Customer Reviews

Benson Season 1

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Great show, so so funny and very nice acting!! Great slim-line cases, single-sided disks and compilation. Now PLEASE give us the other seasons! Thanks!!!! Hurry up, the soup is getting cold!!!

I grew up on Benson shows. I was up all night watching the marathon in May of 2006, when TV land played them back to back. I realized how much I missed the show, and hoped it would be released on DVD soon. I hope the other seasons will soon follow. It's time we get Prime time tv back to shows like this and kick out the reality tv nonsense. I highly recommend Benson giving it 5 stars, and it's kid-friendly to boot..

This set is long overdue. What should be included on it is the 90 minute episode of SOAP (it had clips from season 2) that explained Benson leaving the Tates and taking the job in the Governor's mansion. I doubt that it will be on the set, but it serves somewhat as a pilot for Benson.

This is the first season's worth of "Benson," ABC's 1979-86 hit comedy about Benson DuBois, butler of the mansion of Eugene Gatling, governor of an unknown state. The title character (played by Robert Guillaume) was carried over from "Soap," a popular (and quite controversial) satire of daytime serials that ran on ABC from 1977-81. The governor (James Noble) was the widowed cousin of Jessica Tate (Katherine Helmond), a key player in "Soap" as Benson's boss (and in fact Jessica makes one appearance during this season, in an episode appropriately named "Jessica"). Other key players in "Benson" include:

--Teutonic housekeeper Gretchen Kraus (Inga Swenson), who, at least in context of the show, speaks with a thick Swedish or German accent (however, Swenson hails from Nebraska and speaks American English in real life, despite what you might think from watching the show)

--Katie Gatling, daughter of the governor (played by Missy Gold, sister of "Growing Pains" star Tracey Gold)

--Marcy Hill (Caroline McWilliams, recently deceased), secretary to the governor

--John Taylor (Lewis J. Stadlen), advisor to the governor (he would be replaced in season 2 by Rene Auberjonois as Clayton Endicott)

Sony did an admirable job putting this first season release together, at least from a technical perspective. The 24 outings of this first (and so far, only) release are uncut and mastered in HD (as well as can be expected, being that "Benson" was videotaped before a studio audience). Ordinarily, with Sony's track record, you'd expect their comedy releases to lack any bonuses besides previews. However, this first release of "Benson" has an admirable selection of features; among them is a short video introduction from star Robert Guillaume, welcoming us to "Benson," and an almost half-hour retrospective called "Inside the Governor's Mansion," with stars Guillaume and James Noble, and producer Tony Thomas, reminiscing about the first season of the show and its genesis from "Soap." Both of those are on Disc 1. The remaining bonuses are on Disc 3, and include "Favorites from the First Season," where Guillaume, Noble, and Thomas talk about some of their favorites from Season 1, and a short Photo Gallery set to music; there are also several assorted previews for other Sony releases as well.

The 24 episodes are divided evenly among 3 discs (8 episodes per disc) in 2 slimcases, one having the first two discs, the other having the last one. Each case has a group image of the major players on the front, and an episode listing on the back.

All that said, I enjoyed my time with this first release of "Benson," and I stand with the ever-rising hue and cry that more should be released, as "Benson" is one of the funniest comedies that I have ever seen.

I really enjoyed this long awaited video.And would approve it to anyone who does not like "forced laughter",that is so common today on televison.The timing of the cast is excellet,by that I mean the situations run together so smoothly,and the hate,hate relationship Benson has with Ms Krause,is really something to see.

Again,I would advise anyone who wants a great belly laugh to purchase!

I have been a fan of the Benson series scince I was a kid. Using this show and the actors in it I taught myself how to act, later became involved in the thearte...I owe it all to Benson and the acting...this DVD is a MUST have for any fan of classic telivison. If you don't own it then get it as soon as possible, and you will laugh like you've never laughed before. Now all we need to do is keep onto Sony to get them to release the remaining 6 seasons...but it and enjoy it.

Benson DuBois(Robert Guilliaume) resumes his duties as a butler but for another family. Benson was first seen on the ABC soap-opera style sitcom SOAP in 1977,serving the Tate and Campbell families. I'm not sure if Benson was fired by his former employers or he voluntarily resigned. Anyway,Benson is "movin' on up" for this spinoff that ran on ABC from 1979 to '86,three seasons more than its parent show. SOAP got the Nielsen axe after 1980-81. Supporting Guilliaume are Caroline McWilliams,James Noble,Rene Auberjonois(reh nay auber jon wah),Inga Swenson and Missy Gold,to name a few. Get a load of the posh mansion seen on this sitcom,probably an inspiration for NBC's THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR. Previously,Guilliaume guest-starred on other series like CBS's GOOD TIMES and THE JEFFERSONS. ABC aired BENSON for the very last time on August 30,1986,nearly seven years after its premiere. The network aired DIFF'RENT STROKES for the very last time that same night also,after DS's only season on ABC(NBC aired DS from 1978 to '85).

After two seasons (and a Best Supporting Actor Emmy win) for his work as wisecracking butler Benson Dubois on the ABC comedy Soap, actor Robert Guillaume was promptly spun-off into this brilliantly funny series during the 1979-1980 season. Long-running (7 seasons), Benson's producers (who would follow up with future hits The Golden Girls and Empty Nest) took what made Soap such an endearing watch and deftly adapted it to Benson. Sporting a great cast, sharp writing, laugh-out-loud humor, and remarkable heart, Benson - The Complete First Season is a 3-disc (single-sided) set featuring all 24 episodes mastered in high definition Full-Frame (1.33:1) video; Dolby Digital audio; Closed Captioning; plus the following Special Features: "Video Introduction by Robert Guillaume" welcoming viewers to the First Season (1:04); "Inside The Governor's Mansion" featurette with actors Robert Guillaume and James Noble, and producer Tony Thomas (looking every bit like his late great legendary dad, Danny Thomas) sharing their thoughts and behind-the-scenes info (29:26); "Favorites From The First Season" featurette which reveals their favorite episodes from the season (6:00); plus a Photo Gallery featuring a nice video montage of still photos from the show (1:30). The discs (each of which feature images of the cast and play flawlessly) are housed in slimcases (with episodes and plot descriptions listed on the back) inside a slim outer box.

Guest stars include: Mark Goddard ("Lost in Space"), Roscoe Lee Browne (who would later join the cast of Soap as Benson's replacement, Saunders), Denise Nicholas ("In the Heat of the Night"), Richard Stahl ("It's A Living"), Joel Brooks ("My Sister Sam"), Michael Bell ("G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero"), Meeno Peluce ("Voyagers!"), David Huddleston ("The Wonder Years", "Santa Claus: The Movie"), Art Metrano ("Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment"), Kene Holliday ("Carter Country", "Matlock"), G.W. Bailey ("Police Academy").

Props to Sony for packaging the show in a first-rate DVD season set which features decent picture and sound and cool extras. It's good to have a complete season of this classic show nicely preserved on DVD. Hopefully, the first of many to come.

Benson was and still is one of the funniest sitcoms ever. It just kept getting better every episode. Don't miss the 8th episode called "Jessica." I've watched all three discs twice and bought a copy to send to my niece. This is Robert Guillaume at his very best. The dialogue is witty, the facial expressions great. A real laugh-out-loud treasure.

Okay, I loved Benson, was thrilled when season 1 finally came out on DVD, but it's been 2 years now....where are the rest of the seasons????

Must. Have. More. Benson.