The Benny Hill Show (1969)
Plot.
Where to Watch.
Currently The Benny Hill Show is available for streaming online, rent, buy or watch for free on: Amazon Video
Streaming in:🇩🇪 Germany
Cast & Crew.
Media.
Details.
Release DateNovember 19, 1969
StatusEnded
Seasons19
Episodes58
Running Time1h
Content RatingTV-14
Filming LocationsUnited Kingdom
Genres
Wiki.
The Benny Hill Show is a British comedy television show starring Benny Hill that aired on the BBC and ITV (from 1969) between 15 January 1955 and 1 May 1989. The show consisted mainly of sketches typified by slapstick, mime, parody, and double entendre.
At its peak, The Benny Hill Show was among the most-watched programmes in the UK with the audience reaching more than 21 million viewers in 1971. In 1972, Hill received a BAFTA Television Award for Best Writer, and he was nominated for the BAFTA for Best Entertainment Performance. In the late 1970s, the Thames Television version of the show gained a following in the United States and would run in syndication until 1991. In 1980 and 1981, it received Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Variety. In 1984, Hill received a Rose d'Or.
Thames cancelled production of the show in 1989 due to declining ratings and large production costs at £450,000 (equivalent to £1,191,000 in 2021) per show. In a 2015 UK poll, the show's theme song was voted number 1 on the ITV special The Sound of ITV – The Nation's Favourite Theme Tune.The show's cartoonish outlook, exemplified by Hill's vast array of recurring characters in segments, cemented its success. The show was lauded for its variety, cast, satire, and unique cinematography which made it one of the first international television exports, as the show found huge success outside of the UK. It was also considered influential in the revival of physical comedy in the mainstream. However, as time went on, it came under intense scrutiny and criticism for perceived misogyny and objectification of women, amongst other accussations. These were a major factor in its cancellation in 1989 and limited reruns in the years afterward. Benny Hill would make a final special, Benny Hill's World Tour: New York!, before his death in 1992.