Quote: Michael Monkhouse @ April 21, 2007, 12:30 PM

Who gives a toss? Benny Hill was the most overrated, overpaid and undertalented comic ever. Half-naked women running around, him speeded-up on a motorbike, one-liners straight out of joke books for the under-fives. Are people sorry he's gone? Well that IS funny.

View original

Ouch - bit harsh - the guy wasn't some evil comic dictator!
I'm sure his family wish he was still around for starters. The guy pulled in many millions of viewers in his day (including women) - it was harmless postcard humour that made people laugh. OK, so it wouldn't work in today's world but we're not talking about today's world.

Just listened to some of that Radio 2 documentary.

Yes - he was good of his time - just such a shame that he personally got so much flak.

On why he didn't get married - "why buy a book when you can join a library?"

Ernie was very good really.

There will always be Benny Hill bashers, unfortunately, just as there will always be people who don't know what they're talking about. Among professional comedians of Hill's era he was and is very highly regarded. The fact that his comedy was low brow didn't fool those who worked with him into thinking he wasn't clever or talented. He was very clever and very talented. And Mr. Monkhouse, his chasing girls bit was only the latter stage of his career, his (long) ITV stretch. His lengthy previous stint on BBC TV and radio was full of invention, while still being lowbrow or saucy. People wanted this though, as shown in the ridiculously high viewing figures he got here, then in Europe, then in America. I think a lot of his detractors are secretly jealous of how popular he was, AND how talented he was. He could do everything - great visual comedy, great verbal comedy, write and compose very musical songs, and of course chase girls round a tree! He was also never the xenophobe some have believed him to be because of his pre-PC race stereotype humour, the man loved France for example and spoke the language fluently, but he didn't have a pretentious bone in his body, he knew he was a populist, low brow comedian and he was very proud to be one. Long Live Benny.

Agreed.

*runs around the thread at double speed, patting little bald men on the head and knocking tents over to reveal women in the process of undressing*

Why were they always undressing? My dad was an avid Benny Hill fan back in the day and I always watched with him and always asked. Never got an answer, just a smarmy grin.

Well, the long awaited answer is 'cos they love it'.

He was funny and a genuine clown in the best possible way.

But lack Manning he wasted so much talent on the unpleasant, sordid and not really all that funny lowbrow stuff (in my view). I saw one skit he did on Tales of the Unexpected that was better than Vic Reeves for surreal humour and his poetry was ace and beautifully delivered.

Albeit the chasing stuff was quite fun in a daft sort of way.

I think what really motivates and fosters an anti Benny Hill slant is that people outside his era don't understand 70s comedy. As far as they're concerned it was absolutely 'ist' in every degree. It's a bit like my son when he was about 9 or 10 when he thought all music pre millennium was rubbish. Now he's grown up he's far more receptive to the good and the bad in all eras. What a shame the same doesn't apply to comedy.

I still find Benny Hill's spoof of the The Family (a 70s docu-soap about a family from Reading) very funny.

I don't think I've seen much Benny Hill stuff. What I have seen didn't do anything for me.

Quote: Baumski @ October 8 2009, 9:48 AM BST

I think what really motivates and fosters an anti Benny Hill slant is that people outside his era don't understand 70's comedy. As far as they're concerned it was absolutely 'ist' in every degree.

View original

Yes, he was very 'in' during the 70s, then very 'out' during the 80s, since when he's been partially rediscovered by some people, but not by others. So you can make your own mind up as to whether you like him, but one thing's for sure, he drove the fastest milkcart in The West.

Best. Novelty Record. Ever.

"but a woman's needs are manifold..."

Quote: Baumski @ October 8 2009, 9:48 AM BST

I think what really motivates and fosters an anti Benny Hill slant is that people outside his era don't understand 70's comedy. As far as they're concerned it was absolutely 'ist' in every degree. It's a bit like my son when he was about 9 or 10 when he thought all music pre millennium was rubbish. Now he's grown up he's far more receptive to the good and the bad in all eras. What a shame the same doesn't apply to comedy.

View original

Not sure I agree Steptoe and Son, Dad's Army etc all haven't dated.

He was a comic genius.

Quote: sootyj @ October 8 2009, 12:10 PM BST

Not sure I agree Steptoe and Son, Dad's Army etc all haven't dated.

View original

They haven't to us but then again the generation of today might not agree. We might not think these programmes have dated but to a generation several times removed who don't apreciate the humour without the expletives, well, they might beg to differ.

Take Morecambe and Wise; everyone thinks they are the best and how we all remember how funny their Christmas shows were. But to my son and his friends, they just don't get what the big deal is all about. Not that they think it's crap but to them it's just not funny because what they want are programmes like 'The Mighty Boosh'.

But as for Benny Hill, although he stole much of his material, he was very much of his time and a giant at that too.