Once regarded as one of the most successful comedians of all time, Benny Hill undoubtedly became a staple of TV during the three decades that the incredibly popular “The Benny Hill Show” was on air. Even those who aren’t familiar with his show, can easily recognize the notes of the famous “Yakety Sax” which Benny popularized for its hilarious tone.
These days it’s a different story for Benny, who British audiences accuse of sexism, misogyny, and a generally raunchy attitude and content that many deem unacceptable.
Slamming Benny Hill for these reasons is nothing new though, as he experienced the same treatment shortly before his career went downhill in the 1980s. He passed away alone and in an extended TV retirement, but what happened to the TV giant who was once regarded as a comedy genius to end in such a sad way?
Keep with us to gain a deep insight into Benny Hill’s tragic decline, career, personal highs and lows, and the legacy for which he’s often judged.
What Made “The Benny Hill Show” Legendary?
Between the 1950s and 1980s, millions of Britons tuned in to “The Benny Hill Show” week after week. The show’s success isn’t surprising, though, as Benny’s sketches and parodies were highly entertaining and fitting in an age when TV was far simpler and less widely spread than today.
“The Benny Hill Show” was successful well beyond the UK, with its US syndication turning so popular that it even ran a couple of years after the original show was canceled. Though Benny appeared in several films and a couple of other TV shows throughout his career, he owed his popularity to “The Benny Hill Show”, which allowed him to explore different, comedy styles, and portray a wide variety of characters which turned into classics, though he didn’t go all out with his creative ways until the show left the old-timey BBC to join the more open-minded Thames Television in the late 1960s.
Something consistent about Benny’s humor was the presence of lightly-clothed young women whom his characters chased after without success. Jokes about peeking under women’s skirts or touching their bodies were common in Benny’s comedy, to the point that a sexpot troupe called ‘Hill’s Angels’ became a feature in the show in the 1980s.
Why Did It End?
Seeing men chasing after good-looking women might not have been rare in Benny’s show, but that doesn’t mean that these types of sketches went without criticism. One of the first to voice his concerns about this was Ben Elton, a British comedian who once affirmed on TV how women in the UK couldn’t ‘walk safe in a park anymore’, while blaming Benny’s show for it.
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Though Elton’s affirmations were dismissed and mocked by GQ Magazine and some other popular outlets, time proved that he wasn’t alone in his concerns. When “The Benny Hill Show” was canceled in 1989, an executive and producer of Thames Television named John Howard Davies said that not only was the show costing the network too much money, but also that low ratings confirmed that it was past its prime. He also affirmed that Benny looked tired, and much to the bafflement of long-time fans of the show, that ‘(leering) at a pretty girl’ had become less entertaining to watch as the comedian hit his 60s.
While it’s up to people to decide whether Benny’s sacking was justified or not, it isn’t hard to see that the discomfort over Benny’s alleged misogynism and overall humor isn’t new.
Personal Life
Benny Hill was a capable comedian whose idiotic antics became the centerpiece of his work. However, the personal side of Benny’s life story is quite mysterious, and the source of some rumors which haven’t been completely dismissed or cleared up in decades.
Benny’s early life was spent in frugality due to his parents, and those habits didn’t change even when he gained fame and fortune through his works later in life, much to the enjoyment of tabloids who painted him as someone tight-fisted who would stare at food tins for minutes at the supermarket.
On top of that, Benny never married nor had kids, unsurprisingly awakening non-stop speculations about his romantic and sexual life. As the Sabotage Times once described it, Benny’s ‘myth is a complex one’, made up of rumors of two extreme natures. Some believed he was homosexual, and others were convinced he didn’t have much game with women, despite his status as a TV star.
The latter rumors are far stronger than the former, though. As the writer Barry Took notes in Benny’s biography “Star Turns” from 1992, Benny’s trips to other countries in search of naive ‘local ladies’ weren’t unknown. The producer and close friend of Benny, Dennis Kirkland, also affirmed that the comedian didn’t have long-lasting serious relationships, and women were often disinterested in him.
Nonetheless, Benny was also known for his ‘gentle nature’ and, unrelated to his romantic life, had long-lasting friendships, and preferred a frugal life rare for the level of fame and fortune he amassed throughout his career.
Death
Before his death, Benny Hill experienced a series of setbacks, both health and career-wise. Following his firing from Thames Television, Benny took a break from TV until 1991, when plans to film several episodes for his “Benny Hill’s World Tour” were set, but in the end only a New York special was filmed and released.
While Benny’s popularity hadn’t faded and “The Benny Hill Show” was still airing in the US until 1991, Thames Television had ceased repeats of his show in the UK. At some point, the network put the show on air again after receiving a large number of petitions, and offered a new show to Benny, who reportedly rejected them alongside those from Carlton Television.
In early 1992, Benny’s health was on the decline. He suffered a heart attack and was diagnosed with kidney failure, but he refused treatment and surgery for both affections. Around the same time, he’d been negotiating to create some special shows for Central Independent Television, but sadly died on 18 April of that year, the same day his new contract arrived at his solitary residency in Teddington.
Alfred Hawthorne ‘Benny’ Hill died from coronary thrombosis at 68 years old, though his body wasn’t discovered until two days later.
Legacy & General Opinion
Benny Hill’s life story was one of someone who achieved a great deal of success, but also of someone who experienced several professional and personal lows throughout his life.
While it isn’t hard to find negative opinions about Benny, many also remember him warmly enough to ask for repeats of his shows, buy his used glasses for hundreds of dollars, and create plays exploring his life inside and outside his famous show. Celebrities such as Burt Reynolds and Snoop Dogg have also expressed their admiration for Benny’s work, so it’s far-fetched to say that his legacy has been forgotten.
Even if his show’s cancellation and subsequent solitary passing put a bitter ending to his life story, Benny can’t simply be dismissed as a forgotten comedian whose show became outdated – neither are accurate.
