Benson

I watched this show regularly for about four years or so,all the way to it's last show in 1986. By then,it had been moved to Saturday nights,with ABC clearly putting it out to pasture as the ratings were probably slowing(if not outright dipping)and the writing and story-lines getting more contrived and preachy over the last two seasons. Still,I got into this show and enjoyed it quite a bit.

A spin-off of the groundbreaking,controversial and(in my and I'm sure not the only opinion)brilliant "Soap",this show followed the life of acerbic but humane and wise butler-turned-house servant-turned-budget secretary-turned lieutenant Governor Benson DuBois(Robert Guillame,who seemed to be born to play this role). He,similar to his role on "Soap",has to put up with his share of rich(and almost entirely white)stuffed-shirts and makes friends with the TAte-Gatling family,only this time it's with Jessica Tate's cousin,the Governor himself(JAmes Noble,who is FANTASTIC here)and his daughter KAtie(Missy Gold,who will always be a cute blonde kid to me).It is the Governor,in fact,who appoints Benson to his posts in the Mansion,and Benson in turn puts up with the jovial absent-mindedness that the Gov exudes,being an aid as well as a gentle foil. The primary antagonism/grudging compatriots in the show came from the dour German housekeeper Gretchen Kraus(Inga Swenson,who probably had trouble getting casting directors to NOT cast her as Teutonic women after this show)and the pompous ass of an adviser Clayton Endicott III(Rene Auberjonois,another great actor that probably had to work hard to free himself from being typecast). Also,Benson ended up befriending his secretary Denise(Didi Conn,who will always be Frenchy from Grease to millions!)and her eventual husband,the lovably scattered gubernatorial staffer Pete Downey(Ethan Phillips,still working,Thank God!).Also featured as the staff(mostly in the first two seasons,which I must confess I have not seen as much of as the later shows) were Harris/Thomas/Witt standby Caroline McWilliams,Lewis Stadlen,co-producer Bob Fraser and Jerry Seinfeld(!).

This show was early Friday nights for me when I was too young to have much (if any) of a social life,and while the humor and pacing may seem dated and slow by today's standards(put this up against something like "Seinfeld" or "Scrubs" and see what I mean),watching it on TVLand again had me laughing out loud at times and appreciating this show for what it was:simple sitcom material done right. While this show does SEEM like twenty years or more has passed,it's a good t.v. memory,something that to me makes television worth watching.

Benson DuBois (one of the reasons why Soap is a success and is my favorite character of that show) is moving on from being the Tate's butler/cook to being the head of household affairs, but his sharp, sarcastic wittiness hasn't changed one bit.

While Soap was a soap opera parody with continuing storylines and occasional cliffhangers unresolved until the following episode answers those questions, Benson was purely a mostly self-contained sitcom with politics sprinkled in the mix.

Benson works with Governor Eugene X. Gatling (played to perfection by James Noble), who has a daughter, Katie (played by the cute and adorable Missy Gold). The governor does have his dimwitted and airheaded moments, but he does take his job seriously, for the most part.

Outside of Benson, the other consistent member of the governor's staff is his cook Gretchen Kraus (played to perfection by the late Inga Swenson). Throughout the series, Benson and Ms. Kraus do take jabs at each other but would become friends later in the show's run.

Another character that occasionally gets on Benson's nerves is the governor's chief of staff, the snobbish Clayton Endicott III (played by the late, great René Auberjonois), and their rivalry were also parts of the reason why it became successful back then.

Other characters include the governor's first chief of staff John Taylor (played by David Hedison in the pilot and Lewis J. Stadlen for the rest of S1) until he was dropped and replaced by Clayton starting with S2, the governor's secretary Marcy Hill (played by the lovely Caroline McWilliams) who would leave early in S3 after getting married, Press Secretary Pete Downey (played by Ethan Phillips) who joined in S2, while Marcy's replacement and later Pete's wife Denise Stevens (played by the lovely Didi Conn) joined the following season until they both leave early in S6, and the governor's new chef Rose Cassidy (played by Billie Bird).

Like its parent show Soap, Benson also ended on a cliffhanger, deciding on who would win and become the governor. Despite that, Benson is still remembered for being charmingly funny.

I watched Benson before I saw any episodes of Soap so I never knew the connection. I remember watching an episode with the lovely Katherine Helmond guest starring reprising her soap role. Her character's date ends up dead and it could be scandalous. Her character turns to Benson for help. Of course, he helps out rather than let his beloved friend in trouble. His character's rise from governor's head housekeeper to Lieutenant Governor is a bit unrealistic but he makes it believable for the audience. I remember him winning an Emmy. I think it's a first for an African American actor to win for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. I remember cast of characters including an understated actress named Inga Swenson who played Olga. Peter Noble who played the widowed Governor very well. Rene Aubernois who played Benson's nemesis. I won't write enemies because they weren't. I remember them being at odds with each other. I loved Didi Conn who played secretary and the man who played her on screen husband. They left before the show ended after 7 seasons. I also remember Missy Gold, Tracey's Gold's older sister, who played the Governor's daughter. I'm kind of sad that it's been twenty years since it left our airways. Friday nights were never the same on the ABC network. Good shows like Benson are hard to come by nowadays.

This is a splendid series for all viewers to watch and enjoy. The crew did terrific job in creating this series. This series has everything for all viewers to enjoy. The storyline throughout this entire series may have been straightforward but it was more than enough. The cast selection throughout this entire series was strong but not enough. They really committed well to the storyline and to their respective characters. The chemistry that was displayed throughout this entire series between the cast members was strong which worked greatly for this series. This is a great series for everyone to watch and enjoy.

I just saw the "Benson" show for the first time this weekend. It was during the TV Land, 48-hour, Benson Marathon! I had a ball!

I NEVER knew someone could laugh so much and so hard! My favorite episode was the one in which Clayton is kidnapped. That was a good one! Trouble never fails to catch up with that guy! And what a rescue team....Uh yeah!!!....Not!

My next favorite episode involved Klaus' SPOOF-OF-A-MARRIAGE! Could kind of guess what was coming but it was fun to watch anyway! I spent the whole weekend holding my sides and trying NOT to laugh continuously! Needless to say, I failed! Oh well, you can't win them all! HA HA HA!