recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Pat Ashton

**Pat Ashton** was blonde Cockney actress, known for the movies "The Gaffer," "On the Buses" and "Mutiny on the Buses."

Born in 1931 in Wood Green, England, she was the granddaughter of a Russian trapeze artist, who had performed in front of Tsar Nicholas II. Trained from childhood as a singer and tap dancer, Pat acted in the London's West End and toured Europe with Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop production of "Oh! What a Lovely War" through the 60s.

Best known on screen for her recurring appearances in 1970's sitcoms and sketch shows, notably "On the Buses" and five episodes of "The Benny Hill Show." She was in the Lover Come Back to Me duet with Benny on February 22, 1973, as Benny's duet partner in blooper segments and as the leading lady in the "Crimson Shadow" quickie on December 27, 1972. She also appeared in all the episodes of his 1980 Season. Her other credits include the TV programs "As Thick As Thieves" and "The Gaffer."

She passed away on June 23, 2013 in Diss, England, survived by her husband, Geoff Goodwin.

## Episode(s)

* Name That Tune
* Butch Cafferty and the Fundance Kid
* Women's Lib Television
* Jackie Wright's Holiday
* The Common Market Square Dance

## Gallery

1/6
Sarah Woollett

**Sarah Woolett** is an English dancer best known as a member of the dance troupe, Pan's People, mostly associated with the TV music chart show, "Top of the Pops," that aired on the BBC in England.

Not much is known about her past and career, but it is known she trained at the Arts Educational School in London. She later joined Pan's People under former member, Dee Dee Wilde, who re-formed the group after it left "Top of the Pops," along with Pauline Crawford, Patricia McSherry and future Hill's Angels Louise English, Abigail Higgins and Francesca Whitburn. Woolett appeared with "Pan's People" on "The Benny Hill Show" on March 14, 1979 and briefly starred on the series as a cast member, appearing in the "Soar-Away Sum" blooper on April 25, 1979. Not much more is known about her life. Although many of the Angels have since become choreographers and dance instructors, she may no longer be in show business.

## Episode(s)

* The Police Raid in Waterloo Station with Pan's People
* Leprechaun TV
Tee Jay

**Tee Jay** is an English actress and dancer who starred as one of the Hill's Angels on "The Benny Hill Show." Born as Terry Jones, her name seems to have been changed after her January 6, 1982 appearance to avoid confusion with the Terry Jones of "Monty Python" fame. Although credited as Terry Jones in her first episode, she was credited as Tee Jay in the February 10, 1982 episode; ironically, the last show to individually list the Hill's Angels by name. There's not many details about her life and career.

## Episode(s)

* The Monte Carbolic Show (as Terry Jones)
* Talking Point (as Tee Jay)
The Castaway

## Bio

**The Castaway** is a comedy monologue by a character Benny Hill played on February 11, 1981 who describes taking a trip, getting lost at sea and stranded on an island before he gets rescued. The routine was performed alone on a stage before a jungle setting, joined by Henry McGee as the steward off the Titanic. He plays a similar castaway character in a series of quickies on March 25, 1981.
There's actually two bloopers in Benny's material. One is that the Titanic had a North Atlantic route and never passed anywhere near the South Pacific setting of the sketch. Two, it was the H.M.S. Titanic, not the S.S. Titanic.

## Lyrics

Oh, hey, over here! yes, I'm the only one. That's right. I'm the only one....

You see, this whole whole mess started in Dungeness,

When Jacques and I went signed on for a trip to Sri Lanka

The captain said, "Away Anchor," I said, "No need. It's written there. Half a ton."

In the boiler room Ray said, "Meet my stowaway.

She's nineteen years old her name's Nell

And I heard myself shout, "Suppose someone finds out."

He said, "Yes, but who's going to tell?"

That night there was a gale,

And the crew clung to the rail.

No one else was more sick than Carruthers

And Dr. Rumack said, "You got a weak stomach?"

I said, "I'm chucking it as far as the others!"

Then Nell crawled up on deck with her dress soaking wet.

She said, "I'll get pneumonia and die."

I said, "Is there a Macintosh here big to cover this poor dear."

Jacques said, "There's a Mactavish that's willing to try."

Then the whole ship went down

I said, "Mind you, don't drown!

"Hang on to a buoy if you can."

Nell looked at me coy,

She said, "You're not a boy. Get away, you're a dirty, old man."

And as we reached the shore,

We was greeted my four great big natives

One was a king you can tell.

And old Alan Chisum said, "Do you practice cannibalism?"

He said, "No never. We do it quite well."

And into the pot they put Charlie Dot,

Harvey Dunn and his big brother Davy...

Who with a smile on his lips said,

"Well, we've had our chips,

"But at least I've ruined his gravy."

The king stripped Nell bare

And as she stood there

With both pairs of cheeks blushing red,

He said, "God, that looks tasty,

"Oh lads, don't be hasty,

"I'll take breakfast in bed."

He turned to the crew

Being turned into stew in garlic and oil

He said, "Lads, could you do us a favor,

"Will you shout when it starts to boil?"

Oh majesty, why did you spare me?

He said, "Well, we had visitors from liners and freighters,

"But each time we got an Irishman in the pot

"The beggars ate all of the potaters."

It's usually it's the Irish bloke who's the butt of the joke

This time it twas English that took to panic...

But I'll be leaving this isle...

And leaving in style...

Aboard the S. S. Titanic......

## Episode(s)

* A Tribute to the Lower Tidmarsh Volunteer Fire Brigade
The Boxing Day Special 2

## Production

**Episode:** 32

**Date:** December 26, 1968

**Time:** 45 minutes

**Musical Director:** Burt Rhodes

**Producer:** Kenneth Carter

**Director:**

**Writer:** Benny Hill

## Episode

* Show Opening - Running Late
* Merwyn Thud and Radio Times Takeover Bid
* Readers' Complaints: J. Arthur Scuttle, Film Editor for TV
* Inebriated Disk Jockey with a huge hangover
* Tammy Jones: "Summertime"
* Claude Le Twit, French Film Director
* See-Saw, Roundabout and Swing
* At the Barbershop
* Tag: The Singers and Dancers of the Red Army

## Highlights

* Benny runny late for the studio and hitching a ride on an old lady
* A cheesy badly-edited monster movie is shown on television
* a Radio 1 disc jockey with a massive hangover struggling to get through a hangover
* an interview with French film director, Claude Le Twit talking his new film "See Saw, Roundabout and Swing"
* Benny as an actor in a theatrical play has major problems

## Cast

* Benny Hill
* June Whitfield
* Henry McGee
* Jenny Lee-Wright
* Jack Wright (credited as John Wright)
* Doris Rogers
* Jim Tyson
* Ken Sedd (credited as Kedd Senton)
* Carolyn Moody
* David G. Marsh
* Richard Mottau (credited as Richard Mottan)
* Ian Kaye
* David Wright
* Tammy Jones

## Trivia

* This episode features six cast members from the Thames TV years.
* The gag with Benny riding the back of the old lady was later reworked in The Messenger on  March 24, 1971
* Claude Le Twit, French Film Director is an early version of Pierre De Tierre interview from February 23, 1972
* "At the Barbershop" is later remade as Marcel The Barber on March 12, 1975.

## Sequence

* **Last Episode:** December 11, 1968
* **Next Episode:** The European Song Contest
The Wishing Well

## Bio

The **Wishing Well** is a notable landmark somewhere in England (possibly Lower Tidmarsh) which seems to have remarkable mystical powers, bringing live to people's thoughts and somehow granting their wishes.

When an elderly couple (Benny Hill and Connie Georges) shows up near the well, he tosses in a coin wishing he was single, which resulting in his wife disappearing. Thinking he's got a good thing going, he tosses in another coin wanting a young beautiful bride and a beautiful brunette (Margaret Dupre) appears. He is ecstatic, but she's not. She tosses in a coin for her own tall handsome lover and a huge muscleman (David Prowse) appears. Unfortunately, the big guy has his own thoughts. He tosses in a coin to be alone with the old timer. Not enjoying this turn of events, the old guy tosses in another coin, getting rid of the muscleman and getting his wife back in one stroke.

The well (or another one) is eventually approached some years later by a homely woman (Henry McGee) wanting to approve her looks, but the magic isn't working or the well itself is malfunctioning. When she asks for a "forty size bust," a forty bus appears.

## Trivia

* The well is possibly in Lower Tidmarsh which was the location for many of the early Thames episodes.
* The strongman is played by three-time British heavyweight weightlifting champion David Prowse, who would later play Darth Vader in all three original Star Wars films. He would also return in Stupid Cupid.
* Dave Allen also did a version of this sketch ending with two guys walking off together.

## Episode(s)

* The European Song Contest
* WonderGran Meets Dr. Jackal and Mr. Hyde

## Gallery

1/7
The Vanishing Man

## Production

**Episode:** 13

**Date:** January 11, 1963

**Time:** 25:00

**Musical Director:** Ron Grainer

**Vocals:** None

**Choreography:** None

**Producer:** John Streeter

**Director:** Tony Abbott

**Writer:** Benny Hill and Dave Freeman

## Episode

Harry Cruddy (Benny Hill) is a gas-fitter mate who disappears at the time the money from his state club vanishes. His brother (Benny Hill) and girlfriend (Valerie Brooks) head to Russia looking for him.

## Cast

* Benny Hill
* Valerie Brooks
* Edwin Brown
* Jennifer Browne
* Caron Gardner
* Joe Gibbons
* Tricia Money
* George Myddleton
* Joan Newell
* Nadja Regin
* Colin Spaull
* Valerie Stanton
* Leon Thau
* Frank Thornton

## Sequence

* **Last Episode:** The Shooting of Willie The Kid
* **Next Episode:** Mr. Apollo
News of the Family

## Bio

**News of the Family** is a ballad sung by Benny Hill in the opening of the December 5, 1973 episode. The background music was by Los Zafiros.

## Lyrics

There’s an English boy in jail in Valencia

Who gets a letter from across the sea,

Saying, dear son, this is your father, I think,

With news of the family.

Your mother’s gone back on the coal round

And she comes home as tired as hell.

Oh, stick it, I say

For just one more day,

Or until that poor cart horse gets well.

And your half-cousin Gail is in Holloway jail,

But at least she’ll be near to her mum

And your great auntie Clara

Stole two ton of cascara,

And I hear that she’s still on the run.

And the welfare are giving two bottles of Guinness

To all 45-year-old mums.

And men over 50 get two pounds of sugar

To help them preserve their plums.

Your ma keeps making me tea cakes

From a recipe your auntie lent.

In my mouth, they melt just like butter.

In me stomach, they set like cement.

She keeps on experimenting

With different ways she can fill me.

Oh, it's just like playing Russian roulette,

'Cause I never know which meal will kill me.

We all went to the wedding

Of that stuck-up Miss Redding,

But we all behaved very nice.

And we never let on

She was seven months gone.

We just stood there and threw puffed rice

Me mother-in-law is still in hospital.

In ten months, she’ll have been there a year.

But her old man’s no dope,

‘Cause he still has Hope,

And sometimes Hope’s sister, Maria.

And old, Charlie Pride

Stole a ton of fluoride.

He said it makes the water taste grand.

But last Tuesday, when he fed his goldfish

One of them bit off his hand.

Well, goodbye, my son. Now don’t worry about us.

Though Lord knows where we’d have been

Without that half a million pesetas

That we got for turning you in.
S.S. Rumpo

## Bio

The **S.S. Rumpo** is a British cruise ship which sails from the port of Littlehampton. Unfortunately, the crew act very boorish and unprofessional to the point where they practically violate the rights of their passengers. When they get hungry while on duty, two of the stewards (Benny Hill and Jerrold Wells) sway back and forth to make a passenger (Jackie Wright) sea sick enough to abandon his mean so they can eat it.

For entertainment, the crew dangle off the ship to spy on the female passengers (Mia Martin) coming out of the showers in the state rooms or loiter under the deck stairs to look under the skirts of the female passengers (Carol Mills and Bettine Le Beau), but this often backfires when they're not paying attention to notice the Scottish men (Henry McGee) in kilts.

The ship's somelier isn't much better, using sound effects to cover up for a weak bottle of wine. He also frequenly goes around patting the bottoms of ladies (Carol Mills) standing at the rails. The only one who seems to be professional on deck are the entertainment, pianist Madame Karsova and Fred (Jose Stewart and Benny Hill). The Captain (Benny Hill) isn't much better than his crew, using fake hands at his table to fondle the female guests (Mia Martin and Marilyn Rickard) under the table.

The bartender (Benny Hill) though somewhat professional is also apparently inexperienced. He spills water, hurls ice and fails at making drinks, at one time losing an olive and trying to catch it with a spoon only to lose it down the front of a dress of a young lady (Carol Mills) with a gentleman (Henry McGee). When the crew (Bob Todd and Jerrold Wells) break into the liquor and get really inebriated, they chase the female guests across the ship, creating a very trying and exhausting experience for the passengers.

## Trivia

* Jenny Lee Wright plays Jackie's waitress in the ship restaurant.
* The young lady with Jackie on deck is possibly Yvonne Paul.
* The bar routine is repeated in the Madame Louise Summer Collection on March 5, 1980 with Louise English and Sue Upton performed a cover of Amanda Lear's "Fashion Pack." In the later reworking, Benny wears the same orange shock wig he wears as Ginger Thompkins.
* The "seasick" gag was recreated in the Hill's Angels Ship's Cruise routine in the 1983 Super-Teech episode.
* Lillian Padmore possibly play's Jackie's wife at the end of the bartender sketch. Brian Nolan, David Waterman, Vic Taylor and Dennis Plenty possibly play the unidentified male roles.
* The ship set turns up again in Meryn Cruddy: Spy Catcher in 1974.

## Gallery

1/17
Roger Finch

**Roger Finch** is an English actor known for mostly for being one of the sketch players on "The Benny Hill Show" in the 70s and 80s. Not much is known about his life and career. His first TV credits were on "The Rolf Harris Show" and "Intimate Games" with an appearance in the film "Dick Emery's Comedy Hour" in 1979. His sister, Linda Finch, also briefly worked on "The Benny Hill Show" as a choreographer to the Hill's Angels. Today, they teach drama at the Finch Stage School in Essex, England, founded by their mother, Betty Finch.

## Episode(s)

* Big Poppa
* A Tribute to the Lower Tidmarsh Volunteer Fire Brigade
* WonderGran Meets Dr. Jackal and Mr. Hyde
* Name That Tune
* Butch Cafferty and the Fundance Kid
* Women's Lib Television
* The Police Raid in Waterloo Station
* Leprechaun TV
* Friday Night Fever

## Gallery

* Benny and RogerGo to Leprechaun TV (sketch)
1/22
The Boxing Day Special

## Production

**Episode:** 28

**Date:** December 26, 1967

**Time:** 45 minutes

**Musical Director:** Phillip Casson

**Producer:** John Scoffield

**Director:**

**Writer:** Benny Hill

## Episode

* Guests include:
	+ The Seekers
	+ Jack Parnell and his Orchestra
	+ The Pamela Devis Dancers
	+ The Mike Sammes Singers

## Cast

* Benny Hill
* Vince Hill
* Dorita Y Pepe
* Arthur Mullard
* Rita Webb
* Dave Freeman
* Yvonne Antrobus
* Bettine Le Beau
* Peter Diamond
* Gerry Wain

## Trivia

* This episode actually starred on ITV as a Boxing Day Special.
* First appearances of Nicholas Parsons, Rita Webb and Bettine Le Beau, who all appeared with Benny in his show's run at Thames TV. However, it is the last appearance for Dorita y Pepe, Arthur Mullard and Benny's former writing partner Dave Freeman, who appears in this show only as an actor.

## Sequence

* **Last Episode:** The Laddyboys: Tex Cymbal
* **Next Episode:** Knickers World
Rolf Harris

## Bio

**Rolf Harris** is a famous Australian outback expert and TV host who features aborigine culture on his program. Although very excited to be sharing his research to others, he often neglects to realize how much of a danger his items (and himself) are to others. While showing off a didgeridoo and giving a blow-pipe demonstration, he accidentally shoots a female cast member (Lee Gibson) in her posterior. After he quickly realizes the blow dart is poisonous, she looks for someone to suck the poison out of her... Something Harris is way too eager to help with.

In an art display, Harris tries to show off the look of the Australian landscape on a landscape, but once again, his attention is more on his audience and he splatters another assistant (Samantha Stevens) in paint, receiving a few coarse words in return.

Harris is also known as one of the impressions of Zipper Martin.

## Trivia

* Rolf Harris was played by Benny Hill. He was based on a real British Australian entertainer named Rolf Harris whose career has encompassed work as a musician, singer-songwriter, composer, comedian, actor, painter and television personality. His 1967 to 1974 series also featured Roger Finch and Pete Morgan as guests.
* Bob Todd also appears as another assistant.

## Episode(s)

* Great Mysteries with Orson Buggy
* Villain of the Year

## Quotes

1/9
The Springfields

**The Springfields** were a British pop-folk vocal trio who had success in the early 1960s in the UK, US and Ireland. They included singer Dusty Springfield and her brother, record producer Tom Springfield, along with Tim Field, who was replaced by Mike Hurst.

A former member of an all-girl singing trio known as The Lana Sisters, Mary "Dusty" O’Brien formed the trio by joining with with her brother, Dion O'Brien and Tim Field, who were previously "The Kensington Squares." Dion changed his name to Tom Springfield while Mary became Dusty Springfield. Tom was a songwriter and arranger with a wide knowledge of folk music, and the group had strong vocal harmonies as well as Dusty’s powerful lead. Occupying a musical sphere comparable with that of the contemporary "Peter, Paul and Mary," they were signed to Philips Records and released their first single, "Dear John," in 1961, followed by two UK chart hits with "Breakaway" and "Bambino," produced by Johnny Franz through Philips Records in London.

The Springfields eventually became very popular in the UK and made numerous television appearances, including the November 4, 1961 episode of "The Benny Hill Show."

After Tim Field was replaced by Mike Hurst, the Springfields became even more successful. In 1961, they starred in their own 15-minute music TV series, "The Springfields," on the BBC.

In 1962, their version of "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" reached #23 on the US Top 20 Billboard, the first single by a British group ever to do so, predating the Tornados’ "Telstar" by two months, and The Beatles by 15 months. The record also reached #1 in Australia and featured lead guitar by Judd Proctor, selling over one million copies and awarded a gold disc.

Their next single, "Island of Dreams," rose to the UK #5 at the beginning of 1963 and stayed in the charts for six months, followed by "Say I Won’t Be There", which was #5 in the UK Singles Chart. By this point, the Springfields were one of the most popular groups in the UK and had several chart hits. However, Dusty Springfield felt limited by the group's folk act and Tom's lead role within the trio and decided to leave for a solo career by the end of 1963 at which point the group disbanded. Tom went on to write a number of songs for the Australian pop-folk band, The Seekers, which included the No.1 hits, "I'll Never Find Another You" and "The Carnival Is Over."

In the early 1970s, Mike Hurst teamed up with former Seeker Keith Potger to launch "Springfield Revival," a more contemporary version of The Springfields with a new line-up. This group supported The Osmonds on tour and made two albums for Polydor in the UK and one for MGM in the US but without any chart success. Jones and Flynn are currently members of The New Seekers.
Nikki

"**Nikki**" is an unidentified member of the Hill's Angels who appeared in the "Boon" segment of the "TV Titles" routines on May 1, 1989. Her real name has yet to be identified, but she was also the yellow 50s dancer (besides Helen Carpenter) in the "Happy Days" number.

She might also be the girl in the lavender dress in front of the "Hill's Angels: Photo Call" on March 5, 1989.

This may be Fiona Baker from March 12, 1986, but this is as yet unconfirmed.

## Episode(s)

* Holding Out For A Hero (possibly)
* Pepy's Diary

## Gallery

Nikki, Nicola Bacon and Sara ThrossellHelen Carpenter and Nikki
The Love Ship

## Bio

The **Love Ship** was the opening number on March 12, 1986 featuring Captain Benny (Benny Hill) incorporating songs into a longer Twenties-style sketch format set on a ship.

In the sketch, a passenger {Henry McGee) praises Captain Benny's social life and lifestyle which opens into a song, A Girl In Every Port. (Not the one from the 1952 movie "A Wonderful Life.") However, after the ship turns hard to starboard, another passenger falls off, and Benny goes to save him, but the lifesavers are tangled in each other. His First Officer (Bob Todd) tells him it was just a Second Class passenger so they just decide to write him off. Upon hearing that, another passenger named Kiki (Anna Dawson) tries to recue him anyway, bouncing the lifesaver off his head. Even with passengers speculating she must also be a Second Class passenger, Benny is so enchanted by her that he falls for her and sings a song (You Made Me Love You) to her (with off-screen trumpets, horns and other noises obscuring several words).

Captain Benny soon says he loves her despite being a Second Class passenger, but his First Officer comes over and tells him that Kiki is the daughter of Jack Martlin, the ship's owner. He asks her to marry him and the whole cast joins in to sing to him with a song.

## Trivia

* This sketch is a remake of Passengers Of Love from March 24, 1971. It was also possibly inspired by the American Seventies TV series "The Love Boat."
* It's kind of ironic that Benny parodies "The Love Boat." At the time of this episode, the American TV series had added "The Mermaids" to the series, an Angels-styled troupe of female dancers that included a then-struggling actress named Teri Hatcher.
* According to "Benny's Place," this sketch marks Anna Dawson's return to the show eleven years to the day of her first appearance on March 12, 1975.
* Katie Randall, Tracy Smith, Claire Fairgood, Emma Bryant, Samantha Spencer-Lane, Alison Thomas, Lorraine Doyle, Fiona Baker and Faye Mertens play the Angels doing back-up in the sketch.

## Gallery

1/6
Opportunity Calls

## Production

**Episode:** 24

**Date:** November 6, 1965

**Time:** 45 minutes

**Musical Director:** Burt Rhodes

**Producer:** Kenneth Carter

**Director:**

**Writer:** Benny Hill

## Episode

* Guests include:
	+ Julie Rogers
	+ The Honeys
	+ Mandy And Vera

## Cast

* Benny Hill
* Patricia Hayes
* Jeremy Hawk
* Wendy Barry
* Patricia Mason
* Thelma Taylor
* Mabel Marks

## Sequence

* **Last Episode:** May 22, 1965
* **Next Episode:** November 27, 1965
The Ballad of Bronco Benny

## Bio

**The Ballad of Bronco Benny** was the opening number on April 27, 1988. It's exact name is unrevealed, but it goes by "Bronco Benny" in the DVD menu and by "Star Names" in the "Benny Hill . . . The Best Of" music album with a different set of lyrics than the episode. It is performed by Benny Hill as a cowboy in an urban cowby music hall surrounded by Bob Todd, Derek Deadman, Gary O'Bee, Duncan Pettigrew, Anna Dawson, Henry McGee and Sue Upton and Jon Jon Keefe as bartenders.

The Hill's Angels for this routine are Lindsay Cole (blue), Helen Carpenter (purple), Lorraine Doyle (green), Liz Jobling (yellow), Jenny Drummond (purple) , Miki Harvey (yellow), Sharon Kiel (blue) and Zoe Bryant (green). The song is notable for being one of the few times in the series Benny mentions American actors and entertainers.

## Lyrics

Now, when I was young, and my figure was sleek.

(Hill's Angels) Memories...

I had a different gal every night of the week.

And each gal knew for certain which was her day,

You see their names were Sandy, Mandy...

Trudy, Wendy, Fergie, Heidi and Sally-May.

And when people ask me why I never married,

Why I never took a wife...

One of my own that is!

I tell them it's because I have been in love with screen stars all my life.

Well, when our padre said, "Now, can you name the five disciples, my son?"

I said, "Well I sure can. they're Matthew, Mark, Olivia Newton-John..."

You see...

I'm fond of Jane Fonda, but is Jane Fonda me?

I'm mad on a lady called Madonna, but Madonna ain't mad on me.

I'm ready for Helen Reddy. Hell, I'm ready as I'm ever gonna be,

And if I could see more of Jane Seymour, I'd let Jane see more of me.

And there's a lot to see...

If I could see Ursula Andress, I'd be dying to take a second look.

I'd bring her a goose to cook, if I had a goose to cook.

I'd let Gloria Gaynor a little bit of weight as we'd picnic by Joan Rivers.

And if I got my burly chassis Glenn Close to Shirley Bassey,

I would boogie until my goose withers.

I'd like to get Lesley Ann Down down by my cottage by the bay.

I'd call Esther Rantzen I'd get my best pants on if she came down by Mexico way

If I tried to escort Anna Ford over to the fort, she'd just say, "No."

Well, if I can't see Anna in Havana, I'll see Esther in Mexico...

I'll see Esther in Mexico.
Sue Bishop

**Sue Bishop** is a British actress. Not much is known about her life and career. Her credits include the movies, "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" and "Legend of the Werewolf," and the British TV series, "Dad's Army" and "Doctor Who." She also appeared in an episode of "The Benny Hill Show" as one of the female villagers in The Sound Of Frankenstein.
Spot Black (sketch)

## Bio

**Spot Black** is a sports program featuring high-stakes pool tournaments between professional pool players, such as Henry McGee and Hurricane Hill (Benny Hill).

Hill starts the game, making a pocket while sinking several red balls, but he's distracted by a patron in a green dress Leslie Goldie coming in and misses his next shop. McGee goes up next with Hill shaking hands with him (crushing his fingers) and handing him a crooked pool cue. Table-side, Hill continues making noises with a squeaky chalk cue, noisy jewelry, rattling a snuff box and a sneeze he tries fighting off. However, once having stifled his sneeze, it erupts as McGee makes his shot, costing him points. As Hill tries his next shot, he is defeated by a faulty snooker cue, but as he leaves, he secretly palms the cue ball and replaces it with a wobbly ball that covers the table without hitting any balls. McGee removes and replaces his eyeglasses in disbelief upon seeing it, but Hill now moves in and dominates the table with pockets and points with balls rolling in every direction. Hill even briefly hits McGee accidentally with the butt end of his stick at one point. However, his last movement is in a direct line with the lady in the green dress who flirts with him and tampers with her dress in front of him. He's so rattled by her that he ends up ripping the table cover, forfeiting the game. As McGee comes to regain his trophy, it is revealed the lady in the green dress is his wife.

## Trivia

* Hurricane Hill has the same shock of wild orange hair as Ginger Thompkins and Tex Cymball.
* Jackie Wright is the referee. The back-drop audience includes Bob Todd, Jon Jon Keefe, Leslie Goldie, Jim Tyson, Bella Emberg, Bill Weston and possibly Barbara Wise.

## Gallery

1/16
Sara Throssell

**Sara Throssell** is an English actress who starred as one of the Hill's Angels on "The Benny Hill Show." She was a student at London Studio Centre in the Sixties before joining the Angels. She can be recognized in the "Seven Foolish Virgins" segment on April 5, 1989. Today, she lives in Winchester, England.

## Episode(s)

* The Crook Report
* Holding Out for a Hero
* Pepy's Diary

## Gallery

* Sarah (left) with other Angels
1/9
November 27, 1965

## Production

**Episode:** 25

**Date:** November 27, 1965

**Time:** 45 minutes

**Musical Director:** Burt Rhodes

**Producer:** Kenneth Carter

**Director:**

**Writer:** Benny Hill

## Episode

* Guests include:
	+ Salena Jones

## Cast

* Benny Hill
* Patricia Hayes
* Jeremy Hawk
* Bridget Armstrong
* Felix Bowness
* John Derrick
* Rosemarie Dunham
* Sue McIntosh (as Sue Donovan)

## Sequence

* **Last Episode:** Opportunity Calls
* **Next Episode:** December 18, 1965
Olympic Training Field

## Bio

The **Olympic Training Field** is a exercise training area in an identified area near London (possibly Teddington or Lower Tidmarsh) where local athletes work to compete in the Olympics. Despite all attention to safety, accidents occur, and a javelin thrower (Jenny Westbrook) hurls a javelin into one of the officials (Jackie Wright). Despite injuries, officials still regulate by the rules, placing points on where the javelin hit the official, not where he collapses from it.

The grounds includes a closed roadway where Ginger Thompkins runs to practice for track. When he starts slowing down, his trainer (Jackie Wright) comes out of the woods with a whip to keep him going. Down the road, three nudists (Lorna Nathan, Monika Ringwald and Jenny Westbrook) come from out of the trees to help him run faster by flashing him and running away from him. When he can't keep up with them, three amorous guys (Henry McGee and two unknown) come out to chase him, and Ginger soon overtakes the girls as he evades them in a parking lot.

## Trivia

* This sketch features only a few of the December 17, 1975 episode cast members, omitting Claire Ruane, Leanne Robinson, Dilys Watling and possibly Eddie Buchanan. This includes Benny Hill (Ginger/official), Henry McGee (coach/chaser), Jack Wright (official/trainer), Lorna Nathan (track/nudist), Jenny Westbrook (track/javelin/nudist) and Monica Ringwald (javelin/nudist).
* Eddie Buchanan and Jackie Wright might be the other two men chasing Benny in the track routine, but this has yet to be correctly confirmed.
* There were no Olympics held in 1975 when this sketch occurs. The 1976 Olympics were held in Montreal, Canada.
* The exterior locations of this sketch have yet to be identified. Part of it might have been filmed on the grounds at Teddington Studioes. The road might be on or near the grounds of the estate seen in Scouts and Guides Annual Fete, Grand Wheelchair Rally and Bionic Boy, but this has to be confirmed.

## Gallery

1/8
The Herd

## Production

**Episode:** 53

**Date:** March 31, 1986

**Time:** 51:12

**Musical Director:** Ronnie Aldrich

**Vocals:** The Ladybirds

**Choreography:** Libby Roberts

**Producer:** Dennis Kirkland

**Director:** Dennis Kirkland

**Writer:** Benny Hill

## Episode

* Quickie: See-Through Blouse
* Opener: I'll Never Know
* Living The Dream
* The Herd
* Hill's Angels: Cabaret
	+ Cafe Le L'Opera
* Discrimination in the Work Place
* Benny Hill: Behind The Scenes
* European TV
	+ Hott Sexxe, Free Loofa und Lust Orgie
	+ Cross-Strassen Hotel
* Rembrandt's Cottage

## Cast

* Benny Hill
* Henry McGee
* Bob Todd
* Anna Dawson
* Jon Jon Keefe
* Louise English
* Jenny Lee-Wright
* Sue Upton
* Jerold Wells
* Alison Marsh - Hill's Angel
* Rebecca Marsh - Hill's Angel
* Lorraine Doyle - Hill's Angel
* Jade Westbrook
* Samantha Spencer-Lane - Hill's Angel (uncredited)
* Alison Thomas - Hill's Angel (uncredited)
* Emma Bryant - Hill's Angel (uncredited)
* Lisa Jackman - Hill's Angel (uncredited)
* Vanessa Biddulph - Hill's Angel (uncredited)
* Tracy Smith - Hill's Angel (uncredited)
* Katie Randall - Hill's Angel (uncredited)
* Andrew Francis - Cafe patron (uncredited)
* Len Keyes - The Herd caddy (uncredited)
* Mike Mulloy (uncredited)
* Ted Taylor (uncredited)

## Quotes

* **Wall Quote** - "If the Government is up your nose - Then picket."

* **Wall Quote** - "Dis arm today - Dis arm tomorrow."

* **Wall Quote** - "Beer is best - It will be the urination of me."

* **Biff Kirkdale** - "What the heck is that?"
**Waitress** - "It's my necklace!"
**Biff Kirkdale** - "Well, everything is so high around here, I thought it was your garter!"

* **Miss Cissy** - "Has the padre gone yet?"
**Nurse**  - "That wasn't the padre. It was the doctor."
**Miss Cissy** - "I thought he was a bit darn familiar for a padre."

* **Male Admirer**  - "Say the three words that will have me hanging on air."
**Patricia Kirkdale**  - "Go hang yourself."

* **Male Guest**  - "I would like to say good-bye to your wife."
**Chuck Kirkdale**  - "So would I!"

* **Benny Hill**  - "Your applause is like food and drink to me. Thank you for the bread and water."

* **Benny Hill**  - "I have never once laid a hand on one of those girls. I think her name was Sandra...."

* **Benny Hill**  - "That room is so small the RSTCA condemned it!"

* **Benny Hill** - "There is one chair in there; it's a Bentwood chair. It's a bent wood chair."

* **Benny Hill**  - "You can always tell a man who works at Thames. Moldy shoes and a rusty zip."

* **Greta**  - "Hurt me! I want you to hurt me!"
**Nils**  - "Alright, your dog's dead."

* **Nils**  - "Moan Greta. I want to hear you moan."
**Greta**  - "Ok, have you seen the price of bacon these days?"

## Trivia

* Parts of this episode appear in the "Benny Hill's Crazy World" VHS.
* This was the last episode for Louise English.

## Sequence

* **Last Episode:** R. Dibble: Handyman
* **Next Episode:** Cagney and Lacey
Claire Ruane

**Clare Ruane** is an English actress known for the 1972 film "That's Your Funeral" and the British TV shows, "Larry Grayson" and "The Benny Hill Show." Not much is known about her life or career; her first film credit was in the 1959 movie, "The Accident." Her career was mostly doing supporting and bit parts on television. Her TV appearances include "The Budds of Paragon Row," "Best of Friends," "The Dickie Henderson Show," "The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine" and "Larry Grayson." Her last TV role was playing Felina in the "El Paso" sketch on The Benny Hill Show.
The European Song Contest (sketch)

## Bio

The **European Song Contest** is a British televised musical contest from the Alfred Hall in London with musical acts from several countries. It is hosted by an unseen announcer (Michael Sharvell-Martin) and features a number of solo singers, conductors and performers, including:

* Hugo Jeri (Italy) (Benny Hill with The Ladybirds)
* Flora Loles and El Bumpo (Spain) singing "La Contesta" (Benny Hill in both roles)
* Unidentified singer (England) singing Ting-a-Ling-a-Loo with conductor Jed Pacey (Benny Hill in both roles)
* Merry Patong (France) singing with conductor Michel La Petit (Benny Hill in both roles)
* Amonia Rodriguez (Portugal) singing "Primavera" with her back-up singers (Eira Heath, Benny and Miguel Lopez Cortezo)
* Hans and Lotta Schtuk (Austria) with conductor Shawn Rose (Eira Heath and Benny in two roles)

The program is beset with a few on-set distractions as one of Miss Rodriguez's back-up singers competes with the other for her attention, and Hans Schtuk falls off stage. Hostess Katie Boylar (Benny Hill) appears to tally up the votes with the unreliable radio contact, obtaining the votes for each act, which each up totaling 16 equally for all of the acts.

## Trivia

* The European Song Contest was based on actual European TV series which started in Switzerland on May 24, 1956 and eventually became the series, *Eurovision,* which ran from 1971 to 1994.
* Benny plays six characters in the sketch.
* Miguel Lopez Cortezo also did Benny's close-up guitar strumming as El Bumpo.
* Benny would go on to make other talent show spoofs, such as Opportunity's Knocking and Newer Faces.

## Gallery

1/15
Rembrandt

## Bio

**Rembrandt** is a popular English artist living in a cottage in England, possibly in Teddington or Little Dimpton. He works frequently with models, painting one (Faye Mertens) by numbers and another (Katie Randall) whom he omits entirely when he's distracted by her dress and coat on a coark rack. He work is at such point he even gets seasick when painting a ship at sea. He also paints an painting of an explosion.

One day while looking for something to paint, he accidentally annoys a girl (Lorraine Doyle) and gets bit by a little girl (Jade Westbrook) with her nurse (Jenny Westbrook). He eventually finds a scene to paint, but it is disturbed by a groundskeeper (Jon Jon Keefe) carting off the tree in the shot. Rembrandt soon meets up with the little girl again and tries to help her in her lessons, but she doesn't understand his signals and kicks him for messing up her lesson. He goes on to try painting an image of a sunflower, but the girl bends the flower back and hits him with it. Rembrandt finally gets his painting of it, but the girl knocks over his pedestal as he stars on the background.

Rembrandt finally gets the girl to sit still as he paints her portrait, somehow trapping her as an image in a frame, stepping back to admire his painting and annoying picnickers (Henry McGee, Katie Randall, Samantha Spencer Lane and Lorraine Doyle), who chase after him. Meanwhile, the girl's nurse starts looking for her and gets help from a pedestrian (Louise English) and discover the weird empty spot from the site of the portrait. Inside of the portrait, the girl gets bored and wants out of it. Rembrandt collides briefly with the groundskeeper again and loses the portrait, the little girl crawling out of it. Trying to escape, Rembrandt takes a huge transport truck from a mechanic (Mike Mulloy). With the angry crowd getting closer, he takes a blue sedan about to get a ticket from a police officer (Bob Todd) which he also crashes. He even has the time to go back to light a cigar on the flames.

Rembrandt soon steals a blue car from three girls (possibly Alison Thomas, Emma Bryant and Lisa Jackman) answering a call of nature in the woods. They join in the chase as Rembrandt drives their vehicle off a cliff. The whole time the small girl (Jade Westbrook) has been keeping up, and as Rembrandt eludes his pursuers, she finds him hiding behind a corner. Escaping to the park, Rembrandt steals gear from a mountaineer (Jon Jon Keefe) and treks up into a snowy mountain, leaving his pursuers down below. Up top as he looks down, Rembrandt gets a nice kiss from the little girl waiting for him.

## Trivia

* The man walking the dog is Henry McGee.
* The grounds the chase starts on look like the same unidentified grounds from the Scouts and Guides Annual Fete
* Jade catches up with Benny at what looks like the same residence of the husband in The Bucket.
* The park looks like it ends in the same unidentified park from WonderGran Meets Dr. Jackal and Mr. Hyde.

## Gallery

1/27
Pauline Crawford

**Pauline Crawford** is an English actress and dancer who starred as one of "Pan's People" in the Late 70s, later becoming one of the original Hill's Angels with Abigail Higgins and Sarah Woollett on "The Benny Hill Show." She starred in the March 14, 1979 "Hot Gossamer" number and the "Love for Sale" number of April 25, 1979. She has also starred in the movies "Nutcracker," "Empire of Ash III," "Amber Frey: Witness for the Prosecution" and "The Married Life."

## Episode(s)

* The Police Raid in Waterloo Station
* Leprechaun TV
Politics, Stocks and Monks

## Production

**Episode:** 25

**Date:** November 15, 1976

**Producer:** Peter Whitmore

**Director:**

**Writer:** Dave Allen, Austin Steele and Peter Vincent

## Highlights

* The battle of the monks over the oatmeal

## Cast

* Dave Allen
* Jacqueline Clarke
* Michael Sharvell-Martin
* Ian Burford
* Chris Serle
* Peter Hawkins
* Simon Barnes
* Robert East
* Susie Baker
* Paul McDowell
* Ralph Watson

## Quotes

* **Dave Allen** - "It must be very boring to know everything. God knows everything; I suspect he spends his entire day in bed."

* **Dave Allen** - "The economic problem is so bad that the treasury department has decided to print a 50-pond note. And they say if it is successful, they will print another one."

## Trivia

* In the Army sketch, Dave refers to the soldiers as "Smith, Kowalski, Farelli, and Palmer."
* The closing sketch for this episode (Dave and Michael as feuding monks at mealtime) ranks as one of the top ten most memorable fan-picked sketches of the series.
* The Count of Monte Cristo was the name and character of a book by Alexandre Dumas.
* Jacqueline Clarke impersonates Julie Andrews in the 1965 movie, "The Sound of Music."
* Recurring series characters and themes: The Count of Monte Cristo, religion, movie parodies and Sherlock Holmes.

## Sequence

* **Last Episode:** When Hobos Marry
* **Next Episode:** History Repeats Itself
Susie Baker

**Susan "Susie" Baker** is an English comedy actress known for a series of films in the Sixties and Seventies, such as "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "The Buttercup Chain" and "Seaside Swingers."

Born on February 9, 1946 in London, England, Baker has a twin sister, Jennifer, who joined her in showbiz. Their first TV appearance was in the American series "Girl Talk," followed by appearances on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and a role in the British film, "Seaside Swingers." Her following movies included "Desperate Mission," "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Casino Royale" with Monika Ringwald and David Prowse and "The Buttercup Chain." She and Jennifer also appeared together several times on television; they had a brief recurring role on "Quick Before They Catch Us" before appearing on "Beryl's Lot" and The Benny Hill Show, playing Benny's dream girl in the "So Many Girls" number and Paul Eddington's wife in Benny Hill's spoof of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe."
In 1963, Susie and Jennifer performed in the pantomime, "The Man in the Moon," at the London Palladium in London, England with Benny Hill co-star Anna Dawson. Their other movies included the movie version of The Who's "Tommy," "No. 1 of the Secret Service" and "Shoot to Kill," but their careers stayed basically on television. Her later TV appearances include bit parts on "Star Maidens," "The Mike Reid Show," "The Galton & Simpson Playhouse," "Dawson and Friends," "Middlemen" and "Hazell" before becoming a regular sketch character in the 1976 season of Dave Allen at Large alongside such Hill alumni as Ronnie Brody and Michael Sharvell-Martin. In 1977, both sisters appeared in a print advertisement for Courvoisier cognac.

Susie's later roles include the recurring role of Mandy Lynch on the TV series "Citizen Smith" and bit parts in "The Kelly Monteith Show" and "That's My Boy."

## Episode(s)

* Dave Allen at Large (Fifth Season)
* Sale of the Half-Century

## Gallery

* with Benny and Jane Eve
* as brunette
1/21
Not A Lot Of People Know That

## Bio

**Not A Lot Of People Know That** is a comedy monologue performed by Benny Hill during an impersonation of actor Michael Caine on the January 7, 1981 episode. Caine is best known as Benny's co-star in The Italian Job.

## Lyrics

Did you know...

Did you know on the island of Batang

There's a guy by the name of Sukiyaki Dan

Who doesn't know the war is over.

He goes on eight walks daily.

Did you know his mother came from France,

And his dad is Japanese, and every year he goes

And he bothers Pearl Bailey.

Not a lot of people know that.

And did you know that when Burton Ash

Decided he'd like a mustache he went up

And bought a can of Wiskas.

And did you know the odds against

There being a bomb on a plane are a billion to one?

They pretty much figured out what the risk is.

And did you know the odds of there being

Two bombs on a plane are a million times a billion to one.

So the next time you go on plane to go abroad, cut down the risk.

Take along a bomb.

Not a lot of people know that.

So, when I tell my wife these interesting facts,

You should see how she reacts

She says they're privileged glimpses of the bleeding obvious.

Like that bloke in number twenty-two

Whose parrot died from the flu.

It flew under a Number 7 bus.

She just says, "I know. I know. I know."

Did you hear Phil Kelly went out one morning wearing one willie

Because he heard there one be only one foot of snow?

Did you know nothing sucks seeds like a budgie with no teeth?

She looks up and says, "I know. I know. I know."

She says, "Look, love, don't you see? All this don't interest me.

"In fact, I find it positively boring.

"I've been sitting here listening so long, my little bottom has gone to sleep."

I said, "I know it has. I heard it snoring."

Not a lot of people know that.

I said, "Do you know what they call a dog who's got no legs?

"Well it don't matter, 'cause. he won't come anyway."

And did you know when my mate Fred ordered a lager

The bartender asked, "With bread?"

And he said "With two slices if I may."

I said that bloke next door must be a plumber

Because he says all night, "Over, Flo."

I said, "Roses are reddish, and violets are bluish,

if it wasn't for Christmas, we'd all be Jewish."

She just says, "I know. I know. I know."

I got my lorry backed up to the zoo.

Do you know what I'm going to do?

I'm going to pick up that elephant that died last night

Then with the help of my pals we'll take it over to my house,

winch it up to the bathroom and stick it on the seat.

And then I'll go and watch TV because straight at half past three,

She'll come home, go straight up the stairs

And she'll say, "What are we going to do? There's an elephant on the loo."

And I'll go, "I know. I know. i know."

Not a lot of people know that.

## Episode(s)

* WonderGran Meets Dr. Jackal and Mr. Hyde
Terry Day

**Terry Day** is an English actress, singer and dancer known for "Little Dorrit," "Boo, "Zino & the Snurks" and "A Little of What You Fancy." Not much about her life and career is known. Her first television appearances include roles on "The Ken Dodd Show" and "The Benny Hill Show" on both the BBC and Thames Television, where she played a cotillion dancer on March 11, 1970. She also appeared on "ITV Playhouse" and the TV movie "Hold On: It's the Dave Clark Five."

She did vocals for the songs, "All the World Loves a Fat Girl", "Some of These Days" for "A Little of What You Fancy." Sadly, she passed away in the Eighties.

## Episode(s)

* The Sound of Frankenstein (Thames)
* Soap Box Jury (BBC)
Robert Howe

**Robert "Bob" Howe** is an English actor who had a short-lived career on British television in the 1970s. His TV appearances include roles on "Fredric March Presents," "BBC 3" and "The Jazz Age" before appearing as a nursing home patient in the "Medical Memory Lane" musical number on the March 22, 1972 episode of "The Benny Hill Show" and a dancer on "Full House." He also played dancers in the films "The Young Girls of Rochefort" and "Half a Sixpence." Not much more is known about him.
Programme Planner

## Bio

The **Programme Planner** is the television programmer for Thames TV. While he's working, he gets a phone call from a writer named William Shakespeare, and they start trying to figure out how to turn his work into TV shows. He likes "Romeo and Juliet" when he thinks its a comedy, but he soon learns its a drama, and they both die in the first episode. Comparing it to "Crossroads," he soon starts hearing about "Othello" which has a character named Desdemona. He likes "A Mid-Summer's Night's Dream" from the title until he hears more about the plot... which has a lot of fairies and a queen named Titania with a character named Puck.

## Trivia

* The Planner is played by Benny Hill.
* "Crossroads" was a British television soap opera set in a West Midlands hotel that ran on ITV from 1964 to 1988 with a short revival from 2001 to 2003.