Harry Enfield – Think Bensonium

Week 17: Who does one think one is, Harry Enfield

Roderick Benson — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 23:00:18 +0000

This is quite a funny sketch with Harry Enfield playing the Queen. Not much to say on this one. Best just to watch and enjoy it. I wonder if the real queen would find this little sketch funny?

Week 12: Is the Government right about everything?, Harry Enfield

Roderick Benson — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 15:59:20 +0000

Today I was listening to James OBrien and a 97 year old caller rang in to say that he feels the UK government under Johnson is the worst it has ever been in his long lifetime. Given this government is constantly trying to gaslight its electorate, by telling us that Johnson got all the big calls right in relation to Covid-19, Brexit and the war in Ukraine, it seems this sketch by Harry Enfield is entirely appropriate even though the heart of the sketch suggests that in the past the media gave the government an easy time in terms of holding it to account.

Sadly those days appear to have returned with a vengeance given the pressure this current Conservative government is putting on organisations like the BBC and channel 4 and the revolving door between Parliament and the client journalists that supply ministers to top government positions.

Week 8: 40 – 45 Years, Harry Enfield

Roderick Benson — Thu, 19 May 2022 23:00:50 +0000

Another funny sketch from Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse. In this series part of the charm of this humour was simply capturing the odd characteristics of certain iconic characters that exist in every generation in this strange world we all find ourselves in. The ultra posh private Harley Street specialist routine is just so funny as in high powered medicine you do end up getting some characters, especially at the top echelons of the profession.

Week 7: Doctors Scene 4, Harry Enfield

Roderick Benson — Thu, 12 May 2022 23:00:22 +0000

A common joke that does the round at medical school is: “What’s the difference between God and a medical student?” Answer: “God doesn’t think he is a medical student!”. In many ways, this sketch reminds me of this joke although here Harry and Paul are capturing godlike properties of consultants along with their strange educated upper middle class foibles which is only really found inside the English class system.

Week 5: Tim Nice-but-Dim, Harry Enfield

Roderick Benson — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 23:00:47 +0000

There is an interesting back story to this character which I discovered when I saw an interview with the great Ian Hislop of Private Eye and Have I got News for you fame. The wikipedia entry for Harry Enfield and Chums states the following under the subheading Tim Nice-but-Dim Esq.

The character was initially created by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman, who are both Old Ardinians. They wrote the character as an antidote to contemporary portrayals of ex-public schoolboys as sharp-minded, high-achieving young men, and instead chose to base the character on former school contemporaries who had plenty of money and good manners but were light of intellect. Tim’s catchphrase is “What an absolutely, thoroughly, bloody nice bloke!” A notable scene was him going to the school reunion of another school.