Behind the Scenes of the Ben and Andy Show

We have Batman and Robin, Michael and Dwight, and even Tom and Donna, dynamic duos that will be known forever in American pop culture. Scituate has its very own dynamic duo: Ben and Andy. In case you haven’t tuned in, Ben and Andy have their very own show where they deliver local, state, and national news in a humorous way.  The amusing twist on the daily and weekly news is what seems to draw viewers’ attention, making the show a success.

Senior Ben Smith is a first-year Scituation staff member who found his niche in broadcasting when he found a new friend in fellow staff member Andrew Connelly. Andrew, or Andy, as most call him, is a junior at Scituate High who has a passion for video production. With spunky witt from Ben and dry humor from Andrew, the two make a great team that allows for an enjoyable episode each week.

Ben and Andrew are two students that no one can miss when walking down the busy hallways at SHS. At school, Ben is known as the hockey player that can be heard from classrooms down, and Andrew is known as the tall ginger that always has a camera in his hand. They are known throughout the school, but there are many things about them that those who sit in class with them Monday through Friday wouldn’t guess.

Born and raised in England, Ben’s mother, Dr. Lesley Smith, believes Ben got his comedic personality from her, stating, “He has an English sense of humor.” Sophomore Lucy Smith, Ben’s younger sister, also mentioned that Ben is very witty, always having something funny to say at the right moments. Referring to Ben’s sense of humor, Lucy said, “when he’s not making fun of me, I like it.”

Senior Cameron Francis, who could be considered Ben’s closest friend, has known him since they were seven years old. Being the good friend he is, Cam mentioned that he hopes Ben will become “an international business person, so [he] wants him to fulfil his dream.” Francis did say, however, that he could understand why people can see Ben having a career that is broadcasting-related, due to his success with the Ben and Andy Show. It was evident why Cam and Ben get along so well when he said “I thought he was Andy,” when he was asked if he was surprised that Ben was the Ben in the show.

Andrew Connelly on the other hand, is a “personable” individual that seems to be liked by everyone as, his guidance counselor, Mrs. Mohr put it. He’s the person that doesn’t have trouble in social situations because he always has a wisecrack remark to break the ice. Mrs. Kate Connelly, Andrew’s mother, believes that because he is the youngest of four humourous men, “he’s learned to hold his own in bantering with them, developing his humor over the years.”

Neither Dr. Smith nor Mrs. Connelly were surprised to see their son providing entertainment in front of the camera. Mrs. Smith joked, saying that “broadcasting would be a great career for him if he wasn’t so lazy.” She said, “He needs to know that his good looks is only going to get him so far.”

With their notoriety rising, as their show is now broadcast regularly over Scituate Community TV, and a new year full of news, The Scituation eagerly awaits to see where Ben and Andy will take them.