Born in in January 1924, Benny Hill is probably one of the best known British coemdians of all time. Although in this country he was slated for his style of his humour; saucy postcard, supposedly not politically correct, and with loads of scantily clad women (well what is wrong with that!) and eventually Thames TV bowed to the critics and in 1989 took his show off, he is revered throughout the world, and is one of the few British comedians to ever make is very big in the US.

BENNY HILL - DOUBLE HELPINGS This is 145 minutes of Benny Hill at his best. Resident at Thames Television for the better part of his career, he produced comedy that was universal and in the slapstick vein, and has been admired all over the world making him second to none.

This DVD release from Produced by Pearson TV (Freemantle) has two shows, Benny Hill's Greatest Hits and The Crazy World of Benny Hill. Both appear to be compilation shows containing the best bits from his many series and each has classic routines. With many of his musical items, Hill's Angels, and a good smattering of Fred Scuttle, this is one DVD that each household should own. When Hill died in the 1990s, the world lost a unique talent, and I am glad to say that his glory was preserved for posterity. This is one disc that I shall be watching over and over again.

Benny Hill - Merry Master of Mirth
Whilst I don't go much on the title, the book itself is a well researched affair, something that I have come to expect from Robert Ross. Is is not a biography, although it does clear up a few mistakes in other biographies. What it IS, is catalogue of all the work that Benny Hill did, and a very comprehensive and interesting one it is.

To most people he is the chap that was always being chased by lovely young women, or slapping the bald bloke on the head, and his work at Thames TV is certainly the most memorable as it was the most recent, but before he worked there, he was at the BBC on both Television and Radio, and also appeared in films. Robert has managed to chart each individual show with an enthusiasm which is unparalled, and this book is the definitive work. With broadcast dates and recording locations, as well as other fact, the avid collector or enthusiast will want for nothing, and unlike many books that claim to be accurate, all my checks have proved it to be.

Perhaps it is this last point that will be its only downfall, as although to people like myself it will be invaluable for sorting out what I have on tape, and helping me look for more, to the average person on the street this is a little too specialised. It is not billed as a biography, but this is only apparent when you start to read the book more closely, and I think there will be a few disappointed people who get it by the cover alone. This said, it is still worth a read, and with a price tag of £15.99, it is worth the money.

Hopefully this will be part of the beginnings of a resurgance of Benny on TV and radio. Granada Plus, the satellite channel, have already repeated a lot of his latter work, and now that we have progressed from the stifling era of 'if it ain't PC, it ain't on', I hope that we will see more of his work. Although I don't like the title, it cannot be denied that Benny Hill was the Master of Mirth.

This book is available from all good bookstores, or from Batsford Books directly. The ISBN is 0 7134 8422 5 and it was released in October.