Benson (TV series)
Benson is an American television sitcom which aired from September 13, 1979, to April 19, 1986, on ABC. The series was a spin-off from the soap opera parody Soap, in which the character Benson, portrayed by Robert Guillaume, had first appeared as the wise-cracking yet level-headed African-American butler for the highly dysfunctional Tate family. However, Benson eschewed the soap opera format of its parent show for a more conventional sitcom structure. The series was created by Susan Harris, and produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions.
Cast & Characters
Robert Guillaume as Benson DuBois, the main character, hired as head of household affairs for Governor Gatling and his daughter Katie. Quick-witted and quick thinking, Benson has helped the Governor on several issues, bailing him out of tight political and public situations.
James Noble as Eugene X. Gatling, the widowed and scatterbrained (but well-meaning) governor. Gatling had a penchant for telling off-the-wall stories, which Benson (and everyone else in the household) dreaded.