Bonkers!

{{Short description|1979 British TV variety show}}

{{About|the variety show||Bonkers (disambiguation){{!}}Bonkers}}

{{More citations needed|date=March 2021}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}

{{Infobox television

| creator = The Hudson Brothers

| producer = Jack Burns

| starring = Bob Monkhouse and The Hudson Brothers

| country = United Kingdom

| num_series = 1

| num_episodes = 24

| runtime =

| company = ATV

| network = ITV

| first_aired = {{start date|1979| |df=yes}}

| last_aired = {{end date|1979| | |df=yes}}

}}

Bonkers! is a British television variety show from ATV, and distributed by ITC Entertainment in the United States for syndication during the 1978–79 television season. The show aired later in 1979 on ITV in the United Kingdom. A total of 24 episodes were produced.[http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/bonkers/200177 Bonkers! at TV Guide] The show was filmed at ATV's Elstree studios near London.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

Starring Bob Monkhouse and the Hudson Brothers – Bill, Brett and Mark – the show featured sketches, guest stars and musical numbers from the chorus dancers known as The Bonkerettes. While not a big hit for ATV, it gained a cult audience in the United States where it was compared to Saturday Night Live.

After four episodes the show was curtailed in the United Kingdom by the 11-week-long ITV strike of 1979. When ITV returned only a small number of companies mainly Border Television, ATV, Granada and UTV broadcast a few additional episodes, however the series was not fully broadcast in the United Kingdom.