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This page contains a review of 'Benny Hill - The Lost Years', a new comedy DVD released in August 2005.

Benny HillFor fans of British comedy, the name Benny Hill needs no introduction... but what you may not know is that the late Benny Hill has been on our TV screens for a lot longer than you may think.


The Benny Hill Show began its long run on BBC television way back in January 1955, and if you're a fan of this classic entertainer, a new DVD "The Lost Years", became available in August 2005... This DVD features a medley of vintage material from Benny when his cheeky humour established him as one of the UK naughtiest comedians. Filled with a collection of musical send-ups, fractured fairy tales, wacky commercial spoofs and impressions, this collection captures the vast range of one of England's most inspired comics.

 Benny Hill The Lost Years
This DVD is a must for anyone who appreciates all things "Benny", and it shows a more creative and considered side of his comic skills - no high-speed running around, or slapping bald-headed chaps on the head... this is more reliant on accents, clever comic timing, and observed humour. Much of the material is from the 60's, and is mostly in black-and-white. It certainly dates well though, and for fans, is a worthy addition to your comic collection.

On the disk, you'll find three full-length episodes:

  • Bennys from Heaven (28 mins)
  • Benny & the Jests (30 mins)
  • The Good, the Bawd and the Benny (26 minutes)

These episodes feature Benny in a variety of guises (obviously), and feature appearanced from famous faces such as Patricia Hayes, June Whitfield, Jeremy Hawk and Peter Vernon. Some of the sketches include:

  • An early sighting of Fred Scuttle (sans beret), as a TV audience research expert
  • Z-Cars, The Bo Peep Story
  • A small collection of some TV ads, including a German spoof of the Stork Taste Test, Misto Gravy, and Benny's Indigestion Tablets
  • The fastest film-maker in the West
  • The Castle, a medieval tale

Benny Hill in action

The bonus content on the DVD includes 15 minutes of extra snippets, and a small amount of cast biographical information

In total, the DVD includes 34 minutes of previously unreleased sketches.

The DVD contains content from 1958 to 1968 - in glorious Black & White - a must for fans of Benny keen to see what he was like in his earlier (and funnier?) years.

Availability:

  • Released 2nd August 2005, this DVD is available in the US from Amazon.com

As far as we know, this isn't yet available in the UK. UK fans can order the Region 1 DVD from Amazon, or alternatively, may want to order The Best of Benny Hill.

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