"Jeeves and Wooster" (1990) TV series 1990-1993

User Rating:

8.9/10   

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

April 1990 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Based on the well-loved novels of P.G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse, this British series featuring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie...

Plot Keywords:

Valet | Club | Country House | Gentleman | Fiancee

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Stephen Fry	...	Reginald Jeeves (23 episodes, 1990-1993)
Hugh Laurie	...	Bertie Wooster (23 episodes, 1990-1993)

Runtime:

55 min (23 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo | Mono (season 1-2)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Barnsley Park, Barnsley, Gloucestershire, England, UK

Company:

Carnival Films

Trivia:

Stephen Fry (Jeeves), Hugh Laurie (Bertie Wooster), Robert Daws (Tuppy Glossop), John Turner (Roderick Spode) and John Woodnutt (Sir Watkyn Bassett) are the only actors to play the same character in all four seasons.

Quotes:

Bertie: And if *that* doesn't leave me without a stain on my conscience, then I don't know *what* it doesn't leave me without a stain on.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Mickey Blue Eyes (1999)

A mixed bag.

This 'Jeeves and Wooster' series is largely enjoyable, at least in the first two seasons, beyond which point the casting changes severely hobble pleasure. Fortunately Hugh Laurie's daffy Bertie Wooster (along with Stephen Fry's Jeeves) are consistent throughout the entire series, they are masterful and well-worth the high price of the dvds, available from Acorn Media in a first-class DVD set.

Sadly some of the best secondary roles are cast with multiple actors and the changes along the way, especially in the third and fourth seasons, are highly inferior to the original actors. Notably, the loss of Mary Winbush's gorgon of an Aunt Agatha is a great loss to the whole series. Also, the 2nd Madelyn Bassett (Diana Blackburn) is much preferable to the TWO other actresses employed to play this all-important nemesis of Bertie's. Blackburn's facial expressions and her low voice are perfect for the vapidly dreamy Madelyn. Her cousin Stiffy, as done by Charlotte Attenborough, is hilarious with her nasty little black Scottie dog, Bartholomew, which is inexplicably changed to a white terrier with the introduction of a blonde actress in another episode, a great loss.

The most grievous cast change is the switch from the perfect Gussie Fink-Nottle of Richard Garnett to someone else for the balance of seasons 3 & 4. This is the final nail in the lid of the coffin as far as comedy goes. In fact this series should have stopped after the second season as the director, Ferdinand Fairfax, does not seem to be able to carry off the dotty humor as well as his predecessors in the first two seasons. The episodes become more slapstick and silly, though not as funny. The stories become repetitive and boring, especially those set in New York.

The New York episodes are severely hobbled by British actors attempting to sound "American" with their over-exaggerated "r"s and attempts at U.S. slang. These performances fall like rocks in a tar pit and become very annoying in the end. I'd skip the third season altogether when viewing. The fourth season is slightly better but a pale shadow to the first two. The last episode is ineffably silly and the ending is just plain stupid.

If you can find seasons one and two on their own grab them.

The best Wodehouse adaption out there right now is 'Heavy Weather' set at Blandings Castle and starring Peter O'Toole as the pig-loving Lord Emsworth and a large cast of brilliant comedians in a masterful adaption of a very funny book.