The Cancellation Of Benny Hill

Once upon a time Benny Hill was the biggest thing on British TV - with more people tuning into his show in 1969 than the moon landings. He went on to sing number one hits, break America and become an unlikely hero to Michael Jackson, and even the gangster rap community. Despite his worldwide popularity, his shows are rarely on TV nowadays - having been criticised for containing racist, sexist, risqué and vulgar content which would be deemed unacceptable by today's standards.

In this no-holds-barred documentary, we delve into the past of one of Britain's most unlikely family entertainers - a man whose mere theme tune is enough to bring back memories for anyone of a certain age. We tell the story of his irresistible rise, his controversial reign as Britain's king of comedy, and his eventual downfall, when his incredibly expensive show was finally cancelled by ITV in the late 80s.

We'll be looking back through the archives and revealing unseen footage that can't (under normal circumstances) get played on TV today... And we'll be showing this material to a generation gap of viewers - from fans who loved Benny at the time, to Generation Z, who simply can't believe what they're watching. We'll also be exploring the prevailing social attitudes that gave rise to some of his most popular material, and ask whether it's time to bring Benny out of the comedy cold, or whether he should stay 'cancelled'?