Bio on Benny Hill shows he was considered funnier than Monty Python by various TV stations

The bio is The Benny Hill Story by John Smith.

Not surprising is it? Monty Python were altogether too cerebral and outre for mainstream audiences and so were tucked away late at night on Beeb 2. Benny Hill's amiable, vaguely sexist, everyman slapstick pulled in the big early evening audiences and so would be perceived as 'funnier' for which a better substitute would be more popular. Let's not forget he also topped the singles chart with Ernie. That said I don't suppose Benny Hill dvds nowadays outsell Python's which have achieved an iconic status far beyond their early commercial impact.

Hill was the best comic ever.

Whilst I agree to a point, I think you cannot compare these Comedians per say.. Benny Hill was so loved by many and had a wide audience in England and especially in America in the early 80's.. The Monty Python crowd were very "cerebral" as you call it and a bit high brow... for the average American to understand the humour but in part very funny I have very many favourite sketches "The French taunter" in particular, MP humour was a lot different and not slapstick more wordy..
Benny Hill comes from my City.. Southampton, he is laid to rest close by where I live I remember him well; I feel as a Python Fan though..I have to disagree with that your assessment and comparison of the two is unfair to Benny... They still are up there these two with Tommy Cooper... although he was a bit before my Time ;) and again a different type of humour.

Much of Monty Python was odd or surreal rather than funny. Actual funny moments were few, and often each sketch had only one real funny line before being endlessly done to death and petering out. It had cult appeal, certainly, and was different enough to be compulsive, although I did sometimes tire of funny voices type humour (like the Goons, if anyone remembers). Benny Hill, on the other hand, was funny all the time, unless you were a stitched-up 'cerebral' politically correct type.

One thing we can be sure of: Hill himself would never have claimed to be the best comic ever and would probably be embarrassed if others made such a claim. Apparently his stage act was very weak (Bob Monkhouse, a friend and admirer, told of Hill's inability to project properly to a live audience), but his stuttering career took off when he switched to television. There - in the 1950/60s - he was certainly one of the most inventive characters in TV comedy. Although best remembered for his later work, I don't think it was his best; that has nothing to do with the rather silly attacks about sexism etc. that were levelled at him, I just think he ran out of ideas and the shows become ever more repetitive. Apart from his TV shows, I think he showed up quite well in the few film roles he took on and it was a shame that he didn't more.
So, no, Benny Hill was not the "best comic ever" (doubt if you could validate such a claim for any one individual); let us be content with the knowledge that he was a very funny performer.

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Ah, the best. Who is to say what that means exactly? I recently met a German camper who told me Benny Hill is really popular in his country. Now that is praise. One of the Greats, I think, but only to those who appreciate predictive slapstick. I recently watched 'Life of Brian with grandchildren. Although I remember rolling around on the floor at the 'Release Roger scene,' I didn't even giggle this time. The children didn't rate it at all. On the other hand they love Benny Hill BUT have a complete set of Norman Wisdom DVDs....Taste, it's a mystery.
Madgra Anda'

What about Dick Emery?

Oooh, you are awful .......

Kitchener Lampwick, Randy Mandy, Sex-starved Hettie, Bovver Boy, The Toothy Vicar and Camp Clarence - memory lane Hold on! Randy Mandy!

It is possible to loose sight of the writers for these characters. Galton and Simpson made stars. Hancock was never really funny, except as a deliverer of the funny situations dreamed up by script writers. I suppose the big attraction of stand-up comedians is that many of them write their own stuff. Bob Hope (I hope someone remembers him) had brilliant one liners, but also an army of script writers dreaming them up.
So, in this debate,I suppose the 'best' is someone who makes new generations laugh and perhaps even wrote most of his/hers own material.
Off to buy four candles!!
Madra Anda'

But I like Ya! ha ha

Yeah I remember Bob Hope he was funny! pushin' up daises now!

The Two Ronnies.... ah now your talking! What about the Women? Victoria Wood & Julie Walters... Very sharp wit, clever woman, Julie waters always makes me laugh!.. Victoria Wood a very bright Lady with words..

Mrs Overall

They were all very funy characters with a great ablity to entertain; therein lies the truth. No profane langauge, shouting or obscenties. Not like today's lot with constant effing, blinding and shouting. Why must they shout? And are any of them funny? nah can't hold a candle to the old lot.

current biography of 1983 showed how benny was named the funniest man in the whole uk. he was.

That perhaps is because it was so slapstick and not definitive in the jokes and words per English Humour. I find the average German to be very cool and straight faced, but that is generalising too, some known to me are funny and with good wit, I have had a couple of Germanic friends.. Now you talk about the Irish they are very funny! ..might appear thick, like in the series "Mrs Brown" but actually are very friendy, funny nation of people... The English are a bit up themselves generally! unless they are Cockney, then thats a totally different matter...I love the Cockney's my Great Grandmother was one! and I am 1/4 Irish!

Good series but never took to that one.. Half of the cast of "Coronation Street" on there! Victoria was a bit of a Task Master, and she hates "THE X Factor" so do I it intimidates people ... I like Victoria Wood.

benny called himself benny after jack benny.

Oh I never Knew that!

i think legendary comic bob hope wrote the foreword to the american version of the hill bio.

I loved Bob Hope he was an amazing oldtimer! very funny and American ..or was he originally English? not sure most were. Laural

Yes, he was British-born. I like Bobe Hope too, especially Casanova, Paleface and Son of Paleface. Who said Scooby Doo was the first American screen coward?

(It was Eddie Izzard.)