Complete & Unadulterated
The Naughty Early Years - Set 1

Navigation:  1  2  3  Next Page

1. Benny Quickie: Park Bench
2. Benny's Ballad: "Suitcase on the Train"
3. Benny Quickies: Comic Look No.7
4. Boutique Mask Dance
5. Los Zafiros
6. The Bill Stickers
7. Benny Quickie: British Arms
8. Benny's Bloopers
9. Fred Scuttle: Mr. Show Business
10. The Underworld Water of Jacques Custard
    Wind Of Change (not in the menu)
11. Two's Company: "September Song"
12. Chow-Mein: East Meets West
13. Ted
14. Benny's Ballad: "Jose's Cantina"
15. Closing: Yakkety Sax (not in the menu)

In Boutique Mask Dance Benny and Charmaine Seal perform a romantic mime to some French music. They wear masks to conceal their faces with several misunderstandings. Wait till Jackie Wright gets in on the act! Los Zafiros are a Spanish ensemble that performs an entertaining number with flamenco guitars. In The Bill Stickers Benny and Jackie Wright are two incompetent sign posters, with Benny giving Jackie the classic "slaps" on the baldhead. Bob Todd plays their outraged boss in this silent segment. Next, Benny Quickie: British Arms Benny and a South African politician (Dan Jackson) are discussing arms sales, with the South African giving Benny a warning. Also known as "Political Bulla-Bulla"; this opened syndicated show #26.

In Benny's Bloopers Benny tries to explain how professional the technicians at Thames are, but this itself becomes a blooper, leading to more classic shorts with disastrous results, including a talk show with a priest; a recurring microphone stand gaffe with Benny in drag; another one sending up the singer Inglenook Hampendick; a gondolier; a singer with bad teeth and many other outrageous moments. A highlight! Nicholas Parsons then interviews Fred Scuttle: Mr. Show Business about several entertainers in the music industry. The Underworld Water of Jacques Custard uses several bits of stock footage of underwater photography throughout. The best parts are shots of Benny as a famous oceanographer and his crew chasing Carmen Dene in their expedition. The black crew member is Dan Jackson. Great stuff. In Wind of Change (not in the menu), Benny talks with Dan Jackson about racism. This particular sketch was in B&W and was a tad ironic given the three shows which followed. This sketch points out the fact that we are all really the same and in some ways we are more alike than we know with the use of trick photography.

Two's Company: "September Song" features a singing duo performing an easy listening ballad which would still have been quite popular at the time of this program, but I think this style of music has probably aged quite a bit since then. The song is actually called "Try To Remember" which was from the off-broadway play called "The Fantasticks". Next up, Nicholas Parsons conducts the first interview of the enterprising oriental character, Chow Mein in Chow-Mein: East Meets West Benny creates the character that parodies the oriental use of "R" instead of "L" and vice versa. Benny then performs a monologue in Ted about a guy that Benny really admired for his sophistication and way with the women. A classic standup moment for Benny with plenty of great gags and jokes throughout. This classic program rounds out with Benny's Ballad: "Jose's Cantina" with support from the Spanish group Los Zafiros and vocal support from Two's Company. A great tune to end this wonderful program. The show closes with Benny in front of the firing squad and Bob Todd as the commander, when Lesley Goldie comes out and undresses, giving Benny the chance to escape. This was Ms. Goldie's first appearance on the show. With moments like this, we can see how Benny began to put in scenes with girls undressing for the male audience. Classic.

1. Benny Quickie: Rubber Balloons
2. Benny's Ballad: Broken-Hearted Lover's Stew
3. Benny Quickie: The Unexpected Look
4. Fred Scuttle: Scuttle Tours
5. "Grand Pappy Blueberry" and Benny's Ballad: "Rachel"
6. Benny Quickie: Bank Robbery
7. Benny's Bloopers
8. Trisha Noble: "I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane"
9. A Tribute to the Lower Tidmarsh Volunteer Fire Brigade
10. Opportunity's Knocking
11. Closing: Yakkety Sax (not in the menu)

In Benny Quickie: The Unexpected Look we have Benny in several short skits, including a Dr.'s Visit; two skits with Benny as a milkman, the first with Jan Butlin, the other with Trisha Noble; Sue Bond in a visit to the Dr., (an early version of the "Egyptian Flu" gag later redone with Jane Leeves in 1983) and Sue Bond looking for a part in a new show with Benny asking to see her legs. Those are two legs you won't soon forget. We also catch Benny in a quick one on his wedding night. The bride in this early version was Trisha Noble and Abigail Higgins played the same role in the remake that ended the Hill's Angels TV Workout sketch from January 7, 1981 (Episode #39; Home Video Drive In). He also gets an apple while he's in the stocks. Next, Nicholas Parsons interviews Fred Scuttle in Fred Scuttle: Scuttle Tours. Benny entertains us with his classic Scuttle character complete with jokes about Thames Television and descriptions about his package tours.

In "Grand Pappy Blueberry" and Benny's Ballad: "Rachel" Benny plays a southern cowboy who can tell time with his cow and tells other tall tales. Benny also sings "Rachel" with vocal support from The Ladybirds about a Gypsy. There may be a typo on this A&E DVD: based on the Dickey Dido sketch from Episode 4, the character he is reminiscing about here would be "Grand Pappy Blooper", not Blueberry. Benny Quickie: Bank Robbery features Benny with Nicholas Parsons & Trisha Noble as inept thieves. Benny's Bloopers features more moments going wrong with Benny and Jackie posting a sign; Trisha Noble getting into trouble on a swing; a floor cleanser too powerful which features Jan Butlin; a dance gaffe (with Kay Frazer and Charmaine Seal); a sign that has an offcolour message when the door is closed next to it; Benny as a clumsy cook; Trisha Noble singing and getting fogged in and the Fair Deal Ben commercial, later remade as the "Leprechaun TV Opening Night" sketch from 1979.

Trisha Noble: "I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane" is actually an enjoyable performance of the classic song by the singer / performer. There is a very nice organ accompaniment in this one, as well as more interesting visual effects accompanying the performance. Next up is A Tribute to the Lower Tidmarsh Volunteer Fire Brigade which is a sketch Benny would repeat later, as he did many of these sketches in the Black & White shows, since they were never repeated on Television. This one features Benny as the fire chief, along with Jackie Wright, Nicholas Parsons, Tommy Mann (the wrestler in Episode #2) and the beautiful Sue Bond. She plays the part that Sue Upton would fill later in the series, complete with the action replay of her sliding down the fire pole revealing her stockings and garters. Just watch her hose get wet when she tries to climb the ladder to help with a rescue, due to Benny's mishandling of the fire hose. The remake of this sketch that aired on Feb. 11, 1981 (Episode #40) and included in the VHS "Video Sideshow", featured Henry McGee in Tommy Mann's role and Bob Todd took Nicholas Parsons' role. Also watch for an uncredited Lesley Goldie in the role played in the remake by Alison Bell. Next is one of the most unusual and entertaining sketches in this collection Opportunity's Knocking.

This sketch features Benny doing one of the things he does best: playing as many characters as possible in one sketch. This is a wonderful parody of talent shows. It also contains an early version of "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)" which would hit #1 on the British singles charts a year later. The irony here is that the lyric states that Ernie died at 68, rather than 52, as on the LP. Benny Hill actually died at 68! This sketch also contains a more "politically correct" version of the "click" routine, later remade on March 5, 1980 (Episode #36). This episode closes with the cast of this program waving to us and there is also a bit with Benny riding his bike and following the instructions of a series of signs, including one on Sue Bond's chest. Needless to say, she chases Benny at the end to Yakkety-Sax. An excellent program and one of the best in this first set of DVDs. Bravo A&E.

1. Benny Quickie: Very Well, M'Lady
2. Benny's Ballad: "Flying South"
3. Shameful Moments of Sport
4. Petticoat and Vine: "World of Love and Laughter"
5. Henry and Alice and Bob and Mary
6. Benny's Bloopers
7. Kiki Dee: "You Made Me So Very Happy"
8. Crime Does Not Pay
9. Love Will Find A Way
10. Top of the Tops
11. Closing: The Age Of Aquarius (not in the menu)

Petticoat and Vine: "World of Love and Laughter" features the singing group performing an up-tempo tune that's definitely a piece of nostalgia for the time. The full title of this song was actually "Welcome To The World of Love & Laughter". One of the members (Joan O'Neil, not sure which on she is), is the mother of former Spice Girl Melanie "Sporty" Chisholm. Henry and Alice and Bob and Mary is, I believe a movie parody. Benny and Nicholas Parsons discuss wife swapping. Patricia Hayes is Benny's wife and Jenny Lee-Wright is the beautiful young girl Benny is ready to throw himself after. Just watch her walk out in nothing but a bodice and pantyhose in one quick scene. This could be another reason this program wasn't repeated. This is probably the first sketch where Benny makes fun of an ugly wife, ready to get rid of her. Parsons makes the proposition as the new neighbour. This was remade in 1986 as the "Wife Swappers" (Syndicated Show #95). The later version included Helen Horton, Henry McGee, Lorraine Doyle and Kathy Staff. Lesley Goldie (wearing a wig) introduces those moments of TV when things go wrong in Benny's Bloopers. We get a running gag with continuity errors featuring Lesley Goldie; soap commercial with Rita Webb; a newscast with stock footage and a cold medicine commercial remade in Episode #34, March 14, 1979 as part of the "Leprechaun TV" Sketch; a UN press conference and a murder scene.

Kiki Dee: "You Made Me So Very Happy" features the singer who would go on to greater success with Elton John singing "Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Here she wears a flowing dress and sings the tune made famous by Blood, Sweat & Tears. And what a voice! No one sings like this anymore. Effortless. Crime Does Not Pay is a sketch that takes a look at the effectiveness of the Police Force. The Wino in the very first part was played by George Roderick who also appeared in "Eddie In August". Benny portrays eccentric and hilarious characters throughout, including a hippie alongside Jenny Lee-Wright. Nicholas Parsons then interviews Detective Inspector Fred Scuttle who responds to the accusations about the Police Force.

In Love Will Find A Way Benny plays Claude a penniless actor in love with Fifi, played by Lesley Goldie and Jackie Wright is her husband, Pierre. Benny takes on the multirole part in this sketch as the Butler, Gardener and Chauffeur to be near Fifi. Jenny Lee-Wright appears towards the end as the maid. It's interesting to note that this Black & White sketch was probably the only one repeated (in Syndicated Show #65 in sepia tone as well as in the 1974 compilation "The Best Of Benny Hill") from the three programs in Black & White on this DVD. The plot of this one also made up that of the second half of "The Lover" sketch from May 27, 1985 with Alison Bell in place of Ms. Goldie. I would have thought the next sketch would have definitely been repeated. It's the ingenious and brilliant parody, Top of the Tops a fantastic and zany send-up of pop dance shows, in particular the British "Top of The Pops" series. The things that make this sketch so special are the beautiful girls, bizarre camerawork, wacky musical performances and hysterical gags throughout. Pay attention or you may miss something.

You'll see Jenny Lee-Wright, Sue Bond and lots of other beauties surrounding Benny, impersonating legendary British DJ Jimmy Saville as the host of this program who talks uncontrollably, smoking his cigars and introducing the musical performers with lots of show biz jargon. Even more astounding are the musical performances Benny does as a hippie singing "In The Papers", spoofing Roger Twitaker singing the whistling song (with Mia Martin sucking a lemon!), Bobby Gently singing "The Dustbins of Your Mind" (introduced by Benny impersonating another famous British DJ, Tony Blackburn) as Tony Blackbum (of "Fairly Liquid" fame), Roy Orpington singing "Only The Lonely", (complete with bizarre camera angles) and finally a performance of the Spachelors (Benny with Jackie and possibly Pete O'Dell), singing "I'll Never Know". Look for an uncredited Lesley Goldie and Geraldine Burnett. This one sketch makes this the finest episode in this collection. This program closes with Benny dreaming about meeting a sexy girl (Lesley Goldie) in the woods. When he wakes up, the reality (an uncredited Connie Georges) isn't so pretty. Miss this program at your peril.

1. Benny Quickie: Copy The Boss
2. Benny's Ballad: "Pretty Greek Girl"
3. Undercover Sanitary Inspector
4. Reverend Gray
5. Benny's Bloopers
6. Nanette: "Everybody's Singing, Like Now"
7. Learning All the Time!
8. Benny Quickie: Night George!
9. Uplift with Humphrey Bumphrey
10. Benny's Ballads: "Pepys' Diary" & "Lady Mary"
11. Closing: "Lady Mary" & Yakkety Sax (not in the menu)

Reverend Gray is a great monologue with Benny telling us about a vicar in his town who becomes a missionary in Africa. Next up is more awkward moments introduced by Benny in Benny's Bloopers including Benny in a running gag as a western gunslinger, drawing with Nicholas Parsons. Look for sexy Sue Bond and Jenny Lee-Wright in these ones. There's also a dishwasher ad with Benny "accidentally" giving Jenny Lee-Wright the slap on the bottom. You can see her trying not to laugh, too. This was remade on the April 25, 1979 show (Episode #35) with Pauline Crawford of Pan's People getting the slap (Syndicated Show #44). There's also a detergent ad (with Yvonne Paul as the pregnant girl), also remade in said Show #35 with Helen Horton as the pregnant woman and shown in Syndicated Show #44 as well; a hairstylist, a cooking show, a woman dying in the Arizona Desert (Yvonne Paul), and a suicide scene in a movie.

Nanette: "Everybody's Singing, Like Now" is another musical performance featuring unusual visual effects and camerawork to add some flavour and to enhance the "variety" show quality to the series. Not one of the better musical moments. Learning All The Time is another segment that Benny would repeat in color, with Jenny Lee-Wright as the sexy girl on a park bench, approached by Benny as a foreigner who has difficulty learning English. Jenny provides the corrections to his language foibles and even takes him home. Benny Quickie: Night George! features Bob Todd as the husband of a woman having an affair with Benny.

Uplift with Humphrey Bumphrey features an interview of Mr. Scuttle by Nicholas Parsons in an Art Gallery. Scuttle is the curator and provides all the gags to Nicholas Parsons' straight man. Just listen to Scuttle's knowledge of great artists. This was remade on April 16, 1980 (Episode #38, part of the "One Night Video Stand" program). Bumphrey is actually a pun on the TV host of "Aquarius", Humphrey Burton. Benny also interviews himself as a quick-change artist, Speedy Zapper with hilarious characterizations, including Mae West, W. C. Fields and even Jenny Lee-Wright doing a tap dance in a sexy bodysuit with black tights. Wow! Lesley Goldie (as Joanna Bakewell-Tart, a play on the name of Joan Bakewell, host of BBC's "Late Night Line-Up") interviews Benny as a poet, St. John Bossom. Uplift is another showcase of Benny's talent for doing several different characterizations. Benny's Ballads: Pepys' Diary and Lady Mary features Benny singing another of his classic tunes with several cast members from the show in Victorian costumes and harpsichord accompaniment. The credits roll and they sing "Lady Mary". There's also a chase scene at the end as well wrapping up this fine program.

Navigation:  1  2  3  Next Page

Top Of Page
Contact William
© April 06, 2002.