Benson: Soap's Brilliant Offspring
Soap was a wonderfully satirical program. And one of the funniest characters was the Tates' butler, Benson DuBois. His dry humor and poise stood in sharp contrast to the craziness around him.
When Jessica Tate's cousin Gene (who is almost as scatterbrained as she) is elected Governor, he needs someone to help him run the state. Jessica imposes on Benson, whom she calls her best friend, to move in and help out. So, the spinoff program Benson is born.
Benson Rises Up
Benson starred Robert Guillaume in a reprise of his Soap roll. He initially came to head the household, but as time passed, Benson rose up through the ranks until, by the end of the series, he had reached the office of Lieutenant Governor. Along the way, he verbally fenced with Gretchen Krauss, the German housekeeper (played by Soap veteran Inga Swenson), gave advice to the Governor (played by James Noble) and his daughter (played by Missy Gold) and put down the Governor's right hand man, Clayton Endicott III (played by Rene Auberjonois).