Emmy® Winner Robert Guillaume Gives New Meaning to the Phrase "The Butler Did It"
BENSON:
THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON
DVD Debuts July 24 Featuring 24 Episodes on Three-Discs and Exclusive Bonus Features
Culver City, CA (May 14, 2007) - Created by television powerhouse Susan Harris (TV's "The Golden Girls") and starring five-time Emmy nominee Robert Guillaume, Benson: The Complete First Season makes its DVD debut on July 24 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The collection features all 24 politically-flavored episodes from the long-running comedy series' first season in a three-disc set. The exclusive bonus materials include a video introduction by Guillaume, a Benson series retrospective, and a photo gallery. The DVD will be available for $29.95 SRP.
Robert Guillaume played one of the most popular supporting characters on Soap, as the insolent butler to wacky Jessica Tate (the brilliant Katherine Helmond, who makes a guest appearance this season). His scene-stealing portrayal of the acerbic character resulted in his winning a Best Supporting Actor Emmy (he would be nominated five more times as Best Actor, winning another statuette in 1985). ABC spun the character off into the title role in Benson, debuting on September 13, 1979. The premise entailed Jessica sending Benson off to help her inept cousin, Governor James Gatling (James Noble), run the Governor's mansion. Other characters included Katie Gatling (Missy Gold), the governor's adorable daughter; Benson's nemesis Gretchen Kraus (Inga Swenson), the stern German housekeeper; Marcy Hill (Caroline McWilliams), the governor's secretary; and John Taylor (Lewis J. Stadlen), the governor's political aide.
Over the course of its 7-season, 154-episode run, Benson was nominated for a total of 17 Emmy Awards, winning three, as well as four Golden Globe nominations (including three Best Actor nods for Guillaume).
Benson: The Complete First Season episodes include:
Change (Pilot)
Trust Me
President's Double
Benson in Love
Conflict of Interest
The Layoff
Snowbound
Jessica
Don't Quote Me
War Stories
Ghost Story
Taylor's Bid
One Strike, You're Out
Just Friends
Chain of Command
Bugging the Governor
Kraus Affair
Checkmate
Cold Storage
Old Man Gatling
Power Play
Takin' It to the Streets
The Army Wants You
Marcy's Vacation
DVD Special Features Include:
. Digitally Remastered Audio and Video
. Full Screen Presentations
. Video Introduction with Robert Guillaume
. Benson Series Retrospective
. Photo Gallery
. Audio: English (Stereo)
. Bonus Previews
. Closed Captioned
BROADCAST YEAR: 1979 - 1980
Benson: The Complete First Season has a run time of approximately 597 minutes and is not rated.
About Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
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