house like a little lunatic...jumping on the bed and all that good stuff...yep i used to make believe I was getting chased around by Benny and crew too.Benny Hill was a happy childhood memory.May you Rest in Peace Mr. Hill, thankyou for keeping me laughing all these years.

Although the production values are great, these disks are unfortunatley not Benny Hill at his best. They have simply rehashed some of his less funny skits into a slicker package (complete with too many dance numbers). The more expensive sets and special effects cannot hide the fact that the Benny Hill we really love seldom appears in this collection. Too bad......

I've been a huge fan of the Benny Hill show for 16 years or so. He is without a doubt one of the greatest gifts to comedy there ever was. Unfortunately, this DVD set does not include much in the way of the "classic" Benny material that I was hoping for. The shows from the '70's and early '80's featuring Benny, Jack Wright, Bob Todd, Henry MacGee etc., were in my opinion the best years. I didn't enjoy the addition of "Hill's Little Angels" to the show in the late '80's, and unfortunately, the majority of the 6 episodes in this DVD set were from that time period. They could have made much better choices on the content included in these DVDs.

The included documentary "Benny Hill: The World's Favourite Clown" is very interesting, and fans will enjoy the glimpse into his real life.