A fabulous comedian/writer and a thoroughly decent man. Blackadder would've finished quickly if he never came in to help. He helped the series re-invent itself and become the programme we know and love today. I also enjoyed him on Channel 4's Saturday Live and bringing it back for a one-off special was genius. Keep up the good work Mr Elton ❤ 😊
Ben Elton is a genius! He is funny, clever, sharp is responsible for two of the most iconic series on TV. In addition to that his books are just un put downable.What basis are on slagging him off???
Look at rowan atkinson, he started doing silent comedy himself(mr bean). So this proves that benny was within the times! Ben elton started producing 1970s style sitcoms, in the 90s!
Blackadder, The thin blue line, 13 novels...he is hated because NOTHING is of limits...people thought blackadder was making a mockery of the troops who fought (among many other things) but he is a very interesting guy, very accomplished...peace
@LizaLips1 He wrote a novel called Dead Famous which was about a murder in the Big Brother house. This interview would have been recorded at the time of that book's release.
Which you may not like but it’s been very successful and has made a lot of money for the economy and been a show for countless schools. I think it’s a shame that the vitriol against him is vicious.
Let's see now: Ben Elton: Stand-up comedian, successful writer of novels, musicals and an award winning t.v. series (Blackadder - in case you missed it). Yeah. I see your point. He could never hope to compete with Benny.
He helped end Benny Hill's career? How?? Because people who'd got bored with Mr Hill started liking Ben Elton? I was there at the time; I was one of them. How on earth can you therefore consider him responsible? Benny Hill enjoyed decades of huge success. Most people never have that. If you for some strange reason find it necessary to *blame* someone for Benny Hill's waning popularity and subsequent lonely death, blame the fickle public!
The tradition of silent comedy includes Chaplin, Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, Harold Lloyd, Jacques Tati and Marcel Marceau, Eric Sykes and even Morecambe and Wise. What's your point?
U said benny was out of date, I'm assuming u think think this cuz he did silent comedy. Many of these alternative comedians who slagged benny off like Ben elton and rowan atkinson started doing silent comedy in teh 90s.
i want a tooth brush classic, and i am sickk of all these people saying this guy is not funny , he is political he is up to date and of course i am a bit upset he didnt give the fat a guy a chance to talk but i like him.
Then you assume wrongly. I didn't mention "silent comedy" until you raised the subject. Silent comedy in the hands of a master can be hilarious. One of the funniest films I've ever seen was "The Plank" with Eric Sykes. I strongly recommend it if you haven't seen it. As for Benny, I felt his entire act/show became tired, dated, predictable and boring. I'm not saying humour has to be sophisticated but Benny's was just too obvious for modern tastes. Clearly, not everyone agrees and that's fine.
I hav just read all the total and utter bollocks slagging him off for "selling out" and how is is "hated"and that he only "pretended to have principles" and I am totally fucked off. He has and still has those principles, and you can tell that in every word that he rights. DOes that mean he shouldnt write musicals ? Because he is a lefty does he have top play working mens clubs his whole life?? The poeple slagging him off are totally fucking ridiculous.
I would have seen Benny Hill, or at least his brand of humour, as a legitimate target. But even if it were not, no amount of slagging off by Ben Elton would have damaged Benny if the public had disagreed with him. Let's be fair, the Benny Hill show was the same old thing (Fred Scuttle, unsubtle innuendo and Hills Angels etc.) every week. I used to watch him and laugh but there's only so many times you can laugh at the same joke. Benny never learned to move with the times. Sad but true.
So you read not just one, but all of his 14 novels ? What else do you do against your " better judgement " ?....I mean apart from reading novels you don't like written by by people you don't like and watching Utube videos of people you don't like ?....I know the answer to that ! You watch reruns of Blackadder , The Young Ones , The Thin Blue LIne and go to the theatre to see We will rock you....
yes ben elton denounced him as a "dirty old man, tearing the clothes off nubile girls and saying he chased women when they chased him but just because the benny hill show got axed within two years but it got axed because of riseing costs of
show from 1980 on-wards seemed to be more for the none english market by having the slient stuff plus his prefence for repetition more than before after 1983 after he was forced to cut back on the t & a, i have heard rummors that was what
I will agree with you that Benny Hill and the others you mentioned were great. But why not Ben Elton? He's a writing machine. Blackadder, Thin Blue Line, Alfresco, The Young Ones,etc. Ben Elton was probably the closet thing to those traditional comedies. "Happy Families" need I say more? Why not bash people like Seth Rogan or Judd Apatow? That's who has destroyed comedy.
Public taste changed not because it was fickle but because it matured - grew up, if you like. People no longer found Benny funny. You can't blame the public. If it ain't funny it ain't funny.
Something about BEN that annoys the Brits - He is middle England, midddle class, pretending to be working class -apparently standing up for the rights of the down trodden while his books sell all the amoral values of the Surrey set..... Oh, and he doesn't look like he has washed properly.....
I can understand why Elton is so loathed. People suffered so much under thatcher that they warmed to anyone who hated her, except he only hated her out of pragmatism. Now Sir Elton sits smugly on his massive pile of cash. Oh well.
I ment in world wide success. Benny hill a hit almost everywhere in the world including america russia and china! ben elton big only in uk and australia. Ive got nothin against ben elton, i liked blackadder. but he had no right to slag off benny hill.
Can I just ask why...why you are attacking one of Britain's great comic brains of the last 20 years for his politics? Is that all there is to a person? Calling him a twat and a c*** is hardly productive to society...unlike Elton who has left us with gems such as Blackadder and the Young Ones. Just think about it... A friendly Australian.
more £450,000 per show,the raitings going from their peak of 21.63 million to 9.58 million viewers and losing 4 million viewers in the us but benny was still getting more viewers watching their than his hey day in britain in the 70's and number of british companies including thames who axed him offering a contract for revamped benny hill shows just before bennys death and yes when the show was taken off the air bennys health was failing which leaded to his death of a heart attack
I used to admire Ben Eltons earlier TV work. His first two novels were fairly good quality. Now he just spouts middle-of-the-road shite. Shame on you, Mr Elton. You lost your edge a long, long time ago. Mama-freaking-mia.....Alexi Sayle has gone down the pan too. It's political correctness gone mad!
A fabulous comedian/writer and a thoroughly decent man. Blackadder would've finished quickly if he never came in to help. He helped the series re-invent itself and become the programme we know and love today. I also enjoyed him on Channel 4's Saturday Live and bringing it back for a one-off special was genius. Keep up the good work Mr Elton ❤ 😊
Ben Elton is such a talented and well versed comedian/writer and its a clip such as this which goes to showcase this. Thanks for posting.
Ben Elton brilliant as ever.
Still one of the best talk shows on the planet.
I'm a big fan. I love all his books. I can't wait for the next one :-)
Thanks!
There is a word for the Jerry Springer show but "talk" isn't the one I was looking for.
Ben Elton is a genius! He is funny, clever, sharp is responsible for two of the most iconic series on TV. In addition to that his books are just un put downable.What basis are on slagging him off???
We Will Rock You.
Lol Ben Elton and Robbie Coltrane are like Little and Large sitting there.
I'm loving those pink socks!
lol
Look at rowan atkinson, he started doing silent comedy himself(mr bean). So this proves that benny was within the times!
Ben elton started producing 1970s style sitcoms, in the 90s!
Piease dont put him and Rowan Atkinson and him in the same sentence.Its not right.
i dont think i am a one trick pony, but you are entitled to your opinion. its called democracy and freedom of speech.
Blackadder, The thin blue line, 13 novels...he is hated because NOTHING is of limits...people thought blackadder was making a mockery of the troops who fought (among many other things) but he is a very interesting guy, very accomplished...peace
I like him.
@LizaLips1 He wrote a novel called Dead Famous which was about a murder in the Big Brother house. This interview would have been recorded at the time of that book's release.
when was this interview taken ? Before he wrote dead famous?
Which you may not like but it’s been very successful and has made a lot of money for the economy and been a show for countless schools. I think it’s a shame that the vitriol against him is vicious.
Let's see now: Ben Elton: Stand-up comedian, successful writer of novels, musicals and an award winning t.v. series (Blackadder - in case you missed it). Yeah. I see your point. He could never hope to compete with Benny.
Ben Elton is great. I love it when he goes off on one.
hell yeh it rocks
Ben Elton has asked me to point out that "Eskimo" is non-pc.
He helped end Benny Hill's career?
How??
Because people who'd got bored with Mr Hill started liking Ben Elton? I was there at the time; I was one of them.
How on earth can you therefore consider him responsible?
Benny Hill enjoyed decades of huge success. Most people never have that.
If you for some strange reason find it necessary to *blame* someone for Benny Hill's waning popularity and subsequent lonely death, blame the fickle public!
He's singing songs for George Bush now, do keep up.
Let me tell you that I only came here to comment one thing. That one thing is......
'No!' Jimmy protested.
lol, i know someone put a thumbs down on me for puttin that but in my opinion its true.
He's not all bad!
The tradition of silent comedy includes Chaplin, Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, Harold Lloyd, Jacques Tati and Marcel Marceau, Eric Sykes and even Morecambe and Wise. What's your point?
and you get understanding and context from the bbc? dream on.
@dimsimlord They say the criminal always returns to the scene of the crime. Probably why there are so many Australians over here.
This is funny.. The old toothbrush is now a CLASSIC! LOL.
Bill Bailey?
U said benny was out of date, I'm assuming u think think this cuz he did silent comedy. Many of these alternative comedians who slagged benny off like Ben elton and rowan atkinson started doing silent comedy in teh 90s.
He seems very interesting, don't know any of his work but this interview makes it hard to understand why he's so hated in Britain.
i want a tooth brush classic, and i am sickk of all these people saying this guy is not funny , he is political he is up to date and of course i am a bit upset he didnt give the fat a guy a chance to talk but i like him.
Heh, well I gave you a thumbs up.
Then you assume wrongly. I didn't mention "silent comedy" until you raised the subject. Silent comedy in the hands of a master can be hilarious. One of the funniest films I've ever seen was "The Plank" with Eric Sykes. I strongly recommend it if you haven't seen it. As for Benny, I felt his entire act/show became tired, dated, predictable and boring. I'm not saying humour has to be sophisticated but Benny's was just too obvious for modern tastes. Clearly, not everyone agrees and that's fine.
TH-cam proves that not everyone should have an opinion.
Not a Blackadder fan then?!
I hav just read all the total and utter bollocks slagging him off for "selling out" and how is is "hated"and that he only "pretended to have principles" and I am totally fucked off. He has and still has those principles, and you can tell that in every word that he rights. DOes that mean he shouldnt write musicals ? Because he is a lefty does he have top play working mens clubs his whole life?? The poeple slagging him off are totally fucking ridiculous.
I would have seen Benny Hill, or at least his brand of humour, as a legitimate target. But even if it were not, no amount of slagging off by Ben Elton would have damaged Benny if the public had disagreed with him. Let's be fair, the Benny Hill show was the same old thing (Fred Scuttle, unsubtle innuendo and Hills Angels etc.) every week. I used to watch him and laugh but there's only so many times you can laugh at the same joke. Benny never learned to move with the times. Sad but true.
So you read not just one, but all of his 14 novels ? What else do you do against your " better judgement " ?....I mean apart from reading novels you don't like written by by people you don't like and watching Utube videos of people you don't like ?....I know the answer to that ! You watch reruns of Blackadder , The Young Ones , The Thin Blue LIne and go to the theatre to see We will rock you....
yes ben elton denounced him as a "dirty old man, tearing the clothes off nubile girls and saying he chased women when they chased him but just because the benny hill show got axed within two years but it got axed because of riseing costs of
show from 1980 on-wards seemed to be more for the none english market by having the slient stuff plus his prefence for repetition more than before after 1983 after he was forced to cut back on the t & a, i have heard rummors that was what
his books are better than his standups and stuff
I will agree with you that Benny Hill and the others you mentioned were great. But why not Ben Elton? He's a writing machine. Blackadder, Thin Blue Line, Alfresco, The Young Ones,etc. Ben Elton was probably the closet thing to those traditional comedies. "Happy Families" need I say more? Why not bash people like Seth Rogan or Judd Apatow? That's who has destroyed comedy.
Public taste changed not because it was fickle but because it matured - grew up, if you like. People no longer found Benny funny. You can't blame the public. If it ain't funny it ain't funny.
Actually, a stand up comic's politics is part and parcel of wht he or she can be criticised for. After all, the stand up act IS political!
i like his books but not him unfortunately, lol, elelamb :D
His program "get a grip" was mankinds worst ever creation
Something about BEN that annoys the Brits - He is middle England, midddle class, pretending to be working class -apparently standing up for the rights of the down trodden while his books sell all the amoral values of the Surrey set..... Oh, and he doesn't look like he has washed properly.....
read his books and start with 'stark' and tell me this guy is not funny.
imo. that means "in my opinion". am i not entitled to an opinion queenkunti ? are you a struggling neurosurgeon ? or a struggling insurance clerk ?
Dodgy MF !
I can understand why Elton is so loathed. People suffered so much under thatcher that they warmed to anyone who hated her, except he only hated her out of pragmatism.
Now Sir Elton sits smugly on his massive pile of cash.
Oh well.
Spent the 80s complaining about capitalism and slagging off Queen for playing Sun City... and then works with them and makes a fortune. That's genius!
ben elton, very well observed and still cynical as ever
I ment in world wide success. Benny hill a hit almost everywhere in the world including america russia and china! ben elton big only in uk and australia.
Ive got nothin against ben elton, i liked blackadder. but he had no right to slag off benny hill.
Do you have any more inane aphorisms you would like to share?
Can I just ask why...why you are attacking one of Britain's great comic brains of the last 20 years for his politics? Is that all there is to a person? Calling him a twat and a c*** is hardly productive to society...unlike Elton who has left us with gems such as Blackadder and the Young Ones.
Just think about it...
A friendly Australian.
What's wrong with knob jokes?
more £450,000 per show,the raitings going from their peak of 21.63 million to 9.58 million viewers and losing 4 million viewers in the us but benny was still getting more viewers watching their than his hey day in britain in the 70's and number of british companies including thames who axed him offering a contract for revamped benny hill shows just before bennys death and yes when the show was taken off the air bennys health was failing which leaded to his death of a heart attack
He could have sold snow to Eskimos but he's not a funny man.
I used to admire Ben Eltons earlier TV work. His first two novels were fairly good quality. Now he just spouts middle-of-the-road shite. Shame on you, Mr Elton. You lost your edge a long, long time ago. Mama-freaking-mia.....Alexi Sayle has gone down the pan too. It's political correctness gone mad!
is there any one worse than ben elton?
Hmm. Not really up to the standard of the others. Keep trying though.
True, but his acting was utterly atrocious.
very inconsistent writer, blackadder to Get a Grip, young ones to Blessed.
About has funny has toothache , call him a comic , now that is a joke