Quote:
Originally Posted by Greenman
Ben Elton was not the main reason-the main reason was the climate changed here and politically correct people forced him to change but he couldn't cope with so many changes - couple that with the tabloids changing their tune and a few sketches that some didn't find amusing and that was enough to convince Thames to sack him-it was the wrong thing to do, as his producer revealed in a revealing documentary once. He was a goldmine for Thames both here and more importantly worldwide and they stabbed him in the back.
He was a genius, a man born of a time when comedy was a lot different to what it has become and the PC brigade ruined it for us all. His kind will never be seen again and the way they sacked was nothing short of cowardly. I just wonder whether he would have moved the US(oddly enough the originator of PC) and been happier there.
In defence of Ben Elton-yes he parodied Hill and didn't like his stuff but then a lot of people didn't like Elton and his rants-he was good in his time but then just looked like a parody himself-and is now Establishment-as are a lot of so-called "right-on" comedians back then like Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayal etc. In the end they all do. Benny Hill was different, he spoke several languages, loved puns and double entendres and gave us gorgeous girls in stockings and suspenders most nights-(same with Kenny Everett-both Geniuses!
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Absolutely agree, and in the case of Kenny Everitt, he was 20 years ahead of his time at what mainstream could really understand. Look back today, and very piening materal/visual concept - just 20 years ahead of its time /FYOS