Tied for the best movie I have ever seen

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

It's hard to believe that they cancelled Soap with out wrapping up the story yet they let this terrible show go for 7 seasons. Benson was such an uninteresting and unneeded character on Soap that they never mention he left and you won't even notice until the new butler shows up. This show is proof that people will watch anything.

Comedies are about laughs, right, but you can enjoy comedies, without finding many laughs. Benson is a show, grew on me, now replayed on the new analogue, channel 76. I haven't seen the show for nearly thirty years, but it's the interesting and greatly written characters that complete it for me. I loved the opening music theme, and the wonderful actors. It's Benson, who's the source of a few laughs, among his and sharp witted and dead cute comebacks, where they don't have to be funny. This is kind of like Spin City, in the 80's, but I know what office, I'd rather be in. Benson, wonderfully played by Guillaume, an underrated actor, is a former butler, who's now humbly worked his way up, to role of lieutenant governor, in this executive mansion, where he's the sanest out of them all. I really love how Guilluame's character carries, himself, the cool cat among consistently worried Governor folk, or frantic maids, whatever. There's a coolness about it. If judging it solely on comedy, I'd be giving this a six, but like I said, to me, this sort of of not funny comedy, makes me push aside that factor, just for all the characters and shenanigans this goes in this house of office. And you'll just love Inga Svenson, as Gretchen, the maid/cook, my favorite, apart from Benson, who'll just grows on you, while Rene Auberjonois has the unforgettable face to fit character, as a smarmy sort, played to perfection. Forget Spin City or The Nanny, as you'll be much more at home with Benson. Gifted child star, Missy Gold, gives a very seasoned performance, as the cute Governor Gatling's (Noble's) daughter. Artificial exterior backdrops. How eighties.

For anyone who enjoyed "Soap" and for all its wonderful characters there were high hopes and great anticipation for this spin-off in 1979. Spinoffs were the norm back in the 70's and so "Benson" was sure to be a guaranteed hit. But it was one big letdown when it premiered. One could say the cast was terrible, which it was. But one could say also that the character of Benson wasn't strong enough like Rhoda or Maude Findley to stand on their own. Heck, even Gilligan or Bobby Brady could have done well as a spin off. But on "Benson" Benson just wasn't funny.On "Soap" the character of Benson was a butler to a middle class family who sometimes refused to serve even a plate of scrambled eggs or had a funny one liner to his rich, crazy employers. All these characteristics disappeared once he became the central character of his own show. The cast of characters he was surrounded by on "Benson" were wishy washy and therefore incapable of giving Benson any kind of opportunity to give some funny lines. The show was a disaster and you never heard anyone rave about it at the water cooler.Yes, it lasted for seven seasons but so did "Wings," "Who's The Boss," and other simpleminded TV garbage. But have you noticed that "Benson" hasn't been seen in syndication for decades? Television series like "I Love Lucy" and "The Brady Bunch" are still on the air today because they're shows people still want to see. They never get old. Watch one episode of "Benson" and you wonder where people's brains went.

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.