If they want to reflect modern Britain, maybe they should start piping in Al-jazeera.

It's bye bye Benny, hello Hollyoaks for the BBC

His saucy slapstick may have lost favour in Britain more than two decades ago but Benny Hill remains that rare thing: a long running hit in America.

However, not for much longer, if the BBC has its way. The corporation's US commercial arm, which currently airs the show twice a day to millions of Americans, has decided to axe the comedy because it no longer reflects Britain.

"As for Benny Hill not reflecting modern Britain, that is just rubbish. It never reflected anything. It is just a funny show. This is a case of taking these things far too seriously. They are funny and popular and so should stay on air. They were never vulgar and obscene like a lot of the new stuff."

This is too bad. Some of my fondest memories I have of my grandparents revolve around The Benny Hill Show. My uncle owned a ski lodge in Michigan, Pine Knob, and one year a couple of my college buddies and I drove out to go skiing for a week. We stayed at my grandparents house while there. We would ski all day, go home and get fed like kings from grandma, and then we would sit with them every night and watch Benny Hill . They absolutely loved the show.

What's next? Are they going to yank Monty Python's Flying Circus because it doesn't reflect the modern British drag-queen.