The Benny Hill Show
A skit based show with Benny Hill, often containing smutty humour.
Genre: Comedy
Cast:Benny Hill , Henry McGee , Jackie Wright , Bob Todd , The Ladybirds , Sue Upton , Jon Jon Keefe , Hill's Angels , Jenny Lee Wright , Ken Sedd , Louise English , Bella Emberg , Lorraine Doyle , Nicholas Parsons , Lee Gibson , Cyril Cross , Len Keyes , Samantha Spencer-Lane
S1.E1 ∙ The European Song Contest
From TV goofs to a European Song Contest, passing through interviews about commercial television.
S1.E2 ∙ Show 2
Highlights of this edition include: "Holiday Sport Spectacular"; "The Short Happy Life of Maurice Dribble"; a series of bloopers including a parody of "The Golden Shot"; musical numbers from The Ladybirds ("Can't Take My Eyes Off of You") and Eira Heath ("Wedding Cake"); and a takeoff of "This Is Your Life" with Benny playing all the people reminiscing about the subject's (Robertson Hare) life and times.
S1.E3 ∙ Show 3
Benny opens with "Colleen", then plays an aspiring actor auditioning for a role in a movie; Jackie Wright and his wife register at the Hotel Sordide and are subjected to various indignities; Benny tells a story about the making of a TV commercial; musical numbers from Luis Alberto del Parana and Los Paraguayos ("Colorado"), Eira Heath ("Carnival (Manha de Carnival)") and Benny ("The Old Fiddler"); another set of bloopers; a look at the first night of Tommy Tupper's talk show; and Benny finishes with "The Girls of the Sousa Bar".
S1.E4 ∙ Show 4
Benny starts off this edition with "My Garden of Love", then leads into a sketch about a hitch-hiker being taken in by a married older woman; Fred Scuttle describes upcoming new offerings from Thames, including a "racy" new program called "Rogue Nudist"; The Ladybirds perform "This Girl's in Love with You"; Benny as country singer "Dickie Dido" duets with Eira Heath on "Golden Days"; Hill winds up on the short end of the stick at a cotillion dance; and for the finale, a mini-musical, "The Sound of Frankenstein".
S2.E1 ∙ Show 5
Benny starts off with a song involving a hippie and a suitcase on a train, and then shows us examples of what he calls "Look #7"; a dance involving masks at a boutique; another set of examples of things that go wrong on television, including the now-famous Shakespearean blooper with Hill as Romeo (and Rona Newton-John as Juliet); TV executive Fred Scuttle introduces "The Underworld Water of Jacques Custard"; the first appearance of Chow Mein in "East Meets West"; and a reading of the poem "Ted." Also: Los Zafiros performs "Maria Isabel," Two's Company sing "Try To Remember," and both groups join Benny on "José's Cantina."
S2.E2 ∙ Show 6
Benny leads off with "Broken-Hearted Lovers' Stew," then gives more examples of "Look #7"; travel agent Fred Scuttle offers new holiday package tours; the Lower Tidmarsh volunteer fire brigade is called to put out a fire; and a parody of "Opportunity Knocks" with Benny as host Hughie Green and all the contestants, featuring an early rendition of "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)." Also: Trisha Noble performs "Leaving on a Jet Plane," and Hill as a tall tale-telling country bumpkin sings "Rachel."
S2.E3 ∙ Show 7
Benny leads off with "Flying South", then shows examples of "Shameful Moments of Sport"; musical performances by guests Petticoat and Vine ("Welcome to the World of Love and Laughter") and Kiki Dee ("You've Made Me So Very Happy"); two couples swap partners in "Henry and Alice and Bob and Mary"; more examples of TV bloopers; a look at crime in Britain; an unsuccessful actor tries to woo a married woman behind her old husband's back in "Love Will Find a Way"; and for the close, "Top of the Tops" with Benny impersonating Jimmy Savile, Tony Blackburn, and many of the musical acts.
S2.E4 ∙ Show 8
Benny starts off the show with "Pretty Greek Girl," then an undercover sanitary inspector gets into some misadventures in Istanbul; more TV and advertising bloopers; a "foreigner" meets a pretty girl sitting on an outdoor bench; and for the close "Uplift with Humphrey Bumphrey," featuring an interview with St. John Bossom (Benny) and a performance of "Pepy's Diary." Also: musical guest Nanette performs "Everybody's Singing Like Now."
S2.E5 ∙ Show 9
Benny starts off the program with "The Egg Marketing Board Tango," then takes part in a "French for Starters" language lesson; a messenger in 17th-century England is sent on a dangerous mission; Mervyn Cruddy is interviewed on "The Grass Is Greener"; two people in a supermarket perform a ballet; The Ladybirds perform "(They Long To Be) Close to You"; a "Cinema: The Vintage Years" screening of an old movie, "Passengers of Love" starring Ray Hilland and Loretta Bung; Bettine Le Beau introduces a series of foreign TV bloopers from Spain, France and Germany; a puppet show with political figures of the day (Edward Heath, Harold Wilson and Enoch Powell); and Chow Mein serves an Indian in a Chinese restaurant.
S3.E1 ∙ Show 10
Benny starts off with "The Beach at San Tropez," then shows more examples of things that go wrong on television; a 17th century Pilgrim (Bob Todd) in the stocks for thinking wicked thoughts is relentlessly tormented by a fellow townsman (Hill); hijinks on board a cruise ship; a parody of cooking-show hosts Fanny and Johnny Cradock; and Mervyn Cruddy's film career is examined in an interview given to Andree Melly on "The Movie Shakers," which includes the famous "Home Is The Hero" about a returning Confederate veteran. Also: The Ladybirds perform "River Deep, Mountain High."
S3.E2 ∙ Show 11
Highlights include: Benny leading off with a spirited rendition of "Gypsy Rock"; dialogue director/drama coach Fred Scuttle introducing a new male model, 'Chunky'; a poem devoted to the exploits of the Dimpton Drinking Club; The Ladybirds performing "I Say a Little Prayer"; a parody of "News at Ten" with Hill impersonating co-anchors Reginald Bosanquet and Andrew Gardner; a commoner is kidnapped to impersonate a king to thwart an assassination plot; and more examples from around the world of things that can go wrong on TV.
S3.E3 ∙ Show 12
Benny leads this edition off with "Oh, Zandoona"; Fred Scuttle runs a "Keep Fit" health club, with a film showing some of the exercise routines; Hill reads a poem, "Fam and Fufan" by Folomon Faint Ftephen; French film director Pierre de Tierre discusses his technique, then leads into a sketch about a young man who strikes out with a girl of many moods; musical guest Sylvia McNeill performs "I Don't Know How to Love Him"; Percy Thrower interviews gardener Amos Thripp; more bloopers including a Wild West show where the demonstrations go all wrong and examples of actresses who can't say their lines right; Chow Mein gets into a tangle with customs and immigration agents at an airport; and Benny closes with a series of impersonations of various British entertainers of the day, including Shirley Bassey, Gilbert O'Sullivan and Nana Mouskouri.
S3.E4 ∙ Show 13
Highlights include Benny playing several students at the St. Solomon's School; a trespassing fisherman recites a poem about the fishing life; a hospital patient's 92nd birthday is celebrated with a special musical number, "Down Memory Lane"; another series of bloopers including a "Balmolive" ad and a licentious TV cameraman; Fred Scuttle as head of a proposed fourth TV channel, previewing a "poetry and jazz" recital; Chow Mein and his wife (Zienia Merton) are interviewed; and Benny performing new renditions of old mainstays "Wild Women", "The Harvest of Love", and "Those Days" (with Ladybird Marian Davies).
S4.E1 ∙ Show 14
Musical numbers from Benny include "The Dustbins of Your Mind" and "Fad-Eyed Fal", then he plays an Army colonel, a housewife and a movie cowboy in "Meeting People with Hugh Paddick"; a look at the "Woodstick" music festival for senior citizens; examples of what could go wrong at fashion parades and TV advertisements; and for the close, Hill leads a German "youth" choir.
S4.E2 ∙ Show 15
Highlights of this edition include: more examples of things that go wrong, both on television and in advertising; Fred Scuttle opens the 'Fun Boy Club'; an office worker recalls the annual Christmas festivities; a German version of "Jackanory" with a retelling of the story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"; Benny bemoans his girl's obsession with a "Portable TV Set," with snippets of different TV parodies; and for the close, he leads the cast to the tune of "The Common Market Square Dance."
S4.E3 ∙ Show 16
Highlights of this show include: Fred Scuttle as a security guard; a programme planner on the phone with a certain William Shakespeare; another series of bloopers including Benny impersonating singer Billy Eckstine and critic Clive James; Henry McGee interviewing Minister Chu En-Gumm (Bob Todd) and his interpretor Chow Mein at home; and Jackie Wright on a "budget" holiday trip that turns into a nightmare. Also: The Orange Blossom Sound perform "What Am I Doin' Hangin' 'Round?", and for the finale Benny and Pat Ashton perform "Lover, Come Back to Me."
S4.E4 ∙ Show 17
Highlights include: Benny accompanying Lee Gibson on a sultry rendition of "Mad About You"; investigative reporter Mervyn Cruddy is grilled in "Confrontation"; a recurring series of poetry readings; Lee Gibson and Jon Jon Keefe perform "Happy Together"; Benny as "The Deputy" in the pursuit of three dangerous outlaws in the Old West; another series of bloopers, including Fairly Liquid; Benny as a blue-collar American lamenting about the generation gap; and for the close, Benny leads the cast as the station master and director of the "Dalton Abbott Railway Porter Choir".
S5.E1 ∙ Show 18
Highlights of this show include the classic "Spot Black" sketch; Benny as a German clothier on the phone with a British customer, and a man miming to scenes from a movie in a theatre; a series of assorted quickies including the famous "Sunbright" ad parody; Ludovic Kennedy (Henry McGee) has Minister of Food Humphrey Bumphrey (Benny) on his "Phone-In" show; musical numbers from Berry Cornish ("Questions") and Los Zafiros ("Y Viva España"); and an outdoor band concert in a park with choreographed goings-on.
S5.E2 ∙ Show 19
Benny leads things off with "Older Woman"; Fred Scuttle supervises construction work on the Channel Tunnel; "The Great Britsh Dancing Finals" with Hill as host 'Terry Wobegone' and one of the main contestants; Mervyn Cruddy is interviewed once again by Andree Melly on "Departure Lounge"; and examples of different TV programs utilizing the story of Little Bo-Peep and her lost sheep. Also: Anne Shelton performs "Put Your Hand in the Hand."
S5.E3 ∙ Show 20
Benny starts the show off by reading a poem, "Faith" by E.M. Barrister, then introduces Diana Darvey and accompanies her in the guise of percussionist 'El Sidney'; spy catcher Mervyn Cruddy is on the trail for a snuff box; musical guests Design perform "Second Love"; film director Sam Speiler reminisces about his career with Lesley Goldie, with parodies of W.C. Fields and Mae West, and a revival of his "Baby Boy" sketch; a minstrel boy in the Middle Ages is groomed for the big time by a hotshot manager; and a look at the 'Mr. TV Times' contest.
S5.E4 ∙ Show 21
Benny starts off by reading from "The Good Book"; Fred Scuttle runs an escort service; "Match of the Week" presents its Goalkeeper of the Year award (with Benny as sportscaster Jimmy Hill and all the goalie nominees); a parody of the action-adventure series "Colditz" with Benny as a German POW; a look into "The Short Unhappy Romance of Ted Tingle"; Judith Durham performs "Strut Your Stuff" backed by The Hottest Band in Town; The Ladybirds (in their final on-camera appearance on the show) perform "Yesterday Once More"; and Benny and Diana Darvey perform a Mexican medley, with backing from flamenco guitarist Guillermo Basilisco.
S6.E1 ∙ Show 22
Show opens with a host of all-time favorites, followed by Benny performing "The Beach at Waikiki" with Diana Darvey performing a striptease; a look at the life and times of music composer Gavin Blod; Lee Gibson performs "The Moment of Truth"; a Tennessee Williams takeoff, "Long Dry Summer"; and for the close, a spoof of "New Faces" with Benny as the host, the leader of a family act, and all the panelists.
S6.E2 ∙ Show 23
Benny starts off with another "Host of All-Time Favourites" including a parody of 'Pan's People,' then sings about the "Rose of El Paso"; Thames TV director Fred Scuttle introduces a sketch that takes place in a barber shop; Diana Darvey performs a medley about world travel, with numerous costume changes; the famous "Great Mysteries with Orson Buggy in 'The Catch'"; film director J. Arthur Mein shows clips from his latest kung-fu movie, "Behind the Bamboo Certain"; and "Midnight in Soho."
S6.E3 ∙ Show 24
Show begins with performances by "Lance 'Juggler' Vane & Cherri" and "Lana & Her Performing Men"; jack-of-all-trades Clyde Jarrow reads a poem about a dirty old man, then introduces "That Family"; Eddie Buchanan performs "Going Nowhere," followed by a series of vignettes set up to the tune of "Somethin' 'Bout You Baby I Like"; a young man is kidnapped by an older woman in "The Stamp Collector"; and a look into the life and career of pop idol Tex Cymbal.
S7.E1 ∙ Show 25
Show leads off with another "host of favorite stars", with impersonations of Kreskin, Liza Minnelli and Charles Aznavour, and Moira Anderson, followed by Benny as W.C. Fields singing "Lovely Lulubelle" which in turn leads to a parody of cinema advertisements; Fred Scuttle appears as a mind reader on "Is There Anything In It?"; examples of how the tale of the nursery rhyme "Jack and Jill" would be worked into various TV shows, with parodies of "Crossroads", "That's Life" and "Kojak"; Dilys Watling performs "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady"; and for the finish, a filmed rendition of the tale of "El Paso".
S7.E2 ∙ Show 26
Highlights include: Benny leading off with a song about Jake and Leroy in old El Paso; a parody of "World of Sport" with Hill as host Dickie Davies; Benny and Jackie Wright as "Luke and Tinker," singing a song about nursery rhymes; a parody of "Bonnie and Clyde"; Love Machine dance (with futuristic costumes) to the tune of "Tornado"; and street scenes set to music.
S7.E3 ∙ Show 27
Benny opens with a monologue and a dance from a native girl; a handyman gets involved in various misadventures on the job; Captain Fred Scuttle prepares to take a trip to the moon; Henry McGee gets cooking tips from Fanee and Johnee Claddock; the epic "Murder on the Oregon Express"; and the Lower Tidmarsh Volunteer Fire Brigade singers lead into a sketch about Robin Hood.
S7.E4 ∙ Show 28
Benny starts things off with "So Many Girls"; then continuity announcer Humphrey Bumphrey introduces parodies of "Movin' On," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", "This Is Your Life" and "Sale of the Century"; a German professor lectures about British life and customs in "Getting to Know You"; Eddie Buchanan and Love Machine perform "Dancing in the Nude"; palmist/phrenologist Emily Grimley demonstrates examples of her handiwork in "Is There Anything In It?"; Benny impersonates nature show host David Bellamy; and a parody of the rock-music show "Supersonic."
S8.E1 ∙ Show 29
Benny leads this edition with "Bianca Malone," then takes us to "The Sum Awards" with parodies of "The New Avengers," "Mastermind" and "I, Claudius," and impersonates Pam Ayres in a poem about pets. Also: musical guests Reflections perform "Higher and Higher"; Diana Darvey performs a Continental cabaret with Benny and Jackie as her accompanists; three escaped convicts get into a tussle with police; a nearsighted newsreader mangles the main stories on his first night on the air; and "The Bionic Baby."
S8.E2 ∙ Show 30
Show leads off with Benny as a Mountie recounting the tale of Eskimo Nell; a look at the "Villain of the Year" awards, with officer Fred Scuttle giving his views about them; a bridegroom (Benny) has second thoughts about marrying a wealthy bride (Rita Webb); musical performances from Love Machine ("Think of the Boys") and Benny and the lads ("The Flash", wearing raincoats for the occasion); a spoof of the period drama "Victorian Scandals", with Benny as a hapless butler in the middle of an argument among a wealthy couple; and for the close, two Boy Scouts (Benny, Jackie Wright) get into various misadventures at a Scouts and Guides Annual Fete.
S8.E3 ∙ Show 31
Highlights include: Benny as a tongue-tied continuity announcer mentioning upcoming programs and leading into a parody of "Starsky & Hutch", with Hill playing both parts and Jackie Wright as Huggy Bear; another look at the life of Casanova; Dilys Watling performs "Fever", with Benny as a drumless percussionist; a look at the way films are "panned and scanned"; a series of vignettes set to different songs including "Girls, Girls, Girls"; a "Granny Show Jumping" competition; Chow Mein offering a holiday package; and for the close, Benny performing "At the Streaker's Ball".
S9.E1 ∙ Show 32
Benny starts off with a song about "Married Life," then he and Jackie Wright play Irish brothers who are barely understood on an interview show; an installment of "Digger Blue, Private Eye"; another look inside the Hotel Sordide; Thames TV crew member Fred Scuttle recounts all the programmes he's worked on, then introduces The Cotton Mill Boys who perform "Orange Blossom Special"; two gentlemen fight over a pretty widow; and a takeoff of "The South Bank Show" featuring Hill impersonations of host Melvyn Bragg, Dave Allen and W.C. Fields.
S10.E1 ∙ Show 33
This edition starts off with Benny and his dancers performing "Coconut Milk"; Fred Scuttle picks a man off the street in a match of "Man vs. Machine"; a "Grand Wheelchair Rally" goes off on a series of misadventures; an exchange operator works the phone lines in Victorian-era England; tips on holidays to Dimton-on-Sea and Costa Patatas (with Henry McGee and Jenny Lee-Wright sampling the food at the Hotel Toulouse-Waldorf); musical guest Felicity Buirski performs "The Clock"; Benny as Bob Dylan performs "Go 'Round Again"; and a henpecked husband has a secret life as a disco dancer in "Friday Night Fever".
S10.E2 ∙ Show 34
Benny leads off with "Benny's Place," then gives us a look into the National Health Service, the opening night of "Leprechaun Television," the famous "Hot Gossamer" parody (with Henry McGee impersonating Kenny Everett), and "Wondergran Meets Dracula"; plus musical guest Geraldine performs "Casablanca."
S10.E3 ∙ Show 35
Show opens with Benny performing "Maria, Maria", then introducing a series of TV advertising bloopers. Fred Scuttle holds court at an international TV festival where he previews a French version of Bizet's "Carmen" and Irish detective series "O'Jack". A man with a cold and an Irishman are interviewed on "In London Tonight". Pan's People take a bath to the tune of "Love for Sale". An episode of "Yield to the Dawn"; a screening of Cheapo Films' "The Police Raid in Waterloo Station" about two jewel thieves. For the close, a look at athletes in training for the Olympics.
S11.E1 ∙ Show 36
Highlights of this edition include "The Scarlet Pimple"; "Hollywood Grates" looks at the career of Chubby Dodds; Hill's Angels on the beach and at the disco in a 'Grand Gala'; and the first day of broadcasting of 'Women's Lib Television' with distaff parodies of "Sale of the Century" and "World of Sport," ending with "Charlene's Angels."
S11.E2 ∙ Show 37
Benny leads off with a song about a country boy who meets city girls, then plays a man who steps into a painting that comes to life; Mr. Chow Mein testifies before an industrial tribunal; Hill's Angels model the latest fashions from the "Madame Louise Summer Collection"; a court jester lands in hot water after performing for the King; an episode of "The Fudpuckers"; and "Butch Cafferty and the Fundance Kid".
S11.E3 ∙ Show 38
Benny starts off with an operetta-style opening musical number; Fred Scuttle previews his new Dimpton-on-Sea Arts Center, and presents some international TV (including a hobo dancing with a girl in a wine ad); Women's Lib Television presents "The Kitty Everett Show"; a spoof of "Name That Tune" where host Benny tries to aid a pretty contestant (Louise English) at the expense of another (Jackie Wright); Hill's Angels dance to night scenes of New York; and a retelling of "The 3 Musketeers" story.
S12.E1 ∙ Show 39
Highlights include "The Loser," about a man beset by bad luck in whatever job he has at one time; Benny impersonating Michael Caine, and playing a circus clown; a French schoolboy speaks of his trip to London; the Hill's Angels do a choreographed workout to the tune "Runaway"; and "Wondergran Meets Dr. Jackal and Mr. Hide."
S12.E2 ∙ Show 40
Benny leads his cast and Angels in the opening number "Down on the Farm"; new versions of "A Tribute to the Lower Tidmarsh Volunteer Fire Brigade" and "Undercover Sanitary Inspector"; Hill plays a man obsessed with a girl who's seen on a billboard poster, and does a poem as a castaway stranded on a desert island; short vignettes from Hill's Angels set to the music of "Keep Young and Beautiful," "An Occasional Man" and "Ease On Down the Road"; and for the close, a young woman being harassed at a bus stop turns into a "She-Hulk."
S12.E3 ∙ Show 41
Highlights of this edition include Benny opening with a song about "The Lovely Girls from Crete"; The Georgian Dancers performing a dance; Gaston LeClerc bringing his sister Louise along to "Friends to Tea with Henry McGee"; the epic "Big Poppa"; a parody of "News at Ten" leads to a Hill's Angels dance number; and for the ending, Benny as a penniless commoner falls for a squire's daughter.
S13.E1 ∙ Show 42
Benny starts off the show with "Paradise Island." Also: a Scottish headmaster takes roll call; a typical day at the Hotel Splendide, with Hill's Angels providing part of the view; a Dimpton traffic warden declares war on the street cleaners; and a takeoff on "The Monte Carlo Show" featuring Benny's impersonation of Kenny Rogers.
S13.E2 ∙ Show 43
Benny starts the show with "Unlucky Luke," then he and Jenny Lee-Wright reprise their respective roles for a remake of "Learning All the Time"; Hill's Angels do a dance at a Little Dimpton street party; Hill as a schoolgirl reminiscing about a favorite teacher; a middle-aged man uses a video remote to control everything around him; and the famous "Mimed Striptease" with Benny as a clown who strips to a mere skeleton.
S14.E1 ∙ Superteech
Benny opens with a musical number as an Australian lifeguard; a man creates mischief with his shadow; Mr. Chow Mein presents a performance by his opera company; a group of TV censors have a meeting; Hill's Angels perform on a cruise liner; and a bumbling school teacher turns into "Superteech".
S14.E2 ∙ Holiday
Benny leads off with a musical number, "The Gay Caballero"; a parody of the TV travel series "Holiday" with Benny as host Cliff Michelmore; Rev. John McFudpucker (Benny) reads poems by Angus MacSpreading on "Sit Up & Listen"; a look at the Wild, Wild West with Hill's Angels; a clown wreaks havoc at a clothes shop; and a schoolboy frequents a strip joint with disastrous results.
S15.E1 ∙ Scuttlevision
For the opening, Benny leads off with an elaborate musical number, "Home for the Summer"; Fred Scuttle previews his new channel, "Scuttlevision," followed by a sketch about a drunk returning home after a night out; a look at the goings-on inside the "Club Bizarre" cabaret; bank robber "Fingers" McNee and his gang are relentlessly pursued by Inspector Dibbs; and for the finale Benny is pursued by a little girl in and around a beach.
S15.E2 ∙ The Hot Shoe Show
Benny begins the program by leading the 'League of Helping Hands' into song; a look into the life of a vagabond; Hill's Angels do a choreographed aerobics exercise at a gym, and later do battle with street punks; a spoof of "The Hot Shoe Show"; and for the close, the opening day at St. John Thomas Hospital.
S16.E1 ∙ The B-Team
Show begins with a monologue from 'Professor' Benny about the "missing link" in history, which leads to a filmed segment of the evolution of civilization from the age of the caveman to modern times. A shop clerk at a pharmacy incorporates brand names of certain products into the conversation. Hill's Angels perform a "can-can" at Benito's nightclub. For the finish, Benny plays both 'Hannibal' and 'Mr. T' in a parody of "The A-Team".
S16.E2 ∙ For Ever Love
Highlights of this edition include an updated version of "What a World"; "For Ever Love," a takeoff on mail-order music compilation advertisements and infomercials; Hill as a schoolmarm going on about changing the English language from a woman's point of view; Hill's Angels dancing at a seaside cabaret; and Fred Scuttle as a spokesman for a re-emerging British film industry, with a showing of the movie "Hullo Sailor."
S16.E3 ∙ Carmen
Benny leads off with "Costa Coco"; two weather dolls come to life and then come together; a Scotsman continually strikes out in love; a new adaptation of "Carmen" with Benny adding new lyrics to Bizet's music; and for the close, Hill is dragged to a health farm by a little girl.
S17.E1 ∙ Testament Television
Show begins with an elaborate musical number taking place on board a cruise ship circa 1930s, with Benny as the captain. Also featured: the saga of a bucket as it passes through different hands; a meeting of Hollywood producers at the Cannes Film Festival hit on the idea of developing a Biblical soap opera; Hill's Angels dance and sing at the "Chez When," including Louise English's performance of "La Vie en Rose"; Benny does a monologue taking on his reputation for sexism, and then closes with a nearsighted handyman hired to do work at a school for girls.
S17.E2 ∙ The Herd
Benny leads off with a medley of some of his 1960s compositions; a middle-aged man's ghost frequents a hotel on a regular basis; "The Herd," a U.S. nighttime soap spoof with Hill as all the members of a wealthy family that loses everything after their cattle is wiped out by disease; Hill's Angels and Alison & Rebecca Marsh perform songs from "Cabaret" at the Cafe de l'Opera; a Swedish sex movie with strategically-placed subtitles and a German parody of "Crossroads"; and finally, Benny as a would-be artist gets into a tangle with a little girl.
S17.E3 ∙ Funny Old World
Show starts with Benny introducing girls from around the world at the 'Bijou Burlesque'; a series of street scenes set to the tune of "Funny Old World"; Hill explains the meanings of certain proverbs; a working-class husband and a sophisticated gent agree to swap their respective wives; two film editors discuss how to cut a sketch about a sign painter's misadventures; a parody of "Cagney & Lacey" with Benny playing both roles; and an evangelist and his dog walk on the grounds of a hospital.
S18.E1 ∙ The Halitosis Kid
For the open, 'Brooklyn Benny' comes to a party thrown in his honor after his release from jail, as the focal point for a musical number, "It's a Hard Life"; the exploits of 'The Halitosis Kid'; a waiter offers menus based on the names of celebrities, followed by a Hill's Angels night on the town; Benny and the Little Angels go on an outdoor adventure; and for the close, a look into 'National Smile Week'.
S18.E2 ∙ Club Chicago-Go
'Bronco' Benny starts off the show with "Star Names"; a series of vignettes about joggers; two birds converse in front of a window; Hill's Angels perform at the "Club Chic a Go-Go," with the showcase act "Tanya and Her Performing Men"; and for the close a sign painter in a banana republic gets into a series of misadventures in advance of celebrations for the country's president.
S19.E1 ∙ The Crook Report
Benny leads his cast in a square dance during the opening number; havoc is wreaked during a birthday party for one of the "Little Angels"; Fred Scuttle becomes a tabloid newspaper publisher; Hill's Angels perform dance routines relating to sports; a latecoming guest attempts to discreetly eat a meal during a speech; and for the close, a crusading TV journalist and his crew break into the wrong house in his quest for another exposé.
S19.E2 ∙ Holding Out for a Hero
Highlights of this episode include: a look of heroes through the ages; a Hill's Angels photocall, "The Seven Foolish Virgins - Well, Six Anyway"; suitcases come to life and attack passersby; a Kabaret with Otto Schtuk; a silent routine with Sue Upton playing Stan Laurel to Benny's Oliver Hardy; Chow Mein as a waiter in a fancy house; and an ending sketch with a jungle explorer eluding natives seeking to cook him for dinner.
S19.E3 ∙ Tales of The Unexpected
Highlights of Benny's final show for Thames include his last rendition of "Pepys' Diary"; a cop show, "The Good Guys"; Hill's Angels performing variations on title sequences of various TV shows ("The Bill," "Tales of the Unexpected," "Boon"); and finally, Benny and the Little Angels go fishing and get involved in various misadventures involving a trio of escaped prisoners and pursuing policewomen.
