Friday, 20 April is the 20th anniversary of the death at the age of 68 of one the world's best comics - Benny Hill. This is only ever going to occur once.

Benny was in many shows but the memorable performances that many remember was in The Benny Hill Show produced by Thames Television. This started in 1969 and finally finished in 1989. There were usually about 3 - 4 shows each year, 58 in total. They tended to be broadcast in the (northern) winter. The original show was an hour long. However, in syndication for overseas, the shows were split and edited down to a half hour. In Australia, we have had both versions of the show.

From a FH point of view, the highlights of the show are the women, especially Hill's Angels. There is not a lot of nudity (just the occasional breast and bum) but lots of sexy costumes and provocative dances. There were only about four shows in which I didn't think that there was anything worthy of capping. The top shows were from about series 7 to 15 when Hill's Angels were at their peak, and their sexiest. After that, it appears the sexiness was toned down.

There are also difficulties identifying some of the women. Some weren't credited and some only appeared once and their identity has been long forgotten. I am indebted to a fan of Benny Hill's who has produced a very comprehensive website that helped with many of the identities.

Scoop's SIDEBAR: I find it very fitting that this memorial occurs on 4-20, marijuana day, in that Benny is perhaps the second most entertaining thing to watch when stoned, behind only the Three Stooges.