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Category:    Home > Reviews > Comedy > British > Sketch > TV > Benny Hill - Set Two (A&E)

Benny Hill – Set Two: The Naughty Years

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: C+     Episodes: B

 

 

Continuing their definitive series of DVD releases of the British comedy classic, Benny Hill - Set Two: The Naughty Years contains seasons four through six.  Many companies have issued the show, but no one is dong the fine job A&E has been doing.  Like many other popular shows, compilations of highlights were issued, but not whole seasons before the home video industry caught on that entire seasons would sell.  On three DVDs, you get the entire seasons as only roughly four episodes a season were produced.

 

Though not quite as funny as the first set, the ten hour-long slotted shows here have Hill’s usual mix of foreigner satires, Hill’s hilarious disguises as various women, some of his regular buffoons, amusing cover versions of hit record by singers one step away from The Lawrence Welk Show, Hill’s own funny songs that are up there with the best of Ray Stevens and “Weird Al” Yankovic, film and TV send-ups and other surprises.  Because some people considered our listing of some highlights the equivalent of spoilers in the last review, we are foregoing them this time.  I will say that you can still tell the immense kind of work that went into producing only a few shows a year, which is why they are such classics.  This set has also aged very well, save those guest song moments, though you got to love the Ladybirds.

 

Again, all skits are chapterized for outstanding access to all the funny moments.  I always liked Benny Hill and even had one of those previous compilation DVDs, but the quality here is better for picture and sound, especially Warner Bros. with their Dolby 1.0 Mono.  The sound here is a boosted Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, which is a great improvement.  That also helps make the music handled by music supervisor Ronnie Aldrich that much clearer, including Hill’s legendary signature theme song, Yakkety Sak.  The full frame 1.33 X 1 image is a bit sharper and cleaner, with a bit more detail from the PAL materials.  You are better off with this first of many planned set releases.  Extras include another funny quiz set up with funny clips and the terrific A&E Biography installment Benny Hill: Laughter & Controversy, hosted by Peter Graves.  Benny Hill - Set Two is a must for any serious British TV Comedy collection.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


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