The Ultimate DVD

I was recently alerted from TVShowsOnDVD.com that the third installment of Benny Hill, Complete and Unadulterated is making it's way to a retail shelf near you on July 26, 2005. I will of course be reviewing that set when it becomes available!

Info from NewVideo.com

The most recognizable British comedian on the planet is back on DVD by riotous demand! Travel back to the freewheeling 70s and rejoice as Benny perfects his risque humor and bawdy slapstick in this third set of complete episodes from The Benny Hill Show. The landmark THE NAUGHTY EARLY YEARS: SET THREE features all ten original episodes from 1975 through 1977, including the fan-favorite Beach of Waikiki ballad and The Reluctant Bridegroom skit that took the sketch-variety show to lofty new heights. Never broadcast in full-length form in the U.S., the only way to see these vintage Thames episodes in their entirety is through this DVD collection.

Benny Hill - Britain's baron of bawdy buffoonery - bursts into full bloom in this boisterous collection from his golden fan-favorite era, The Thames Years! Wildly popular all over the globe thanks to his trademark smirk and affinity for comic naughtiness, Benny rejuvenated the sketch-variety genre with his multi-award-winning THE BENNY HILL SHOW.

Satirizing everything under the sun, but sanitizing nothing, Benny and his crackerjack team of entertainers invented a squadron of crazy caricatures: lovable imbecile Fred Scuttle, avant-garde French filmmaker Pierre De Terre, and the verbally challenged Mr. Chow Mein. Backed by Benny's half-dressed flock of frisky foxes, THE BENNY HILL SHOW continues to stand the test of time by making the world laugh itself silly.

THE NAUGHTY EARLY YEARS: SET TWO features all 10 riotous episodes from 1972-1974. Extras planned for this release (subject to change):
Eddie in August
Benny Hill's Cheeky Challenge Trivia Game
"Liner Notes" DVD Insert Booklet

You can also visit TVShowsOnDVD.com for details.While you are waiting for the next DVD to arrive, you can read my review for the first DVD.

The original series of The Benny Hill Show is finally on DVD from A&E Home Video! I received an email from TVShowsonDVD.com announcing an entirely new series of Benny Hill DVDs. The first one was released on August 24, 2004 and is a 3 disc set covering the years 1969-1971 with 11 episodes, as well as the bonus documentary: "The World's Favorite Clown", which has been available on VHS, as well as The Benny Hill Cheeky Challenge trivia quiz. If you would like to read my review for the complete disc, check out my review.

New Petition

Remaster the original Benny Hill Series of Specials I have posted a new petition and I hope many of you will take a moment to sign it. Here is what I've posted on the petition.

As fans of the Benny Hill Show and Benny's famous Hill's Angels, we, the undersigned, respectfully request that HBO Video, Thames Television, Fremantlemedia and any other interested parties who have a share or ownership of the copyrights of The Benny Hill Show, to put together a series of DVDs of the Benny Hill Show. We request that these programs contain the original specials as they were aired and produced by Thames Television over the long course of the series run.

We also would truly appreciate these programs being remastered from the original film elements. These programs have been made available on DVD, but not as they were originally aired. As time passes, the quality of the picture on these programs continues to degrade, as well as the sound. A Remastered picture and soundtrack would be an important asset to such a DVD series. The present DVDs show this degradation in image quality and sound.

It is also about time that some new bonus features in documentary format be put together, as well as audio commentaries. Hill's Angels were an essential element of the program and their involvement in the bonus features is highly anticipated and would be a tribute to Benny Hill's memory. Louise English, Sue Upton, Clare Smalley, Alison Bell, Corinne Russell, Samantha Spencer Lane and so many other of the Angels from the series could be a wonderful part of a Hill's Angels retrospective. Other cast members such as Henry McGee could also be involved in audio commentaries and features as well. Such a DVD would be a tribute to Britain's greatest comedian, Benny Hill. Thank you.

Hill's Angels - We Want A Collection Petition

Hill's Angels - We Want A Collection Petition
Right now there is a petition at www.petitiononline.com that is gathering signatures in the hopes that we can convince the copyright holders who have control of The Benny Hill Show that such a DVD would be a product many fans of Benny and his beautiful ladies from the show would definitely be excited about purchasing. We haven't had that many signatures and we would really appreciate any and all signatures we would gather on the petition. The only way such a DVD can happen is if we all put our small contribution into this. Thank you.

1. As many of the Classic Hill's Angels routines as possible... everything from "Hot Gossamer" to Louise singing "Get Mad M'Lord".
2. Digitally remastered in Dolby Stereo Surround
3. THX'ed picture and sound.
4. Audio Commentary for the set by Louise English and Sue Upton. They could point out all of the girls and talk about working on the show.
5. Talent bios for all the girls in show. These would be still frames with text explaining how they got on the show, what they did after, what dance numbers they were in and so on.
6. A retrospective documentary on "Hill's Angels". This would preferably be a 60 minute documentary hosted by Louise and Sue, and would include as many interviews as possible with as many of the girls from Hill's Angels as possible. It would be a way to catch up with the girls after all these years. It would also have any footage of Benny directing the Angels with Dennis Kirkland as well as the girls explaining what it was like to be one of Hill's Angels as well as what it was like to work with Benny.
7. I think the coolest thing would be any screen-test footage of the girls... just imagine the very first screen test footage of Louise English and Benny giving Louise directions... that would be cool!!!
8. An alternate Audio commentary with recorded comments by Benny himself (if there are any) that could be used for the Angels segments.
9. DVD-Rom features might include a "Guess the Angel" style game!!
10. And of course, an extensive image gallery of the girls and not the cheap-style one on the Golden Great that continues to scroll but the kind where you push a button on your remote to advance to the next photo. They would have to be archival photos and images and not just cheap "freeze-frame" style still-images!
11. Any outtakes from the show. For instance, Sue seemed to be having lot's of trouble with the hula hoop in the "Runaway" routine. There must have been some hilarious outtakes from the routines. (This last suggestion by Tony Frederick.)

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