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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 (Australian comic)
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 theme 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 ‘Volume 1’)
was released last year by A&E Home Entertainment
and included the 11 episodes that aired
between 1969 and 1971 (The series ran from
1969-1989).
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This month “Volume 3” is finding
its way out onto DVD store shelves with 10 more
episodes, this time those that aired between 1975
and 1977. 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!!
What’s interesting, at least to me, is that
I used to watch this series with my parents when
I was a kid. Considering how ‘bawdy’
it was, there was never anything offensive enough
about it to put anyone off, even my parents. You’d
have to be pretty thin-skinned (or just not too
bright upstairs) to be offended by anything Hill
did on his show.
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 third volume, like the previous two 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.
“Benny Hill: The Naughty Early Years –
Set 3” is a 3-disc set that includes not
only the 10 episodes, but also an old silent film
“Eddie in August”. This alone is 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
has ever been. I’m really looking forward
to the possibility of more and more sets coming
out. I can never get enough of Benny!
Starring: Benny Hill
Extras: The rare silent movie Eddie in August,
The Benny Hill Cheeky Challenge Trivia Quiz #3
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: A&E
Release Date: 7/26/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give Benny Hill: Set 3 an A.
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