From a hero of the sea to a hero of comedy, the following week's most-watched show was the fourth outing of Thames Television's Benny Hill Show. Comedian Benny had previously made 11 series of programmes for the BBC between 1955 and 1968, as well as various specials for ATV, but it was when he moved to Thames in 1969 that he found his true home, and he is mostly remembered today from his Thames era. The Benny Hill Show was broadcast periodically from 1970 to 1989, usually about 3 or 4 times a year, and each edition was an hour long special made of short sketches (Benny's quickies), comedy songs, longer sketches full of puns and double entendre, and ending with a speeded up chase sequence, usually, but not always, to the tune of Yakety Sax. This edition, the most watched Benny Hill Show of the year, and second most watched programme of the year overall, featured a particularly funny ballad 'The Garden Of My Love' in which Benny used loads of plant based puns to link the contents of his garden to the story of his love life, and a musical comedy version of Frankenstein's Monster amongst many other things. It can be viewed here if you don't mind the shrunken viewing screen and fixed background superimposed around it by the uploader.
Week two of March was topped by the second most watched programme of the year, and, by a nice quirk of the scheduling that year, week three was topped by the third most-watched programme. This time it was the first BBC charttopper of the year, although strictly speaking not made by them, as this was 1970's Eurovision Song Contest. The previous year had seen the infamous four way winner's tie, and therefore there was something of a choice to host this contest, which was eventually awarded to the Netherlands and held in Amsterdam. The Uk sent Mary Hopkin, singing Knock Knock Who's There, the reply presumably being not many of us, as Portugal and most of the Scandanavian region stayed at home in protest of the perceived scoring fiasco of 1969, meaning only 12 countries took part. Despite the contest's growing reputation for cheesy songs, perhaps involving ample use of 'la', the winner in 1970 was a young Irish girl called Dana, with a gentle song, All Kinds Of Everything. David Gell was the UK's commentator on BBC1 that year, but I can only find a commentary-free version of the contest.
We then return to Coronation Street the following week, where in Episodes 965 and 966 (unusually tied in the top spot that week), Ken and Val plan and open the new salon, initially unaware that owner Alan Howard has sold it on to bookie Dave Smith. Once the salon opens Len goes in to have his ridiculous looking moustache shaved off, but seeing assistant Bernard Butler (Gordon Kaye in a pre Allo Allo role) has shaky hands he chooses to do it himself. Bernard also struggles to make conversation with the customers, causing Dave to sack him, and the salon staff to walk out in support of him.
In the final week of March 1970 we turn full circle as once again This Is Your Life is on the top, and this time with the most watched edition of TIYL of 1970. The subject this week was popular 'sit down' comedian Ronnie Corbett, then known mainly for The Frost Report and sitcom No - That's Me Over Here! Ronnie was surprised while filming a sketch for The David Frost Show in which his character is convinced Eamonn Andrews is going to do his life, only for Eamonn to appear for real, leaving Ronnie flabbergasted.
March 1970 Summary
W/C 02/03/1970 This Is Your Life (Richard Evans, Thames Television, Wed 4th March, 8.7m)
W/C 02/03/1970 This Is Your Life (Richard Evans, Thames Television, Wed 4th March, 8.7m)
W/C 09/03/1970 The Benny Hill Show (Ep 4, Thames Television, Wed 11th March 20:00, 9.3m)
W/C 16/03/1970 The Eurovision Song Contest (British Broadcasting Corporation, Sat 21st March 22:00, 9.2m)
W/C 23/03/1970 Coronation Street (Episodes 964 & 965, Granada Television, Mon 23rd March 19:30 & Wed 25th March 19:30, both 8.1m)
W/C 30/03/1970 This Is Your Life (Ronnie Corbett, Thames Television, Wed 1st April, 8.9m)
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