The Strange Reason Americans Loved the Benny Hill Show

The Benny Hill Show gave the world a form of British humor that was both cheeky and slapstick. It aired for over 3 decades on British television and for over 10 years it was a syndicated hit on American TV.

It was a show that was full of wacky buffoon-like characters, ridiculous chase scenes, loads of double-entendres, and of course the immensely lovable Benny Hill himself. His show was as British as a tea and biscuits. It separated itself from Monty Python, which employed more cerebral humor, by presenting viewers with jokes and gags that didn’t require an Oxford seduction to get.

Sure, a lot of the humor was pretty low-brow, but Hill’s unique brand of comedy made him one of the most popular performers in the world.