Summary
Biography show in which the guest picks someone they admire. Benny Hill is a thorny choice but playwright Jonathan Maitland is determined that - despite accusations of sexism and racism later in his career - Britain's most successful comedian deserves a second look. Benny was fired by Thames TV in 1989. "The show was past its sell-by date," was the official line. Critics had been questioning The Benny Hill Show for almost a decade, but in the 1950s and 1960s he was seen as a pioneer, particular for his work on TV. Joining the discussion is the comedian and writer Helen Lederer, bringing a little nuance to the show. Contains archive of Ruth Jones, Barry Cryer, David Cameron and Benny himself.
The producer in Bristol is Miles Warde
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, Russell Kane here. |
| 0:03.1 | I'm back for another season of character assassinating the nice guy |
| 0:06.4 | and binging up the baddies in evil genius. |
| 0:09.2 | Yep, even the biggest legends have their skeletons. |
| 0:12.0 | So join me and a panel of brilliant comedians |
| 0:14.4 | to weigh in on whether the biggest players in history |
| 0:16.9 | are more evil or more genius. |
| 0:19.0 | I just think every celebrity, said with respect, Russell, |
| 0:22.3 | is out of their minds. Evil genius with Russell. Listen first on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:31.5 | In May 1989, a giant of British entertainment went for a meeting with his boss at Thames Television. |
| 0:39.3 | He was surprised to be fired. |
| 0:42.0 | The Benny Hill Show had made over £100 million for ITV, largely thanks to its success in the US. |
| 0:49.2 | Here in Britain, the audience had peaked, but the numbers were still good. |
| 0:53.6 | So had Benny been cancelled, as we now say, |
| 0:57.0 | or had his seaside humour simply run out of steam? |
| 1:02.3 | And if you're wondering, then yes, Benny Hill really is today's selection for great lives. |
| 1:11.6 | Here he is on Desert Island Discs back in 1959. |
| 1:15.6 | Is there any particular occasion that you can look back on as your big opportunity? |
| 1:19.6 | No, I think there has been no big opportunity. |
| 1:23.6 | It's been, you know, very slowly going up and and I hope it'll be just as slow coming down. |
| 1:29.4 | The fastest award winner in the West, Benny Hill. |
| 1:35.0 | Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, very much indeed. Benny Hill was, and remains, Britain's most |
... |
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