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Complete & Unadulterated
The Hill's Angels Years - Set 6

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Volume 3
(Episodes 7-8)

Benny Hill

Jump to an Episode: 7 8 Summary

This collection represents the twilight years of The Benny Hill Show. More conservative, it appears that Benny made changes so his show would be more acceptable to prime time. You won't see as many sexy girls in revealing costumes as you used to as Benny wanted skirts longer and longer. Hill's Angels were a pale shadow of what they had once been. Benny also introduced Hill's Little Angels at this time. Benny also didn't seem to have the same spark that he did years before. That being said, there are a few surprise moments in this collection that marks the closing chapter of Benny's career as one of the world's most beloved comedians.

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Episode 7 (57)

(April 5, 1989)

Color [50:39]

  1. Benny Quickies: Frank Talking!
  2. Scuttle's Circus
  3. Benny's Ballad: Anna Marie
  4. Benny Quickies: Frank Talking II
  5. Heroes Through the Ages
  6. Misunderstandings
  7. Chow Mein: Home Catering
  8. Hill's Angels: Photocall
  9. Misunderstandings II
  10. Jungle Antics
  11. Closing Chase (not in the menu)

Cast: Benny Hill with Henry McGee, Bob Todd, Anna Dawson, Jon Jon Keefe, Duggie Small, Sue Upton, Lorraine Doyle, Mike Mulloy, Hill's Angels and Hill's Little Angels: Joanna Kirkland, Jade Westbrook, Richard Whatling, Adam Johnstone and Louise Whatling

Hill's Angels Choreographed by: Libby Roberts

Vocal Backing: The Ladybirds & Francesca Boulter

Musical Director: Ronnie Aldrich

Producer and Directed by: Dennis Kirkland

Highlights: Chow Mein: Home Catering, Jungle Antics

(This was previously marketed on VHS only by HBO Home Video as Golden Giggles. - William Brown)

A series of shorts begins this episode in Benny Quickies: Frank Talking!, starting with Benny as Jake, serving some soup to Preacher Henry McGee out of his dog's bowl. Then, at a bus stop, Little Richard Whatling is scolded by Anna Dawon for biting his fingernails, telling him he'll get fat. Meanwhile, Lorraine Doyle is standing there pregnant. In the bar, a drunken Bob Todd tells the bartender that his wife is going to leave him if he doesn't stop drinking. Then, three of the Little Angels want to get into Scuttle's Circus for free.

The show opener for this program is Benny's Ballad: Anna Marie with Benny stepping out in a mexican outfit and guitar. The lighting provides a nighttime setting and the girls wear frilly blouses and skirts. The girls provide a little vocal backing. (Given that the opening song of his very first Thames show was called "Anna Marie," it's likely that the actual song title for this could have been "Café Olé." - William Brown). We then get more short bits in Benny Quickies: Frank Talking II, beginning with Benny getting a pink pullover sweater for his dog. Next, Joanna Kirkland asks Richard Whatling how old he is at the bus stop and determines he is four because he doesn't smoke, drink or go out with girls. At the barber shop, a fire engine is heard and Benny tells Henry McGee the barber he has to run to his girlfriend's house because his girlfriend's husband is a fireman. Finally, at the office, Benny gets a call from several of the kids asking for Stinky Jones. Benny says there is no Stinky Jones there and finally gets a call from Stinky Jones asking if he got any messages. Naturally, it's a practical joke by the kids.

Heroes Through the Ages starts with several Angels dancing to "Holding Out For A Hero", (a 1983 hit for Bonnie Tyler, performed here by Francesca Boulter who was credited along with The Ladybirds as "Vocal Backing" on this show. - William Brown), in what appears to a POW Camp. It starts with cavemen Benny and Bob Todd fighting over sexy cavewoman, Lorraine Doyle. They fight each other with sticks, with Benny winning Lorraine, until Bob throws a stone behind him and accidentaly hitting Benny on the head. Next, Benny and his sidekick are vikings that invade a small village and they try to kidnap Lorraine Doyle and another girl. (The sidekick in this case may have been Duggie Small. - William Brown). In the end, Benny gets bopped on the head and Jon Jon Keefe, Lorraine and Bob run off together. In France, Benny duels with Bob Todd to protect Lorraine Doyle. Benny gives Bob some snuff and Benny walks away with all of the women. Then, a duel between Henry McGee and Benny. Henry's gun blows up and Benny walks away with the girl. We move to World War I and Benny throws a hand grenade to German Bob Todd who holds it just a little too long. In World War II, Benny is a sniper attempting to assassinate Adof Hitler. However, he is distracted by the beautiful Lorraine Doyle covered in nothing but at a towel through her bedroom window. Benny escapes from some Nazi soldiers who spot him, but is ambushed by Lorraine Doyle and another girl as German officers. They make Benny strip down to his underwear. Then they strip down to their bustiers, stockings and heels and use his clothing as a disguise. Benny is then captured and put in the middle of a firing squad who wind up shooting each other. It all ends back in the POW Camp. All of the girls run off with soldiers. Johnny Hutch winds up with Bob Todd in drag.

We get some more quickies in Misunderstandings, starting with Benny in a museum talking about Ancient Rome with Joanna Kirkland attempting to correct him. Then it's a crime scene with Benny as the officer showing Henry McGee and Bob Todd where he marked around the bodies with chalk.

Chow Mein: Home Catering features Anna Dawson and Henry McGee preparing for an important dinner party. Their normal caterer can't make the event, so Chow Mein is sent as the replacement. Anna Dawson questions his credentials and experience. Henry attempts to give him instructions on how to treat the guests. Lorraine Doyle and Jon Jon Keefe arrive as husband and wife. Sue Upton and Johnny Hutch arrive as well, but they are not married. Of course Chow Mein makes a complete disaster of the party by dropping the food and making a mess of everyting. Henry throws him out. Bob Todd plays the replacement cook. Chow Mein returns and they both get drunk.

Hill's Angels: Photocall begins with several girls modeling for the camera with captions under each of them. Look for Lorraine Doyle, Sue Upton, Sara Throssell, Helen Carpenter, Susie Waring and Nicola Bacon as Hill's Angels, "The Seven Foolish Virgins". We then move to the sidewalks with some nuns dancing, then, Benny showing off his leather zippers to his girl. Lorraine Doyle's luggage gets frisky with another piece of luggage, (with the background music from the Feb. 10, 1982 "Little Dimpton Street Party" opening heard again. - William Brown). Johnny Hutch puts the moves on Sue Upton until he is chased by several brief cases and is devoured by a large trunk. Next, is a German Kabaret with Hill's Angels Mit Otto Schtuk und die Bavarian Schtompers. The Angels dance to a bavarian style tune wearing German costumes with shorts. Johnny Hutch plays tuba and Bob Todd hangs his underwear on Jon Jon Keefe's trombone. Benny and Johnny Hutch do a hand-slapping and clapping routine that Benny did with Jackie Wright years before. Then, Benny, Henry, Bob, Jon Jon, Johnny Hutch and Lorraine Doyle do a dance wearing bells of different pitch are attached to their legs and arms. Their movements to the music create the tune. Lorraine Doyle wears a set of bells on her "chest"! Lorraine only shakes when Benny can't see her. Then, Sue Upton and Benny do a Laurel and Hardy routine, with Sue eating her clarinet and Benny sitting on his trumpet and squashing it. At the end the girls are thrown tambourines and dance and shake them. Finally, Benny comes out and does some fancy stuff with a tambourine.

Misunderstandings II contains more quickies and starts with Bob Todd having dinner with the kids and asking them what their father does before each meal. Louise Whatling says, "Go easy on the butter". Then, Bob Todd is the fortune teller for Anna Dawson who expects her future to include a wedding, but learns she is going to become a druid. Next, We go to the park with Benny trying to read and being interrupted by the kids playing musical instruments. Benny pays the kids to get lost. Then, Benny and Bob Todd are thinking of a pocket calculator as a gift for a friend. We then move to a bus stop with Benny and Anna Dawson looking at a punk that Benny thinks no woman would want. Anna Dawson disappears very quickly. The Marriage Guidance office features Jon Jon Keefe and Lorraine Doyle arriving late to see Henry McGee. Their still in their wedding clothes and Lorraine is the one who fixed the flat tire! Finally, Lorraine Doyle has been babysitting for Anna Dawson and says that the only who gave her trouble was Johnny Hutch, Anna's husband!

Jungle Antics is a silent sketch with Benny exploring the forest and blowing a pipe. He gets pierced with a poison arrow by a native, (played by Duggie Small - William Brown). He also must fight off a giant spider. Lorraine Doyle shows up as a sexy native girl who sucks out the poison and helps him. Lorraine gets stuck with a poison leaf and Benny removes it for her, but doesn't get to suck the poison out! Benny goes back to her camp, but is put into a giant stew pot. He makes his escape and climbs a tree to escape a tiger. He also evades an alligator and an elephant, which leads into the Closing Chase (not in the menu), with Benny running away from the elephant. He knocks over a tree which was Johnny Hutch's home and climbs a tree to escape them, grabs a vine and winds up swingin right back into Lorraine Doyle's stew pot. Lorraine Doyle licks her lips and rubs her tummy, ending this program.

Episode 8 (58)

(May 1, 1989)

Color [50:35]

  1. Benny Quickies: (not in the menu)
    a. Where Is Granny Now?
    b. Peeping Tom
    c. Sex Life Of A Tiger
    d. Eye Of The Beholder
    Pepys's Diary
  2. Benny Quickies: Getting Away With It
    a. Can You Lend Me $5
    b. The Morgue
    c. The Window Cleaner
  3. The Good Guys
  4. Marriage Guidance
  5. Benny Hill: A Single Life
  6. Hill's Angels: TV Shows Titles
    Tales of The Unexpected (not in the menu)
    Hill's Angels: Happy Days (not in the menu)
    The Bill (not in the menu)
    Boon (not in the menu)
  7. Benny Quickie: You're Next!
  8. School Master
  9. Hill's Little Angels: Gone Fishing
  10. Closing Chase (not in the menu)

Cast: Benny Hill with Henry McGee, Bob Todd, Anna Dawson, Jon Jon Keefe, Johnny Hutch, Derek Deadman, Jerold Wells, Lorraine Doyle, Sue Upton, Mike Mulloy, Hill's Angels and Hill's Little Angels: Joanna Kirkland, Jade Westbrook, Richard Whatling, Adam Johnstone and Louise Whatling

Hill's Angels Choreographed by: Libby Roberts

Vocal Backing: The Ladybirds

Musical Director: Ronnie Aldrich

Producer and Directed by: Dennis Kirkland

Highlights:

(This was previously marketed on VHS and DVD by HBO Home Video as Golden Guffaws. - William Brown).

This is the final episode in this collection and indeed, the last program Benny ever did for Thames Television. Benny Quickies: (not in the menu) begins with Preacher Henry McGee asking farmer Benny where his Granny is and Benny says she's at the spinning wheel in Las Vegas in "Where Is Granny Now?". Next, Benny is spying on some girls out the window and Anna Dawson warning him it will give him a headache in "Peeping Tom". In a book shop, Anna Dawson looks for a book called "Sex Life of A Tiger" from Johnny Hutch, who wishes he had one himself. "Eye Of The Beholder" features Lorraine Doyle and an unknown girl remarking on how ugly Anna Dawson's baby is. Benny is the Italian grocer who tries to cheer her up.

Then Henry McGee introduces squire Benny who steps out to sing Pepys's Diary, with several members of the cast singing backup. The tune is based on the diary of Samuel Pepys. They all wear traditional Victorian costumes. Benny performed this song in an early B&W show broadcast on Feb. 24, 1971, (and also on his earliest-surviving BBC special, which first aired April 26, 1958. - William Brown).

We get more shorts in Benny Quickies: Getting Away With It, opening with Benny as Sammy and Bob Todd as Milton, (last seen in the "Can You Lend Me $50?" quickie from 04/27/88. - William Brown), with Bob asking "Can You Lend Me $5". Benny pretends to have a hearing problem. In "The Morgue", Anna Dawsn must identify her husband's body for mortician Henry McGee. She is upset that it isn't her husband's body. Finally, "The Window Cleaner" features Lorraine Doyle's husband Henry McGee bursting into their bedroom because he suspects she's been fooling around. Benny pretends to be a window cleaner using his pants to clean the window.

The Good Guys is a send-up of cop shows, (with the theme music from The A-Team. - William Brown). It begins with a dog lineup with Officer Henry McGee and Derek Deadman looking over the dogs to figure out which one tore the seat out of Derek's pants. At the Police Station the guys crowd around the TV, while Sue prefers to do her hair or nails. Carla De Wansey likes to keep her food hot on top of the TV set. Watch Benny drop his shaver down his shirt or Jon Jon Keefe pull the cord through the bottom of his pant leg. Henry McGee announces to everyone that the Chief Inspector is coming, played by Bob Todd. Benny picks him up. They witness a robbery by Johnny Hutch, Derek Deadman and Jon Jon Keefe. They follow the crooks, but thanks to Benny's incompetence, Bob is kidnapped. Benny and the gang attempt a rescue. The crooks make a list of demands which reads like a grocery list. Benny disguises himself to look female and could have rescued Bob, but after threats of being busted down in rank, the gang leaves him behind.

Marriage Guidance features Anna Dawson and Benny visiting councillor Henry McGee. They hurl some insults and Henry offers his advice. I personally think this would have been much better with Helen Horton as Benny's wife. Henry recommends that they read a booklet he offers them. In the end, Henry gets a call from his wife and we learn that he is even more insulting to his wife than Benny is to Anna. (This had been titled "Making Your Marriage Work" in Golden Guffaws. - William Brown).

Benny Hill: A Single Life is another monologue by Benny. He talks about getting letters asking him why he never married. (Indeed, the prior Golden Guffaws called this monologue "Why I'm Not Married." - William Brown). He also says it wouldn't be easy for a woman to be married to a comedian. He then brings out the Hill's Angels who wear spandex leotards and carry giant signs with letters on them. He then introduces them in "TV Show Titles".

Hill's Angels: TV Shows Titles features the girls on a completely white set carrying the signs with letters on them and attempting to form naughty phrases. It's cute and worth a chuckle. Its the sexuality that many fans miss in these later Hill's Angels routines that led up to the end of the series. Tales of The Unexpected (not in the menu) is an unusual bit which features three characters only in silhouette on a mustard background. The mime starts with Derek Deadman (I believe), pinching a girl's bottom. Benny is the cop who arrests him.

Next is Hill's Angels: Happy Days (not in the menu) which is probably the weakest Hill's Angels installment of them all. The scene is a 50's style dinner with the theme from the Hit TV Series, "Happy Days" as the music. None of the elements that make up a classic Hill's Angels routine are evident here. The music is totally inappropriate and the fact that there are guys dancing with the girls who wear poodle skirts just makes things worse. Forgettable.

The Bill (not in the menu) is a brief bit which appears to be another cop show sendup. (It was; The Bill has been running on British TV since the 1980's; ironically, one of the former bit-part Angels, Lisa Maxwell, is today one of that show's co-stars as DS / Acting DI Samantha Nixon. - William Brown). It takes place at a bus stop with Bob Todd stealing Anna Dawons's purse. Benny grabs it back for her and she repeatedly hits him with her purse anyways. Then there is a police line holding back the crowds while Bob picks officer Benny's pockets. The crooks then rip off the cops' clothing, revealing Sue Upton and Susie Waring(?) in their stockings. This is a sketch that seems to make little sense. (And the faux "ending titles" appear to be little more than a cheap shot at various people who'd gone after Benny in print the last few years before this show. - William Brown).

Boon (not in the menu) is a dance number that is a little better than the previous "Happy Days" one. It begins with Benny on a motorcycle in leathers and holding a picture of himself with two biker chicks. The setting is a dark street at night in the fog. The girls and guys dance in front of and on several motorcycles. The tune is okay and the dancing isn't bad. This could have been called a Hill's Angels routine more easily than the "Happy Days" one and I wonder why they didn't. Benny Quickies: You're Next!, features Benny sitting next to a breat-feeding Sue Upton in the barbershop who says "You're Next". Benny misunderstands naturally.

School Master has Benny stepping out as a professor talking about the confusion caused by the english language. Benny did this kind of sketch less and less as time went on and Benny exclled at creating puns and wordplays. There are some cute ones here. Sue Upton steps out to grab a tennis racket and Benny takes off after her.

Hill's Little Angels: Gone Fishing, (which was indexed as "Babysitting" in Golden Guffaws, - William Brown), features Anna Dawson looking after the Little Angels and getting a call from her mother. She runs out the door, leaving Benny, who planned to go fishing, minding the kids. In order to get his fishing in, he tells them he'll take them on a picnic. Benny takes them into the kitchen to make sandwiches and this is where the sketch becomes a silent with the usual dixie land music used throughout these Little Angels segments. The kids turn Benny's attempts to make lunch for them into a fiasco. Basically, Benny is there for the kids to laugh at and ridicule. Benny gets the kids to carry his fishing gear to the park. Benny does some fishing with Jade Westbrook and Joanna Kirkland. Joanna manages to catch her line on Bob Todd's hat. Benny naturally gets caught with the hat in his hands and Bob takes Benny's hat. The kids throw Benny's boots into the water and Benny gets his feet wet. He then winds up stepping in their cake with his bare feet. Benny then manages to catch his fishing line on a police van and on officer Johhny Hutch's crutch. Benny pulls the vehicle right down on the beach and the prisoners Henry McGee, Jon Jon Keefe and Mike Mulloy escape from Sue Upton, Carla De Wansey and Jo Thomas who are female cops in the back of the van. The police chase the convicts and Benny and the kids chase after them to an amusement park. At the end, everyone winds up on a Ghost Train ride. I think this may have been a fun day for the cast and crew, but I don't think this means viewers will automatically be entertained.

In the Closing Chase (not in the menu) the cops have captured the bad guys and the kids take off with Benny around the park. Richard Whatling pulls on a fishing pole connected to a sea monster. At the end Benny and the kids are seen walking together hand in hand. This closes this program and ends Benny's twenty year career with Thames Television, which regrettably, could have ended on a higher note.

Summary

I did not look forward to reviewing this collection. The last few years of The Benny Hill Show saw the end of so many elements that made the show famous. Benny's trademark humor which lead your imagination towards the bawdy, the sexy girls in revealing costumes and doing erotic dances and the excellent musical arrangements of Ronnie Aldrich which later become more synthetic. (In some cases, literally so; most notably the use of synthesizers for the "How Will I Know" number in the "Hill's Angels: A Night on the Tiles" segment. - William Brown). The musical guests of earlier years were long gone and Benny seemed to lack the twinkle in his eye that he once had. He didn't seem capable of writing great show openers, which became more and more conservative. (This was also reflected in the quickies, which from 1988 onwards appeared more and more in the vein of the late Dave Berg's "The Lighter Side of . . . " cartoons in Mad magazine, as opposed to the early 1980's quickies which could have been cribbed from the one-panel cartoons in Playboy magazine. - William Brown). The show seemed to be geared towards the very old or the very young. (And his own performances became more lifeless, rote and formulaic, more "been there, done that," more of an "automatic pilot" quality, reminiscent of latter-day Jackie Gleason [after his 1964 move to Miami Beach] or Lucille Ball [post-The Lucy Show / Here's Lucy] or other performers who continued long past the point where their respective shows "jumped the shark." - William Brown). Conservative costumes and a whole new roster of actors took over. Jackie Wright had left the series, (and died less than a month before the airing of the Feb. 8, 1989 show. - William Brown). Also, the interest groups had put the pressure on Thames and this pressure landed on Benny, who was compelled, I believe, to change the format.

Hill's Angels routines were no where near what they used to be and seemed more likely to appeal to Lawrence Welk audiences. When I think of the things that girls like Corinne Russell and Sue Upton did in front of the camera, I can only admire their courage to be that daring. The girls on the show were always asked if they would be comfortable with wearing skimpy costumes and performing provocative dances for the camera. This became a trademark for the series and was one of the main elements that made the show such an international success. To think that in later years there would be routines with such long skirts and guys in the routines would have been unthinkable a few years earlier. I am always amazed at viewers who thought that if they didn't like a program, it was their right to keep other people from watching it and even stranger still, that they could dictate how the program should be produced. My philosophy is that if I don't like a given program, I just don't watcht it.

Another thing that seemed to happen was that Benny was writing his shows with violence towards the male characters. Whether it was a girl kneeing one of the guys in the groin or one of the Little Angels whipping Benny or kicking him, it seems as if Benny wrote a lot of scenes with violence towards the male characters. It's almost as if Benny felt he had to be punished for all of his past sins.

The concept of Hill's Little Angels was never a good idea. The viewers who had been watching the show for many years were probably just as annoyed as I was when I first saw them. It wasn't the kids themselves that were the problem. It was what was being written. Having them mug for the camera and saying something cute just wasn't what Benny Hill fans wanted to see. They were used to seeing plenty of sexy girls and this was phased out. I also think that the Little Angels was an act of desperation to create a program that would be more acceptable to prime time. Benny would do anything to keep his show alive. I think Benny knew it was all that had kept him going for years. When his show was cancelled, Sue Upton said that it really destroyed part of him. The fact that Benny died just a few short years later is proof of that.

Although this is easily the weakest collection of all six sets from A&E, there are a few bright spots. Louise English singing La Vie en Rose; the European Television sketch of Hott Sexe, Free Loofa und Lust orgie or the The New York Slob sketch with Helen Horton reprising her role as Miriam. Also, Lorraine Doyle was always a treat to see and it looks like Benny was grooming her to be a fan favorite the way Louise English and Sue Upton had been for so long. The Halitosis Kid segment wasn't bad and the Have a Butchers sketch is one of the best with Benny dropping his pants for Anna Dawson!

Another reason for the drop in quality of the show was the fact that Benny could not write the naughty bits that he had years earlier. Perhaps he had become so accustomed to this writing style that to abandon it become a stumbling block for him. (And the repetition of gags became such an issue, that concerns among Thames executives arose that the show was falling further into perpetual mediocrity - which was cited as one of the reasons for the show's cancellation. - William Brown). At any rate, it's great to see the entire series finally released on DVD and fans can now enjoy the shows again and again.

Picture

Picture quality is quite consistent in these shows and there seems to be very little to annoy the viewer. Colors seem well saturated and even the outdoor scenes don't suffer as much, looking better than in previous years. Even darkly lit scenes seem to have a good level of detail. Blacks are very deep. Scenes that are shot on completely white sets don't tend to be as washed out either.

Audio

Another area where this set seems to have little trouble as dialogue remains clear and crisp and there is little distortion when there is music. The dynamic range is limited however as these programs are only recorded in mono.

Bonus Features

As with the past two collections, we are treated to the usual Trivia Quiz and a brief interview segement. I had hoped that Louise English was going to make an appearance in one of these box sets. Louise English has so many fans and it's a shame that she didn't appear. Thankfully fan favorite Sue Upton did appear in the last two Hill's Angels interviews as she is one of the most popular Angels. Another disappointment is that there are no photo galleries or audio commentaries in these collections. Also, the abscence of the Benny Hill Down Under program is another disappointment. I find it strange that no deal was reached for this program. Hopefully, the copyright holders of this program will realise that by not accepting any deal for the show, they won't see any profits from it. I do suspect that this program will be released eventually, but when or under what circumstances I couldn't say.

"Hill's Angels In Conversation"
Featurette (10 Min.)

Left to Right: Alison Thomas, Jo Thomas and Alison Bell in the 'Hill's Angels In Conversation' Featurette

Click on the image of Alison Thomas, Jo Thomas and Alison Bell for a larger view

This is the third and final bonus feature showcasing members of Hill's Angels. Unlike the first two interviews, the girls appear together and reminisce while laying on a bed. Another difference is that Sue Upton and Carla De Wansey do not appear.

Alison Thomas in the 'Hill's Angels In Conversation' Featurette

Alison Thomas

"He said nothing's original ... and that's probably right ... As he always said, the woman has the upper hand".

Jo Thomas in the 'Hill's Angels In Conversation' Featurette

Jo Thomas

"He always used to let us win in the end ... and that's the way we liked it. He was really a great friend, as well as a boss and a comedian".

Alison Bell in the 'Hill's Angels In Conversation' Featurette

Alison Bell

"He loved us women ... he really did ... idolized us ... put us on a pedestal".

Alison Thomas starts this discussion by remembering the very fist time she met Benny in his flat. Alison and Jo Thomas talk about how his living room had been decorated by the TV Times for a "homes of the celebrities" feature. They also saw that the only things Benny had were boxes of video tapes and scripts. They reveal that he could have afforded anything, but he would bring his scripts to work in a tescos carrier bag. In fact, the girls would buy him new briefcases year after year. He also studied the films of Charlie Chaplin. Sometimes Benny would call them at home out of the blue. Alison Bell briefly recalls her bit as the famous Bus Stop She-Hulk, as well as Wanda The Wicked West Wickham Whip Woman and as the female vampire in the Park.

Jo Thomas and Alison Bell also talk about their time as singers and dancers in a revue show in the evenings and working at Teddington Studios during the day. The three of them were also in a dance group together called "Foxy Feeling", (and also featured at one time or another, other once and/or future Hill dancers and/or Angels such as Mandy Perryment and Erica Lynley. - William Brown), which was part of the "Little and Large" Show. They also recall arriving in the morning at the studios and their preparations for shooting, as well as about how Benny would stop in to see each of them and ask how they were doing.

Like the previous two interviews, this is not an indepth feature, but we do get another glimpse at what life was like for these members of Hill's Angels and their memories of Benny Hill. I would also like to mention that there does seem to be a video issue with this bonus as colors seem to run yellow and the set appears to be overlit.

The Benny Hill Cheeky Challenge Trivia Quiz

As with the first five sets in this series, we are treated to another Benny Hill Cheeky Challenge Trivia Quiz. Still images accompany each question. The questions are multiple choice. After you select your answer you get to see one of various short clips used to congratulate you or tell you that you are wrong. There are fifteen questions in all.

Packaging

As with the previous sets in this collection, A&E are doing a super job with the packaging. Discs are in individual cases in a box set which takes up only a small amount of space on your shelf. The discs are well protected and easily removed from their individual cases. I should also mention the accompanying booklet which contains some interesting notes and trivia.

Menus

A&E continue to create animated menus for the discs in this series. The menus include several short clips from the programs contained in this collection. The menu for each program lists the titles of the chapters and a selection of images from that show. There are some chapters, however, that are not listed in the menu. I have taken the time to note them in my reviews.

Note

Another important point I should mention is that thankfully, all of the music used in the programs for all six DVD collections is completely intact, to my knowledge. The cost of music clearance for TV Shows on DVD is very expensive these days and A&E are to be commended for making sure that all of the music was cleared for these DVD releases.

Close

The eight shows in this collection mark the twilight years of The Benny Hill Show. Times had changed and Benny made every effort to keep his show alive. The quality of the shows in the later years just does not match up to Benny's classic material from the 70's and early 80's. In the end, Thames called it quits and Benny would have to go to the US to start a new show. (That new show was Benny Hill's World Tour: New York, where the outdoor scenes were made in New York and the studio bits were made at Teddington Studios. As much as the quality and standards as the later Thames shows had declined from the earlier years, this New York special, in the eyes of some, was worse. - William Brown). Benny eventually began preparing for a new series of Specials, (to be produced by Central Independent Television, with whom Benny's producer/director, Dennis Kirkland, worked out a tentative deal to make some shows. - William Brown). Sadly, this was never to be and he passed away in 1992. Thankfully, fans have these six collections to put on their video shelf to remember one of the world's most beloved comedians.

Putting a rating on a collection like this isn't easy. The show had changed drastically and so much of what made the Benny Hill Show so famous was sorely lacking in these later programs. If you are a die-hard fan who wants to collect everything, then it is certainly your choice to buy this box set. However, if you have any doubts about these shows, I would really suggest a rental.

Star Ratings (out of 5)

Audio: ****
Video: ****
Extras: **
Programs: **
Overall: **

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Benny Hill, Complete And Unadulterated:
The Hill's Angels Years - Set 6 (1986-1989)
Complete And Unadulterated:
The Hill's Angels Years,
Set 6 (1986-1989)
Details:
Studio: A&E Home Video
Release Date: 01/30/2007
No. of Discs: 3 (Box Set)
Running Time: 6 Hours, 40 Mins. + extras
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Color
Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
DVD Features:
Hill's Angels In Conversation Featurette
The Benny Hill Cheeky Challenge Trivia Quiz #6 Interactive Menus
Scene Selection
Distributed by Newvideo