The piece of music frequently used for the ending sequence in the sketch comedy program The Benny Hill Show is "Yakety Sax". It typically accompanied otherwise silent, rapidly paced comedy sequences often involving a chase scene.
"Yakety Sax" was written by James Q. "Spider" Rich, and released as a 45 rpm single by Boots Randolph in 1963. The composition includes pieces of assorted fiddle tunes such as "Chicken Reel", and was written for a performance at a venue called The Armory in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. There are also two bars of "Entrance of the Gladiators" worked into it.
The combination of "Yakety Sax" and chase scenes have been parodied in many other TV shows and movies ever since.
This special was produced in color, but aired in Britain in black-and-white as the ITV network did not go color until 1969.
Benny Hill produced this one-off special for ATV as part of a bid by Lew Grade to lure the comedian from the BBC; however, as part of the deal, Hill was to also host two episodes of an Anglo-American variety show called "Spotlight" (ITV, 1967-68; CBS, summer 1967) over which he had no control over the circumstances of production, and which featured such American guests as Abbe Lane, Paul Anka and Lana Cantrell. This latter part of the deal eventually soured Hill over ATV permanently, and he did not return to the ITV network until he signed with Thames Television in 1969.
Nicholas Parsons, Rita Webb and Bettine Le Beau, all featured players in the early years of The Benny Hill Show (1969), made their first appearances with Hill on this special; on the other end of the spectrum Dave Freeman, his on-and-off writing and performing partner since the 1950's, ended his involvement with Hill's show after this effort, and only here as a performer.
Dennis Kirkland worked as an assistant on this and the other two shows Benny Hill hosted for ATV in 1967. It was there that Hill and Kirkland, who was to produce the final ten years of The Benny Hill Show (1969), first met.