If you were to ask me who I thought was the funniest of the British comics over the years, I would not hesitate to say Benny Hill. I grew up watching a lot of the British comedies and nobody made me laugh as hard or as long as Benny. As much as I love Monty Python, Rowan Atkinson, or even Paul Hogan (back when he used to be funny), Benny Hill will always be at the top of my list. I still remember catching episodes of his sketch comedy shows on Sunday nights. The familiar themes music would start and I knew it was time for a good laugh. I’ve been keeping my eyes and ears open for any news that there would one day be a DVD release of “The Benny Hill Show”, and though there have been a couple of compilations out there, only now is there an actual collection of episodes and the promise of future sets. The first set (other wise known as ‘Set 1’) is being released by A&E Home Entertainment and includes 11 episodes that aired between 1969 and 1971 (The series ran from 1969-1989).

Each episode features numerous sketches and songs, many of which pushed the envelope of what was allowed on TV back then. What always got me was how ‘innocently’ the sketches were presented, even though they were often very bawdy.

Never one to shy away from taboo subjects, Hill’s antics often gave a slap in the face to history and politics, sex and religion. Extremely satirical in nature, the Benny Hill Show never failed to raise the ire of the ‘powers that be’, but he became a comedy icon to millions and to this day (even years after his passing) is unsurpassed in terms of popularity. Of course, it didn’t hurt that the series often featured a bevy of scantily clad beauties!!

If you’ve never heard of Benny Hill, think again. I’d say the chances are pretty good that you’ve seen “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” at some course of your life. If you haven’t, you need to. Think back to the toymaker in the film. I’ll give you three guesses who that was…

This first set, entitled “The Naughty Early Years” is presented complete and unadulterated, and if you don’t laugh your tail off watching these episodes, you have no sense of humor (or perhaps you might be dead…check for a pulse…). Each episode has a ton of sketches, all of which are listed on the cases for the disc. Even better, the menu selection on the disc itself allows you to not only choose a particular episode, but also lets you skip to a particular sketch. This is a really nice feature considering the format of the show.

All of the episodes are in color, except for three. Episodes 6, 7, 8 are in Black & White. I was curious to find out why they chose to do this and come to find out it wasn’t by choice. It seems at the time they were taping these episode, the technicians at ITV (the studio that produced it) were on strike. This is just one of the fun facts you’ll find in this set. There is a fun trivia game included, but be sure to watch before you try to play.

“The Naughty Early Years” is a 3-disc set that includes not only the 11 episodes, but also an hour long documentary about Hill. There are a ton of interviews with Hill, as well as many big name stars that were fans. This is a must watch documentary and is alone worth the price of the set. The quality of the episodes is also quite surprising considering the fact that they were filmed so many years ago. They’re not perfect, but not hard to watch at all.

If you’re at all a fan of shows like “Saturday Night Live” or “Mad TV”, I highly recommend picking up this set. Don’t let the fact that it is labeled as British Comedy from the 1960s stop you. I guarantee it’s a darn sight funnier than either of those shows have ever been.

Starring: Benny Hill
Extras: “The World’s Favourite Clown” Documentary, The Benny Hill Cheeky Challenge Trivia Quiz
Specifications: Full Screen, Color and B&W
Studio: A&E
Release Date: 8/24/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Benny Hill: The Early Naughty Years an A.