Close Menu
BintanoBintano
    What's Hot

    Iconic 80s TV star looks unrecognizable on rare outing… can you guess who it is?

    May 10, 2025

    Ulrika Jonsson reveals how she re-discovered her ‘irrepressible sex drive’ in her 50s following a ‘barren marriage’ after Gwyneth Paltrow admitted to grieving her lack of libido

    May 10, 2025

    Dannii Minogue looks angelic in all-white as she steps out in pinstriped co-ord jumpsuit set in London

    May 10, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    BintanoBintano
    Subscribe
    • Home
    • Entertainment

      Iconic 80s TV star looks unrecognizable on rare outing… can you guess who it is?

      May 10, 2025

      Ulrika Jonsson reveals how she re-discovered her ‘irrepressible sex drive’ in her 50s following a ‘barren marriage’ after Gwyneth Paltrow admitted to grieving her lack of libido

      May 10, 2025

      Dannii Minogue looks angelic in all-white as she steps out in pinstriped co-ord jumpsuit set in London

      May 10, 2025

      Teddi Mellencamp bravely steps out in LA amid stage four cancer battle after heartbreaking update

      May 10, 2025

      Nicola Peltz and her ‘desperate thirst for fame’: Insiders say David and Victoria are ‘done’ with their daughter-in-law and reveal why another ultra-famous family were so quick to ditch the billionaire heiress: KATIE HIND

      May 10, 2025
    • Love Island

      Love Island star sparks concern as she’s rushed to hospital and says she ‘can’t cope’ in distressing Instagram post

      May 9, 2025

      Maura Higgins goes braless and flaunts her washboard abs in a skimpy white crop top as she poses for sizzling GUESS shoot

      May 9, 2025

      Love Island’s Millie Court flaunts her jaw-dropping figure in a black bikini as she poses for a sizzling pool photoshoot

      May 8, 2025

      Love Island legend is ‘confirmed’ for Celebrity Big Brother after their I’m A Celeb pal lets slip they are going into house

      March 3, 2025

      Love Island: All Stars’ Sammy Root, 23, and Elma Pazar, 32, brush off ‘split’ rumours as they enjoy romantic date night after leaving the villa

      March 1, 2025
    • Netflix

      Amanda Holden takes a swipe at BBC show as she complains about ‘urine soaked dressing room floors’ while filming travel series with Alan Carr

      May 9, 2025

      Our TV experts have picked the 20 best shows and films…

      May 9, 2025

      Konnie Huq looks loved-up with husband Charlie Brooker at the British Vogue and Netflix BAFTA Television Awards party

      May 9, 2025

      Selling Sunset star Amanza Smith says she’s glad Prince Harry met Meghan Markle and not her – after they both appeared on the same hit US TV show

      May 8, 2025

      Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie reboot reveals its cast

      May 7, 2025
    • Instagram

      Teddi Mellencamp bravely steps out in LA amid stage four cancer battle after heartbreaking update

      May 10, 2025

      Fashion designer Natalie Rolt announces she is expecting her first child with husband Ty Couanis

      May 10, 2025

      Romeo Beckham shares another cryptic post amid family ‘feud’ with brother Brooklyn

      May 9, 2025

      Sophie Kasaei shows off dramatic results of getting face filler dissolved at £30m Botox clinic after an allergic reaction left her with PTSD

      May 9, 2025

      ’80s supermodel Kim Alexis, 64, talks the ‘pressure of staying beautiful’… see her now

      May 9, 2025
    • TikTok

      Fashion designer Natalie Rolt announces she is expecting her first child with husband Ty Couanis

      May 10, 2025

      Country singer Jessie Murph brings a PIG as her date as she walks the red carpet at ACM Awards 2025 in Texas

      May 9, 2025

      Tom Cruise, 62, enjoys a low-key stroll with new girlfriend Ana De Armas in a London park on her 37th birthday after their romance was confirmed

      May 9, 2025

      MAFS star Eliot Donovan star forced to explain use of ‘racial slur’ that left Brits stunned: ‘My mouth dropped’

      May 9, 2025

      TikTok star Indy Clinton shares hilarious clip of her using an iron for the first time in her adult life

      May 8, 2025
    BintanoBintano
    Entertainment

    Review: Paul Whitehouse’s Sketch Show Years Resurrects the Joy of Slapstick

    BintanoBy BintanoJune 27, 2024No Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit Telegram LinkedIn Tumblr VKontakte WhatsApp Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest Email

    Paul Whitehouse’s Sketch Show Years (Gold) 

    Rating:

    Only a comedy connoisseur would have the nerve. Paul Whitehouse, star of The Fast Show and now Gone Fishing, dared to say it — Benny Hill was brilliantly funny.

    In the first episode of his Sketch Show Years, harking back to the 1970s, he paid tribute to beloved double acts: Morecambe and Wise, The Two Ronnies, and Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.

    Acknowledged geniuses such as Les Dawson and the Python troupe were included too, though the selection was too predictable — the dead parrot, conductor Andrew Preview, fork handles and Bloody Greta Garbo all featured.

    But the real fun started when Paul dared to reassess the comedians that political correctness cancelled. He took a nostalgic joy in reminding us of Dick Emery’s favourite characters — Honky-Tonks mincing in his silks and extravagant hats, and saucy Mandy dispatching every suitor with a shove: ‘Ooh, you are awful . . . but I like you!’

    Most of all, he revelled in the raunchy slapstick of Alfred Hawthorne Hill, who started doing stand-up as a teenager in the 1930s, before adopting the name of his favourite American comedian, Jack Benny.

    Paul Whitehouse stars in Paul Whitehouse's Sketch Show Years

    Paul Whitehouse stars in Paul Whitehouse’s Sketch Show Years

    Benny Hill is almost never seen on television now. All we remember is the fast-forward chase scenes, Benny being pursued by girls in swimsuits to the soundtrack of Yakety Sax.

    But he was a far more versatile performer and writer with an array of characters such as Mervyn Twit and Fred Scuttle, and a gift for silent comedy that made him the precursor to Mr Bean. Paul gave us a taste of this, but an hour-long episode could have given him much more space to remind us what we’ve been missing.

    Benny’s success was global, partly because it needed no translation: ‘I can get my face slapped in six languages,’ he said.

    Though the post-punk boom in alternative comedy stalled his career in the UK during the 1980s, he remained phenomenally successful abroad.

    Sales of his show in the U.S. netted him $5 million a year, about £15m today. Stations aired his repeats twice daily. 

    Prisoners at San Jose penitentiary threatened to riot unless they were allowed to watch him.

    During the Cold War, Russians picked up his programme by turning their TV aerials towards Finland, until Premier Mikhail Gorbachev ruled that Benny could be broadcast in the Soviet Union — one of the Kremlin’s most popular decisions ever.

    Despite his success, money meant nothing to him. When he went shopping, he took a carrier bag of banknotes. He turned down lucrative offers to perform in Vegas, and lived in a modest flat with a rented television.

    Only a comedy connoisseur would have the nerve. Paul Whitehouse (pictured), star of The Fast Show and now Gone Fishing, dared to say it ¿ Benny Hill was brilliantly funny

    Only a comedy connoisseur would have the nerve. Paul Whitehouse (pictured), star of The Fast Show and now Gone Fishing, dared to say it — Benny Hill was brilliantly funny

    Explaining why he had no wife or partner, he said: ‘I have a mental age of about 17 — far too young for marriage.’ Every Christmas, he returned to his late parents’ semi-detached house in Southampton, where he put out buckets to catch rain pouring through the roof. 

    Eccentric and joyfully entertaining, Benny Hill deserves to be rediscovered. Paul’s salute was a good start.

    Share or comment on this article:
    Paul Whitehouse’s Sketch Show Years review: Bravo Paul, for daring to remind us of Benny Hill’s joyful slapstick, writes CHRISTOPHER STEVENS

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleEnjoy Glasto from your armchair with BBC TV!
    Next Article Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel Move on from DWI Arrest
    Bintano
    • Website

    Related Posts

    Iconic 80s TV star looks unrecognizable on rare outing… can you guess who it is?

    May 10, 2025

    Ulrika Jonsson reveals how she re-discovered her ‘irrepressible sex drive’ in her 50s following a ‘barren marriage’ after Gwyneth Paltrow admitted to grieving her lack of libido

    May 10, 2025

    Dannii Minogue looks angelic in all-white as she steps out in pinstriped co-ord jumpsuit set in London

    May 10, 2025

    Teddi Mellencamp bravely steps out in LA amid stage four cancer battle after heartbreaking update

    May 10, 2025
    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Top Posts

    Iconic 80s TV star looks unrecognizable on rare outing… can you guess who it is?

    May 10, 2025

    Ulrika Jonsson reveals how she re-discovered her ‘irrepressible sex drive’ in her 50s following a ‘barren marriage’ after Gwyneth Paltrow admitted to grieving her lack of libido

    May 10, 2025

    Dannii Minogue looks angelic in all-white as she steps out in pinstriped co-ord jumpsuit set in London

    May 10, 2025

    Teddi Mellencamp bravely steps out in LA amid stage four cancer battle after heartbreaking update

    May 10, 2025

    Nicola Peltz and her ‘desperate thirst for fame’: Insiders say David and Victoria are ‘done’ with their daughter-in-law and reveal why another ultra-famous family were so quick to ditch the billionaire heiress: KATIE HIND

    May 10, 2025

    Fashion designer Natalie Rolt announces she is expecting her first child with husband Ty Couanis

    May 10, 2025

    Iconic band reveal they turned down representing Britain at Eurovision before organisers asked McFly… who also said no!

    May 10, 2025

    Jourdan Dunn, 34, sends pulses racing in a sparkly black bikini as she shows off her major style transformation during a lavish trip to Jamaica

    May 10, 2025

    Tom Cruise, 62, ‘lines up his new girlfriend Ana de Armas, 37, for leading role in new blockbuster’

    May 9, 2025

    Inside Australia’s ‘Most Sexually Active Woman’ Annie Knight’s $10,000 engagement party – as she reveals the REAL reason her parents didn’t attend

    May 9, 2025

    Bintano is your go-to source for the latest celebrity news, entertainment headlines, exclusive stories, gossip, photos, videos, and more. Stay updated daily!

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube
    Top Insights

    Iconic 80s TV star looks unrecognizable on rare outing… can you guess who it is?

    May 10, 2025

    Ulrika Jonsson reveals how she re-discovered her ‘irrepressible sex drive’ in her 50s following a ‘barren marriage’ after Gwyneth Paltrow admitted to grieving her lack of libido

    May 10, 2025

    Dannii Minogue looks angelic in all-white as she steps out in pinstriped co-ord jumpsuit set in London

    May 10, 2025
    Get Informed

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    © 2025 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.
    • Home
    • Entertainment

      Iconic 80s TV star looks unrecognizable on rare outing… can you guess who it is?

      May 10, 2025

      Ulrika Jonsson reveals how she re-discovered her ‘irrepressible sex drive’ in her 50s following a ‘barren marriage’ after Gwyneth Paltrow admitted to grieving her lack of libido

      May 10, 2025

      Dannii Minogue looks angelic in all-white as she steps out in pinstriped co-ord jumpsuit set in London

      May 10, 2025

      Teddi Mellencamp bravely steps out in LA amid stage four cancer battle after heartbreaking update

      May 10, 2025

      Nicola Peltz and her ‘desperate thirst for fame’: Insiders say David and Victoria are ‘done’ with their daughter-in-law and reveal why another ultra-famous family were so quick to ditch the billionaire heiress: KATIE HIND

      May 10, 2025

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.