Benny Hill/Kenny Everett.

Foxbark · January 6th, 2009, 12:57 PM

Greetings Friends,
It has often been said that the 1970s were Britain's 'golden age' of television, in that in terms of quality and variety of programming a standard was set that has never been replicated.Just think of the current non-stop diet of shite soap operas churned out now for peak time viewing and I think you'll probably catch my drift.
Anyhow there was atime in the late 70s when two dearly loved great funsters of British comedy were operating simultaneously on the much lamented Thames Television network, namely Benny Hill and Kenny Everett and were both given free-rein to indulge in whatever they wanted in prime time, and the result was some very funny very original television but with a unique 'British' sexy twist, namely the troupes f scantily clad dancers featured on the shows.
Kenny of course, had hos 'Hot Gossip' dance troupe choregraphed by Arlene Phillips (Strictly Come Dancing), which seemed to specialise in 'tumbling crotch shots', 'hunky black males' making out with white girls and unabashed simulated sex acts.Strange to note that the 'virginal' light operatic singer Saran Brightnan was a featured 'Hot Gossip' dancer.
Of course, Benny had been going a lot longer than Kenny and had always feature lovelies as dancers and fluff to decorate his hilarious show, but under the timulus of Hot Gossip, 'Hill's Angels' became a lot raunchier and suggestive in their routines.
I remember watching the Kenny Everett Show with my family as pre-pubescent teen.I remember being acutely embarrassed by the none too subtle antics (in those pre-PC days), which were unashamedly there to cater to an older male audience (ie the viewership's Dads).

avidfan · January 6th, 2009, 05:21 PM

i too watched benny hill and kenny everett with my family and cringing at some of the sketches and jokes that were not for my eyes or ears, i remember asking my dad why everyone thought the name of one of kennys characters was so funny-he never answered! i still find the name cupid stunt funny...

**Greenman** · January 6th, 2009, 05:53 PM

Not cunning, Cupid Stunt.
I was unashamedly a fan of both Kenny & Benny for the same reason-the girls(Hill's Angels & Cleo Rocas, Debbie Linden, Corinne Russell etc respectively) Not all Dads liked them including mine, but the funniest thing that Kenny ever did was grab hold of Terry Wogan's Blankety Blank long-stem microphone and bend it! Benny's stuff was sort of a mix of schoolboy humour and old man lechery(this got him into trouble with the interferring PC brigade-the worst thing he did was to feature the little blonde babe from Hot Gossip dressed as a provocative schoolgirl) but he angered a lot of women's groups and Mary interferring busybody Whitehouse by having scantily-clad women in stockings and suspenders prancing and dancing about-although this was more down to Arlene Phillips-one time member/choreographer of Pan's People(Top of the Pops)

In the end I was grateful to Kenny and Benny for all that but Benny was badly treated by the company he helped to make popular(Thames Television) and he was stabbed in the back-no wonder he took his own life. Kenny died of an AIDS-related illness and was a trouper to the end. Both sorely missed. The one sketch or speeded up film I didn't find funny of Benny Hill was making a pregnant woman fetch and carry for him-I think that was rather tasteless.

avidfan · January 6th, 2009, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greenman

Not cunning, Cupid Stunt.

thats the one! its those monkeys messing with my brain again!

**Mad Koala Bear** · January 6th, 2009, 09:30 PM

Hard as it may be for a lot of people to take, humour moved on, and BH's brand was getting a bit stale and tired. Thames wouldn't have got rid of him if his ratings weren't beginning to slide.

morganistic · January 7th, 2009, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greenman

Not cunning, Cupid Stunt.
I was unashamedly a fan of both Kenny & Benny for the same reason-the girls(Hill's Angels & Cleo Rocas, Debbie Linden, Corinne Russell etc respectively) Not all Dads liked them including mine, but the funniest thing that Kenny ever did was grab hold of Terry Wogan's Blankety Blank long-stem microphone and bend it! Benny's stuff was sort of a mix of schoolboy humour and old man lechery(this got him into trouble with the interferring PC brigade-the worst thing he did was to feature the little blonde babe from Hot Gossip dressed as a provocative schoolgirl) but he angered a lot of women's groups and Mary interferring busybody Whitehouse by having scantily-clad women in stockings and suspenders prancing and dancing about-although this was more down to Arlene Phillips-one time member/choreographer of Pan's People(Top of the Pops)

In the end I was grateful to Kenny and Benny for all that but Benny was badly treated by the company he helped to make popular(Thames Television) and he was stabbed in the back-no wonder he took his own life. Kenny died of an AIDS-related illness and was a trouper to the end. Both sorely missed. The one sketch or speeded up film I didn't find funny of Benny Hill was making a pregnant woman fetch and carry for him-I think that was rather tasteless.

totally agree about Benny Hill's shabby treatment by Thames TV but I think you'll find you're mistaken on his cause of death

**chuckschick** · January 7th, 2009, 03:07 AM

Benny used to be on PBS all the time, in fact, it got to be where they repeated his shows over and over...I knew what was coming up, knew to change the channel when he started one of his songs, which were really hit or miss...

Loved the fast action films, God were those funny.

Dave Allen I used to like a lot as well, love that dry humor.

**kiwi** · January 7th, 2009, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bellsmyre49

I thought he had a heart attack.

He did.

And when 'alternative' comedy arrived on the scene - Benny was considered 'old hat' and def not politically correct - so chasing scantily-clad ladies around the park was definately not on as far as the TV executives were concerned.

I think he was treated like shit - He did not deserve that.

kiwi

JayKok · January 7th, 2009, 08:44 AM

I think he was treated like shit - He did not deserve that.

kiwi

Totally agree , both were always on my to watch list & thoroughly enjoyed them.

Now I barely watch regular tv it is so full of shit, bloody crap soaps and the like.

adzart · January 7th, 2009, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayKok

I think he was treated like shit - He did not deserve that.

kiwi

Totally agree , both were always on my to watch list & thoroughly enjoyed them.

Now I barely watch regular tv it is so full of shit, bloody crap soaps and the like.

I no longer watch TV an do not buy a licence, its disconnected from the socket, I know I am illegal but **** em , I aint payin for what I don't watch and they CAN NOT detect you, I know as I used to work the field, proud to be - ANARCHIC.
Current telly is responsible for turning us all into mindless watchers of a dead novelty.
......On a lighter note, - I posted a scan of Hot Gossip and will post all I have on them as I was involved in the unofficial fan club way back in the '80's.
AD

January 6th, 2009, 12:57 PM	#1
Foxbark Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 275 Thanks: 372 Thanked 2,021 Times in 259 Posts	Benny Hill/Kenny Everett. Greetings Friends, It has often been said that the 1970s were Britain's 'golden age' of television, in that in terms of quality and variety of programming a standard was set that has never been replicated.Just think of the current non-stop diet of shite soap operas churned out now for peak time viewing and I think you'll probably catch my drift. Anyhow there was atime in the late 70s when two dearly loved great funsters of British comedy were operating simultaneously on the much lamented Thames Television network, namely Benny Hill and Kenny Everett and were both given free-rein to indulge in whatever they wanted in prime time, and the result was some very funny very original television but with a unique 'British' sexy twist, namely the troupes f scantily clad dancers featured on the shows. Kenny of course, had hos 'Hot Gossip' dance troupe choregraphed by Arlene Phillips (Strictly Come Dancing), which seemed to specialise in 'tumbling crotch shots', 'hunky black males' making out with white girls and unabashed simulated sex acts.Strange to note that the 'virginal' light operatic singer Saran Brightnan was a featured 'Hot Gossip' dancer. Of course, Benny had been going a lot longer than Kenny and had always feature lovelies as dancers and fluff to decorate his hilarious show, but under the timulus of Hot Gossip, 'Hill's Angels' became a lot raunchier and suggestive in their routines. I remember watching the Kenny Everett Show with my family as pre-pubescent teen.I remember being acutely embarrassed by the none too subtle antics (in those pre-PC days), which were unashamedly there to cater to an older male audience (ie the viewership's Dads).

January 6th, 2009, 05:21 PM	#2
avidfan Blocked! Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 171 Thanks: 164 Thanked 390 Times in 120 Posts	i too watched benny hill and kenny everett with my family and cringing at some of the sketches and jokes that were not for my eyes or ears, i remember asking my dad why everyone thought the name of one of kennys characters was so funny-he never answered! i still find the name cupid stunt funny... Last edited by avidfan; January 6th, 2009 at 05:55 PM.. Reason: my brains messed up!

January 6th, 2009, 05:53 PM	#3
Greenman Live Legend of VEF Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Underground lair somewhere in the world Posts: 20,353 Thanks: 30,936 Thanked 383,516 Times in 19,356 Posts	Not cunning, Cupid Stunt. I was unashamedly a fan of both Kenny & Benny for the same reason-the girls(Hill's Angels & Cleo Rocas, Debbie Linden, Corinne Russell etc respectively) Not all Dads liked them including mine, but the funniest thing that Kenny ever did was grab hold of Terry Wogan's Blankety Blank long-stem microphone and bend it! Benny's stuff was sort of a mix of schoolboy humour and old man lechery(this got him into trouble with the interferring PC brigade-the worst thing he did was to feature the little blonde babe from Hot Gossip dressed as a provocative schoolgirl) but he angered a lot of women's groups and Mary interferring busybody Whitehouse by having scantily-clad women in stockings and suspenders prancing and dancing about-although this was more down to Arlene Phillips-one time member/choreographer of Pan's People(Top of the Pops) In the end I was grateful to Kenny and Benny for all that but Benny was badly treated by the company he helped to make popular(Thames Television) and he was stabbed in the back-no wonder he took his own life. Kenny died of an AIDS-related illness and was a trouper to the end. Both sorely missed. The one sketch or speeded up film I didn't find funny of Benny Hill was making a pregnant woman fetch and carry for him-I think that was rather tasteless. __________________ There was only ONE Greenman, and you accepted no substitutes! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Rest in peace MaxJoker-you will be sorely missed. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. 20,000: Milestone reached!

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January 6th, 2009, 09:30 PM	#5
Mad Koala Bear Vintage Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 869 Thanks: 30,809 Thanked 10,733 Times in 850 Posts	Hard as it may be for a lot of people to take, humour moved on, and BH's brand was getting a bit stale and tired. Thames wouldn't have got rid of him if his ratings weren't beginning to slide.

January 7th, 2009, 03:07 AM	#7
chuckschick Vintage Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 683 Thanks: 13,321 Thanked 15,279 Times in 691 Posts	Benny used to be on PBS all the time, in fact, it got to be where they repeated his shows over and over...I knew what was coming up, knew to change the channel when he started one of his songs, which were really hit or miss... Loved the fast action films, God were those funny. Dave Allen I used to like a lot as well, love that dry humor.

January 7th, 2009, 08:44 AM	#9
JayKok Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 93 Thanks: 991 Thanked 779 Times in 84 Posts	I think he was treated like shit - He did not deserve that. kiwi Totally agree , both were always on my to watch list & thoroughly enjoyed them. Now I barely watch regular tv it is so full of shit, bloody crap soaps and the like.