CTVA
The Classic TV Archive - US Comedy Series
Soap (1977-81)   -   Benson (1979-86)   -   I'm A Big Girl Now (1980-81)
Benson (1979-86)
 Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by: Jorge Galindo
references:
TV Guide / Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive / Writers Guild of America (wga)
Benson (season 1) (ABC) (1979-1980)
Benson (season 2) (ABC) (1980-1981)
Benson (season 3) (ABC) (1981-1982)
Benson (season 4) (ABC) (1982-1983)
Benson (season 5) (ABC) (1983-1984)
Benson (season 6) (ABC) (1984-1985)
Benson (season 7) (ABC) (1985-1986)
------
BENSON
------
Witt-Thomas-Harris production (Tony Thomas-Susan Harris)
Columbia Pictures Television
for
ABC (Thursdays 8:30-9:00pm)(Sep 1979-Jul 1980)
ABC (Fridays 8:00-8:30pm)(Aug 1980 -Mar 1986)
Created by: Susan Harris
season 1 (1979-80)
Produced by Don Richetta, Tom Reeder
season 2 (1980-81)
Produced by Bob Colleary, Tom Whedon
seasons 3 & 4 (1981-83)
Production Harry Waterson / Produced by Bob Colleary / co-produced by Rob Dames and Bob Fraser
season 5 (1983-84)
Produced by Rob Dames & Bob Fraser / co-produced by Kathy Speer & Terry Grossman
season 6 (1984-85)
Produced by Rob Dames & Bob Fraser / co-produced by Gary Brown
season 7 (1985-86)
Produced by Rob Dames & Bob Fraser / co-produced by Ron Landry & Tom Biener

US Situation Comedy series 1979-86 158 episodes x 30 min  color Video Tape (7 seasons) release date 13Sep79

Starring
Robert Guillaume as Benson DuBois (1979-86)
With:
James Noble as Governor James Gatling (1979-86)
Missy Gold as Katie Gatling (1979-86)
Inga Swenson as Gretchen Kraus (1979-86)
Rene Auberjonois as Clayton Endicott III (1980-86) 
Ethan Phillips as Pete Downey (1980-85)
Didi Conn as Denise Stevens Downey (1981-85)
Caroline McWilliams as Marcy Hill (1979-81)
Lewis J. Stadlen as John Taylor (1979-80)
Jerry Seinfeld as Frankie (1980-81)
Billie Bird as Mrs. Cassidy (1984-86)
Donna LaBrie as Sen. Diane Hartford (1985-86)

Premise:
In this spin-off from "Soap", Benson the butler was sent by Jessica Tate to help her widowed cousin, Gov. Gene Gatlin.
Benson found himself moved from one loony bin to another. The governor was a bumbling politician; Katie his precocious
daughter; Kraus, the formidable Swedish housekeeper, and Marcy his secretary.

Though technically only in charge of Governor Gatling's household, Benson (the only sane person on hand)
solves everyone else's problems. One nemesis is Gretchen, the Swedish housekeeper; another is the Governor's
intelligent daughter Katie. The Governor's aides mostly get in the way.

Robert Guillaume had played Butler Benson DuBois in the hit tv series  Soap (1977-81)  until 1979 when he was given
his own spin-off series 'Benson'.

Casting by Harriet B. Helberg
"Benson" music by George Aliceson Tipton
music: George Aliceson Tipton
video: Richard Hissong;
videotape editor: Gary Anderson.

 Have you any comments, corrections, episode titles, air dates, production numbers, directors, writers, story/synopsis, guest stars, cast lists, etc?
Have you any old videos, or tv guides? Dust them off and let us know if you have any information on this series or any other tv series from the
Golden Age of TV, which is missing from any episode guides on the web. Perhaps a certain episode of a particular series coincided with a key
moment in your life, or in world events - and or has left a vivid memory of when it was shown. Let us know. Would you like to see any other
tv series guides on this site? If so please e-mail The Classic TV Archive - see Feedback below.
This guide may be distributed and copied freely, in its entirety, for personal use. All original author and copyright information must
remain intact. Any sales or other uses of this document are expressly forbidden, without the specific consent of the author(s).
Copyright © The Classic TV Archive. All rights reserved.

Return to The Classic TV Archive Home Page
Feedback  -  Comedy Forum