Episode #3.4
- Episode aired Apr 26, 1958
- 49m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
11
YOUR RATING
Photos
Storyline
Featured review
Mainly studio-bound Benny with some familiar features
By the time this was broadcast, Benny Hill's show had been running on the BBC for three years and he was established as one of their major stars. Though this show sticks to the established Fifties' Variety format, most of the recognisable Hill traits are already here.
Starting with a rather thin version of the 'Paris by Night' sketch, we move swiftly on to the first guests, Allan Kemble and Christine, having fun with a step-ladder and a very high unicycle. Next, Benny is an inarticulate novice playwright of the 'Angry Young Man' school, who puts on his own shambles of a production, with Benny playing most of the parts himself, with real-life writing partner Dave Freeman as his stooge. Unfortunately life imitates art and the whole thing is a bit of a mess. After a musical interlude from the George Mitchell singers, there's an historical sketch including some mime and the debut of Benny's well known piece, Pepys' Diary. This popped up several times in his shows over the years, and featured in fact in what was to be the last one of all in 1989. Following a tap routine from Irving Davies comes some of Benny's celebrated parodies of other BBC programmes and entertainers, including conductor and host of light music shows, Eric Robinson, and popular Fifties' balladeer David Whitfield, the latter serenading a girl by a window, leading to another sight gag that would be used again. Then it's 'Sportsview' with Benny's take on presenters Raymond Glendenning and Peter Dimmock (who died recently aged 94) and then memorably another creation, the jovial, rotund show-jumper, Emily Bisket; "I'm afraid I've got a filthy habit" (because she's fallen off her horse). An early version of Fred Scuttle's keep fit course comes next, but it's a barely recognisable Scuttle at this stage, sans beret and salute. Finally there's a couple of numbers from guest star Alma Cogan, who's then joined by Benny for a light-hearted duet. A smiling Benny and the cast take their bows as the curtain falls at the end of another show.
Starting with a rather thin version of the 'Paris by Night' sketch, we move swiftly on to the first guests, Allan Kemble and Christine, having fun with a step-ladder and a very high unicycle. Next, Benny is an inarticulate novice playwright of the 'Angry Young Man' school, who puts on his own shambles of a production, with Benny playing most of the parts himself, with real-life writing partner Dave Freeman as his stooge. Unfortunately life imitates art and the whole thing is a bit of a mess. After a musical interlude from the George Mitchell singers, there's an historical sketch including some mime and the debut of Benny's well known piece, Pepys' Diary. This popped up several times in his shows over the years, and featured in fact in what was to be the last one of all in 1989. Following a tap routine from Irving Davies comes some of Benny's celebrated parodies of other BBC programmes and entertainers, including conductor and host of light music shows, Eric Robinson, and popular Fifties' balladeer David Whitfield, the latter serenading a girl by a window, leading to another sight gag that would be used again. Then it's 'Sportsview' with Benny's take on presenters Raymond Glendenning and Peter Dimmock (who died recently aged 94) and then memorably another creation, the jovial, rotund show-jumper, Emily Bisket; "I'm afraid I've got a filthy habit" (because she's fallen off her horse). An early version of Fred Scuttle's keep fit course comes next, but it's a barely recognisable Scuttle at this stage, sans beret and salute. Finally there's a couple of numbers from guest star Alma Cogan, who's then joined by Benny for a light-hearted duet. A smiling Benny and the cast take their bows as the curtain falls at the end of another show.
helpful•00
- wilvram
- Nov 25, 2015
Details
- Runtime49 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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