Benson

Drama

Inga Swenson

Missy Gold

René Auberjonois (1980–1986)

Ethan Phillips (1980–1985)

Caroline McWilliams (1979–1981)

Didi Conn (1981–1985)

Lewis J. Stadlen (1979–1980)

Billie Bird (1984–1986)

Susan Harris

### Distributor

Columbia Pictures Television (1984–1986, 1988-1995)Coca-Cola Telecommunications (1986-1987)

Columbia TriStar Television (1995–2002)

Sony Pictures Television (2002–present)

## Release

### Chronology

Preceeded BySoap

***Benson*** is an American sitcom television series that originally aired on ABC from September 13, 1979, to April 19, 1986. The show stars Robert Guillaume in the title role of Benson DuBois, the head of the household for Governor Eugene Xavier Gatling, played by James Noble. The show focused on the conflicts and relationships within the Governor's household, with Benson generally providing the sarcastic voice of reason. Inga Swenson, Missy Gold, Didi Conn, Ethan Phillips, and René Auberjonois all played long-term supporting roles.

The series, created by Susan Harris and produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions, was a spin-off of *Soap,* in which the character Benson first appeared as the wise-cracking yet level-headed African-American butler for the highly dysfunctional Tate family. *Benson* avoided the soap opera format of its parent series for a more conventional sitcom structure, with the lead character eventually moving from his service position to a role as lieutenant governor.

The sitcom won two Emmy Awards out of seventeen nominations, including a win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Guillaume in 1985, marking the first black actor to win the category.

## Plot

Benson DuBois (Robert Guillaume) is hired to be the head of household affairs for widowed Governor Eugene X. Gatling (James Noble) and his daughter Katie (Missy Gold). Governor Gatling was a cousin of Jessica Tate (Katherine Helmond) from *Soap.*

Benson faces housekeeping dilemmas and interacts with German cook Gretchen Wilomena Kraus (Inga Swenson) and John Taylor (David Hedison, and later Lewis J. Stadlen), who assists Governor Gatling as chief of staff. After Season 1, Taylor's job is filled by Clayton Endicott III (René Auberjonois).

The governor's press secretary, Pete Downey (Ethan Phillips), is introduced in Season 2, and Benson's secretary, Denise Stevens (Didi Conn), is introduced in Season 3. The two later marry, having a child in the show's fifth season. However, both were written out, with the reason given that Denise secured a job with NASA.

Benson works his way up the ladder during the series, going from head of household affairs to state budget director, and eventually is elevated to the position of Lieutenant-Governor. Eventually, Benson runs for governor against Gatling.

### Series finale

The term-limited Governor Gatling runs for re-election as an independent candidate, with Benson securing the party nomination, setting the stage for the two to go head-to-head in the general election.

At the end of the series' final episode, Benson and Gatling, who had strained relations due to the race, make peace with each other and watch the tight election returns together on television. As the broadcaster begins to announce that a winner is at last being projected, the episode ends on a freeze frame of Benson and Gatling, leaving the series with an unresolved cliffhanger.

According to Gary Brown, who directed the finale and 20 other episodes of *Benson*, three outcomes were filmed, with Benson winning, Gatling winning, and a tie. The intent was to decide over summer break which outcome to use. Brown also stated that, regardless of the outcome, the long-term intent for the next season was for Benson to become the governor.

### Cancellation

In 2007, *Benson* showrunner Bob Fraser said that the season ended on a cliffhanger at the request of the network. The show was cancelled after the cliffhanger had aired. Coincidentally, the parent series, *Soap,* was also canceled with unresolved cliffhangers, though Guillaume had moved on to *Benson* by that point. According to Fraser, the cancellation was a last minute decision by ABC due to the high production costs of the series. Robert Guillaume had also stated that there was hostility between the producers and the network, ABC, that would ultimately result in the cancellation of the series.

Fraser indicated that, had the show continued, Gatling would have won the election and Benson would have become a United States senator in Washington, with the characters Kraus and Clayton following along. Fraser also stated that a long term goal for the series would've been for Benson to end up President of the United States, stating that the idea of the "first African American President" may have been a part of ABC's decision to end the series.

## Cast and characters

### Main

* Robert Guillaume as Benson DuBois, the main character, hired as head of household affairs for Governor Gatling and his daughter Katie. Quick-witted and quick-thinking, Benson has helped the governor on several issues, bailing him out of tight political and public situations.
* James Noble as Eugene X. Gatling, the widowed and scatterbrained (but well-meaning) governor. Gatling has a penchant for telling off-the-wall stories, which Benson (and everyone else in the household) dread.
* Inga Swenson as Gretchen Kraus, the governor's chef. A fiercely proud German immigrant, she is often at odds with Benson and trades insults with him. A running gag in the series was whenever she would walk out of the room, under his breath, Benson would cast one last barb toward Kraus, to which she shouted from off-stage, "I He-e-e-ear You-u-u-u!". Despite their rivalry, Benson and Kraus become close friends. She later becomes Benson's strongest supporter when he runs for governor against Gatling.
* Missy Gold as Katie Gatling, the governor's pre-teen daughter.
* Lewis J. Stadlen as John Taylor, Governor Gatling's chief of staff (season 1 only), played by David Hedison in the pilot episode.
* Caroline McWilliams as Marcy Hill, the governor's personal secretary (seasons 1 and 2). She is Benson's closest friend in the mansion and often confides in him. Frequently unlucky in love, Marcy eventually marries toward the end of Season 2.
* Didi Conn as Denise Stevens, Marcy's replacement (seasons 3 through 5)
* Ethan Phillips as Pete Downey, Gatling's press secretary. (seasons 2 through 5)
* René Auberjonois as Clayton Endicott III; he replaced Taylor as Gatling's chief of staff beginning in season 2. Clayton is very snobbish and high-handed--even more so than his predecessor, Taylor. He is also a hypochondriac.
* Billie Bird as Rose Cassidy; she becomes Gatling's chef in season 6 when Kraus is promoted to Benson's administrative assistant.

### Recurring

* Bob Fraser as Senator Tyler; generally a rival of Benson and Governor Gatling; first shown in Season 5
* Ed Peck as Captain McDermott; Head of security at the mansion from Seasons 2-3
* Percy Rodrigues as Ned Harper; A party chairman introduced in Season 3 and later a judge in Season 5 and onward
* Donna LaBrie as Senator Diane Hartford; A state senator and Benson's partner in Season 7
* Jerry Seinfeld as Frankie, a delivery boy and unsuccessful comedian, for three episodes in 1980; he was asked to leave because of creative differences.
* Ted Danson as Dan Slater; A news producer who marries Marcy in Season 2
* Shavar Ross as Mike Hopkins; a troubled kid with separated parents
* Barney Martin as Frank Cooper; Benson's neighbor in Season 4

## Setting

### Series Set

The actual set of the series was located at *Sunset Gower Studios* in Hollywood California where the series was taped. The series was also taped at *The Prospect Studios*, with most episodes of shot in front of a studio audience and sweetened with laugh tracks. Some episodes were shot without studio audiences however, relying solely on laugh tracks.

### Exterior Shots

The exterior shots of the "Governor's Mansion" are actually of a private home located at 1365 South Oakland Avenue in Pasadena, California.[18]

The same house was seen in the movie *The Beverly Hillbillies* (1993), in a 2006 U.S. television commercial for the RE/MAX real estate company, and in the *Columbo* episode "Etude in Black", as well as in Season One, Episode 11 of *Barnaby Jones*, entitled, "To Denise, with Love and Murder", in which it was used as the outside view of the mansion belonging to the married couple played by Louise Troy and Bill Bixby.

The home has some Palladian and Neoclassical features.

## Reception

### Critical Reception

*Time Magazine* in 1979 stated that the main character was a "*refreshing antidote to the caricatured blacks one normally finds in TV*", but stated that the show needed "*sharper writing*." Robert Mackenzie of *TV Guide* compared the series to its "adult comedy" counterpart, *Soap,* describing *Benson* as a "*part of a wave of comedies suffering from terminal niceness-cute kids and mild grown-ups in scrubbed surroundings, padding benignly through harmless plots with sentimental endings*."

Norman Dresser of *The Blade (*formerly *Toledo Blade)* gave a more favorable review of the series, calling the sitcom "*One of the few bona fide hits of"* the *"sorry excuse for a new television season"* and further complimented the series' writing, acting, and lack of racial caricatures. *The Orlando Sentinel* would praise the show's "*mixture of wit and social consciousness*" while giving acclaim to the show's writing.

### Political Reception

In 1985, the producers of *Benson* surveyed staff members of 17 real life governor's, with 63 percent of the 148 respondents considering the series a realistic portrayal. 43 percent of the respondents stated that they would vote titular character Benson for governor in real life.

### Accolades

*Benson* was listed number 19 on Rolling Stone's *20 Best TV Spin-Offs* list in 2015. Other publications such as IndieWire and TVLine have also included the series on their own similar lists, giving acclaim to the show's dialogue and acting.

In 2004, the titular character, Benson DuBois, was listed #68 on Bravo's *100 Greatest TV Characters* list. Benson DuBois would later be included on TVLine's *30 Most Influential Black Characters of All Time* in 2023.

## Awards & Nominations

### Primetime Emmy Awards 1985

Robert Guillaume
 Outstanding Technical Direction/Electronic Camerawork/Video Control for a Series
Herm Falk (technical director)
Randy Baer (cameraperson)
Stephen A. Jones (cameraperson)
Bill McCloud (cameraperson)
Donna Quante (cameraperson)
Victor Bagdadi (senior video control)

 **Nominee** Primetime Emmy
Inga Swenson
For playing "Gretchen Kraus".

### Primetime Emmy Awards 1984

Robert Guillaume
 Outstanding Live and Tape Sound Mixing and Sound Effects for a Series
Rich Jacob (production mixer)
Allen Patapoff (post-production mixer)
Ross Davis (sound effects)
 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Rene Auberjonois
 Outstanding Technical Direction/Camerawork/Video for a Series
Herm Falk (technical director)
Ron Brooks (cameraperson)
Stephen A. Jones (cameraperson)
Bill Pope (cameraperson)
Donna Quante (cameraperson)
Victor Bagdadi (senior video control)

 Outstanding Video Tape Editing for a Series
Michael Riolo (editor)
For episode "Down the Drain".

### Primetime Emmy Awards 1983

Robert Guillaume
 Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Series
Alan Keath Walker (lighting director)
 Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Series
Alan Keath Walker (lighting designer)
John C. Zak (lighting director)

 Outstanding Tape Sound Mixing for a Series
Rich Jacob (production mixer)
Allen Patapoff (post-production mixer)
Ross Davis (sound effects)
 Outstanding Technical Direction and Electronic Camerawork for a Series
Herm Falk (technical director)
Bill Pope (cameraperson)
Donna Quante (cameraperson)
John Rago (cameraperson)
Iris Rosenthal (cameraperson)
For episode "The Honeymooners".

### Primetime Emmy Awards 1982

Robert Guillaume
 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series
Inga Swenson
For playing: "Gretchen Kraus".

### Primetime Emmy Awards 1980

Robert Guillaume
 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series
Inga Swenson
For playing "Gretchen Kraus".

## Broadcast history

The series premiered on Thursday, September 13th, 1979 and would retain it's Thursday position, following *Laverne and Shirly,* for the rest of the first season. The show would be moved to its more familiar Friday time slot, which it would keep for most of its run until the second half on the seventh season when the show was moved to Saturdays; later being cancelled. The show would be paired up with shows such as *Bosom Buddies* and *Barney Miller,* before being paired with *Webster* for its fifth season.

Aside from it's regular schedule, *Benson* would air in daytime re-runs on ABC from fall of 1983 to the summer of 1984. It would also air in re-runs on various ABC affiliates during it's original run, as well as following its cancellation.

 2 (1980–1981)
 3 (1981–1982)
 4 (1982–1983)
 5 (1983–1984)
 6 (1984–1985)
 7 (1985–1986)
Saturdays at 8:30–9:30 pm ET on ABC (January 18 – April 19, 1986)

## Syndication

*Benson* would enter off network syndication in early 1984 under Columbia Pictures Television distribution, airing on various local affiliates across the United States. The series would begin running on WGN America in 1984, remaining on the lineup until 1989. The show was later picked up for short lived syndication runs on BET, TV Land, and the Screen Gems Network block throughout the 90's and 2000's. The Season 6 episode, "The Oval Office" aired on Nick at Nite on June 22nd, 2005 as apart of the block's 20th anniversary special, showcasing programs from the year 1985.

In 2012, *Benson* would be picked up for syndication on Antenna TV and has since been an on and off staple for the channel. Distribution rights are currently owned by Sony Pictures Television, with reruns in recent years being seen on Family Net (until rebranding as The Cowboy Channel in 2017) and the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) in which the series was broadcasted in widescreen by cropping and zooming the image.

Syndicated edits of the series typically air with a shortened 30 second intro with tag scenes removed.

### Syndication History

* WGN America (1984 - 1989)
* BET (1995 - 1997)
* Screen Gems Network (Syndicated Program) (2000 - 2001)
* Nick at Nite (June 22, 2005) ("The Oval Office" for Nick at Nite's 20th Anniversary Special)
* TV Land (2006 - 2008)
* Antenna TV (2012 - Present)
* Family Net (2015 - 2017)
* OWN (2018 -2019)

## Home media

### DVD Releases

On July 24, 2007, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released Season 1 of *Benson* on DVD in Region 1.

On April 3, 2012, Sony released season 2 on DVD.

On August 27, 2013, Mill Creek Entertainment announced it had acquired the rights to various television series from the Sony Pictures library including *Benson*.[16] They re-released the first and second seasons on DVD on September 2, 2014.[17]

### Streaming Re**leases**

In 2021, Roku added all 7 Seasons of the series to their streaming lineup, marking the first official release of the entire series. The entire series has also since been made available on Amazon Prime video, with various other seasons have being available on Crackle, Plex, FuboTV, Philo, and Apple TV.

 The Complete Second Season

## External Links

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benson\_(TV\_series)
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_programs\_broadcast\_by\_NewsNation
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_programs\_broadcast\_by\_BET
4. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078569/awards/?ref\_=tt\_awd
5. https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1985
6. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0DBPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kwIEAAAAIBAJ&dq=benson%20robert%20guillaume&pg=7177%2C5335629
7. https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/benson/
8. http://www.tvtango.com/series/benson/awards
9. https://books.google.com/books?id=D7EDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA55&dq=Benson&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiO5LC-84H9AhUCMDQIHXu2DeM4FBDoAXoECAMQAw#v=onepage&q=Benson&f=false
10. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/09/24/benson-off-the-laugh-track/d793aef3-e4db-4fb5-bb18-1e25e7faaa26/
11. https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/20-best-tv-spin-offs-147843/torchwood-2-65489/