Jeeves and Wooster: The Ties That Bind

Jeeves and Wooster: The Ties That Bind
ITV
20 June 1993
Historical Comedy
DVD
B-

Although this ends with Madeline's wedding to Spode being ruined by a plumbing explosion caused by Tuppy but blamed on Bertie, this episode does get us somewhat back on track.  At one point, Bertie has two fiancees, both Madeline and Florence expecting to marry him when their current romances don't work out.  Aunt Agatha (Elizabeth Spriggs again), who in a previous series was incongruously Madeline's godmother, here hopes there's more to Madeline then there seems.  Totleigh Towers would recover from the damage and grow up to be Downton Abbey.  (Highclere Castle in real life.)

Sidney Livingstone and Preston Lockwood return as Oates and Butterfield respectively.  Fred Evans is back as Brinkley and, of all things, gets paired off with Florence.  And kudos to Woodnutt for being in the first and last episodes of J & W.

Jeeves and Wooster in Series Four ranges from C- to B+, averaging out to that same C+/B- border as the previous two series.  So even with all the WTFery, there's still some good stuff, especially in that opening episode in New York.  However, it's probably just as well they ended here.

Jeeves and Wooster: Trouble at Totleigh Towers

Jeeves and Wooster: Trouble at Totleigh Towers
ITV
13 June 1993
Historical Comedy
DVD
C

In this not exactly faithful adaptation of Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves (reviewed here http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2012/07/stiff-upper-lip-jeeves.html),  Gussie elopes with another girl, which worries Bertie until Madeline becomes engaged to Spode.  (Elizabeth Morton is disconcertingly red-haired in this and the next episode.)  The un-Wodehousian touches this time appear in the last ten minutes or so, from Bertie (at Jeeves's urging) pretending to be an African chieftain to the remaining cast singing "Oh, By Jingo," yes, including Jeeves and Spode.

Preston Lockwood makes his first of two appearances as Butterfield, while Sidney Livingstone takes over the role of Oates here and the following episode.  Despite Stiffy being Madeline's cousin, we won't see Charlotte Attenborough or Simon Treves in the finale.

Jeeves and Wooster: The Delayed Arrival

Jeeves and Wooster: The Delayed Arrival
ITV
6 June 1993
Historical Comedy
DVD
C+

More un-Wodehousian touches in this episode, in particular both Jeeves and Wooster in drag.  Aunt Dahlia's plans for her magazine collide with Lady Florence's love life of two possible suitors, not counting default fiance Bertie.  This all leads to the 500th C+ I've given to one of my shows.

Nicholas Palliser and Francesca Folan are back as Stilton and Florence.  Richard Dixon makes his last appearance as Oofy.  Ian Collier, who plays Seppings, would shortly be on Paul Merton, The Series.  Magistrate Peter Howell would be Mr. Perry on the 1996 TV-Movie version of Emma.  Even though we're now on Aunt Dahlia #4 (Jean Heywood), surprisingly Ralph Michael returns, after three years, as Uncle Tom.

Jeeves and Wooster: Bridegroom Wanted!

Jeeves and Wooster: Bridegroom Wanted!
ITV
30 May 1993
Historical Comedy
DVD
B-

For the most part, this is a definite improvement over the previous episode, although it does have a cop-out ending.  Not that it's not sort of amusing to see Jeeves and Wooster after eight months lost at sea in a lifeboat (Bertie was in charge of the compass), but it seems like Jeeves should've been clever enough to find a solution when several angry people confront Bertie on a ship bound for London.  This episode combines two London-set plots and plops them into the Big Apple without too much damage.  Bingo #2 (Pip Torrens) falls in love again, but this time he gets married, unfortunately to the author that Bertie has been masquerading as for about a year, according to Lord Bittlesham (more like two years onscreen).  Meanwhile, Honoria Glossop has a romance with a doctor who works for her father (the young doctor is a novelist in the original), and her father is in love with his nurse.  Bertie hires a brassy actress to pretend to be his fiancee, but of course things go seriously awry.

Philip Locke takes over as a much friendlier-to-Bertie Sir Roderick Glossop.  (And in this version of things, Lady Glossop has run off with another man, rather than died, as I think she did in print, unless I'm misremembering.)  It's nice to see Geoffrey Toone is back as Lord Bittlesham, and for that matter Liz Kettle as Honoria Glossop, among the few who have not been recast over the years.  With the New York adventures at an end, Joseph Mydell makes his last appearance as Coneybear.  And Peter Carlisle returns as the Bookseller.

Jeeves and Wooster: The Once and Future Ex

Jeeves and Wooster: The Once and Future Ex
ITV
23 May 1993
Historical Comedy
DVD
C-

And this is probably the worst episode of Series Four, if not the entire programme.  Lazy, sloppy, and boring, it contains one of the worst performances of J & W: Nigel Whitmey's as the recast Georgie Caffyn.  He appeared on one episode of Josie and would soon be on Paul Merton: The Series, but presumably on neither sketch show was he allowed to suck the energy off the screen like he does here.  It doesn't help that he's involved in the less interesting plot, where two old guys try to meet in secret to close a business deal, while George wants Bertie's help in getting together with the richer old guy's niece, for which George promises to reveal a secret way to break an engagement, and then it turns out that was a bluff.  And sub-Janos-Prohaska gorilla costumes are involved (for both a fake and a supposedly real gorilla).

Francesca Folan, who was the first Madeline Basset, here becomes the second Florence Craye, and this time Bertie's engagement to her is not at all intentional on his part.  She is better cast here, more brisk and much less bitchy than Fiona Gillies (who did, however, have fabulously permed hair).  Nicholas Palliser does fine in his role of uppercrust policeman Stilton Cheesewright, and we'd see more of them and their fractured romance.

As for the laziness and sloppiness, one example is that we see a newspaper dated August 23, 1931, which would be cool, except that it's in a scene set a few days before a Fourth of July costume party.  And we catch glimpses of Georgie's show, but none of the fun production numbers like for Ask Dad!,  instead a listless dance number rehearsed enough times that the chorus girls look as sick of it as we are.  Worst of all though is that, on top of no real pay-off to the deal with George, there's no pay-off to Jeeves secretly attending the costume party and shaping events; there's a close-up of his mask but no indication that Bertie has a clue about it.

Joseph Mydell is back as Coneybear, given a little more to do here, although still less than his predecessor.  In contrast, Sam Douglas returns as Corrigan the cop and is given a lot more to do.  Domini Winter is again a Choreographer, while Kim Barrand, Di Cooke, and Nola Haynes are Chorus Girls like last year.  And Peter Carlisle would return as the Bookseller.

Jeeves and Wooster: Return to New York

Jeeves and Wooster: Return to New York
ITV
16 May 1993
Historical Comedy
DVD
B+

This is probably the best episode of the final series, and indeed one of the very best of the programme as a whole.  It's well cast, directed, and costumed, and there are some lovely musical moments.  These range from a quartet singing a song about soup to a torch singer doing solos and, towards the end, a duet with Bertie, as Jeeves for once contributes unreluctantly.  This episode smoothly combines three short stories, one of them with Tuppy replacing one-timer Freddie.  In a bit of continuity, Aunt Agatha (now played by the grand Elizabeth Spriggs) still co-owns the Gregson-Prysock Gallery in New York, so Bertie hopes she'll take to his latest crush, an artist named Gwladys.  Meanwhile, Agatha wants him to see that his troublesome twin cousins get on the boat to South Africa.  Too many great moments to name them all, so I'll just quote this line, re the thread that only exists onscreen, not in print, about Tuppy trying to sell his nanny's cock-a-leekie recipe, "But does the populace at large want to be transported back to your childhood, Tuppy?"

Joseph Mydell plays the recast Coneybear, the elevator man, and would return twice more.

Jeeves and Wooster: Comrade Bingo

Jeeves and Wooster: Comrade Bingo
ITV
3 May 1992
Historical Comedy
DVD
C+

This blends two short stories-- the title one and the one about the father & son artists-- and for some reason throws Madeline Bassett into the mix.  This means that the ending of the latter story has a couple twists due to the presence of Spode, which is interesting, but the problem with Spode is that there's an increase in unfunny violence, whether him hitting Bertie on the head twice (rather than Jeeves's efficient once in print) or his followers fighting with the Communists.

Geoffrey Toone returns as Lord Bittlesham, but Pip Torrens takes over as his nephew Bingo.  Colin Higgins, who plays Comrade Butt, appeared on Paul Merton, the Series the previous year, while Peter Benson, who's Mr. Rowbotham, would be on PM the Series the next year.

Jeeves and Wooster in its third series ranges from C+ to B, averaging out to the C+/B- border.  There are certainly some good moments, but things overall don't quite jell.  The final series wouldn't exactly be a comeback, but it does contain some other memorable moments.

Jeeves and Wooster: Hot Off the Press

Lady Florence

Jeeves and Wooster: Hot Off the Press
ITV
26 April 1992
Historical Comedy
DVD
C+

This takes one of the earliest J & W stories (with Lady Florence wanting Bertie to steal a manuscript) and mashes it up with a later one from the Stiffy & Stinker cycle.  Along the way, it confuses the Bassett family tree further, with Lady Florence as another niece, and Stiffy referring to "Uncle Roderick," as in Spode.  In any case, it didn't really hold my interest much.  Despite some recasting, including of Stiffy, Simon Treves returns as Stinker.

Jeeves and Wooster: Right Ho, Jeeves

Jeeves and Wooster: Right Ho, Jeeves
ITV
19 April 1992
Historical Comedy
DVD
B

Despite the title, this is actually based on a different novel, The Mating Season, which I'm not sure if I've read.  It's better than I remembered, although the recasting of Gussie and Madeline does take some getting used to.  I still prefer Richard Garnett to Richard Braine (who seemed more suited to Rupert Steggles in the first series), but Braine isn't bad.  As for Madeline #3, Elizabeth Morton is a more cartoony version of the character, but I have to admit that, while Francesca Folan and Diana Blackburn have more attractive personalities, the programme really does need someone as saucer-eyed, lisping, and soupy as Morton's Madeline, especially in the "He did it for love" courtroom scene, where nearly everyone is in happy tears and Bertie looks steamrollered.

The Catsmeat & Gertie romance works well as a subplot, and this is in fact one of the better episodes set at a country house, including the denizens of said house.  I'm also getting used to Fairfax's use of over the top humour, as with the billowing smoke when Bertie drives too quickly.  There's still some genuine wit, some of it direct quotes from Wodehouse, so it's not all a cartoon.  Best of all, we get music not only from Bertie but from Gussie!

Jeeves and Wooster: Introduction on Broadway

Greg Charles and Dena Davis

Jeeves and Wooster: Introduction on Broadway
ITV
12 April 1992
Historical Comedy
DVD
B

I almost went with a B+ on this, since it might be the second-best episode of the programme*, but it is marred by a scene where Aunt Agatha (Mary Wimbush) is treated like Margaret Dumont was in Animal Crackers and At the Circus, and these stuffy dowager types should be humiliated verbally, not physically.  That aside, this episode, which well blends two of the New York short stories (and frankly, uses the gap in the "Corky" chronology better than Wodehouse did), includes the following:

• Dena Davis as Muriel giving a wonderful period performance, with hints of her scheming even before the twist;
• Solid casting all around, including a fish-faced Cyril;
• Also very period-appropriate, the look of the poster for Ask Dad! and the children's bird book;
• And yummy glimpses of Ask Dad!, with its catchy early '30s musical numbers, including a Busby Berkeley tribute;
• Little sight gags, like Jeeves giving the Liftman (Ricco Ross, his last appearance) Bertie's cowboy hat as Bertie talks in the foreground;
• Ominous, horror-like shots for the Worple Mansion;
• Bertie bluffing his way as a jute salesman (from the story, but with Laurie's delivery selling it);
• And of course the modern art satire, with the shot of the cubist baby portrait at the end.

On a programme where recasting is common, it's a nice touch having Billy J. Mitchell and Anatol Yusef back as Mr. Blumenfeld and his son Sidney (or Sydney), even if no mention is made of them having met Bertie before.  Sam Douglas returns as Corrigan the cop.  Domini Winter would also play a Choreographer the next series (and was a choreographer in real life), while Kim Barrand, Di Cooke, and Nola Haynes would again be Chorus Girls.  John Cassady, who's Prysock here, did a Josie episode.


*"Brinkley Manor" is of course the best.

Jeeves and Wooster: The Full House

Jeeves and Wooster: The Full House
ITV
5 April 1992
Historical Comedy
DVD
B-

This blending of two of the New York short stories still isn't quite there, but it's an improvement.  The two threads impact each other in surprising ways, especially towards the end, and there are a couple nice piano duets with J & W (although I'm sure Fry is faking it).  Note that Hoover is President and The Gay Divorce is on Broadway, placing this in 1932.  Also, Bicky's uncle in print has been changed to his father here.

Lou Hirsch appeared as Jim Weaver on Paul Merton, the Series and is preacher Jimmy Mundy (a Billy Sunday parody) here.  Sam Douglas makes his first of three appearances in this series as Corrigan.  John Fitzgerald-Jay returns as Rocky, the subject of one of the two plot threads, while Julian Firth, who's Bicky in the other thread, would be Northerton in an episode of the miniseries The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling.  And Ricco Ross is back as the Liftman, with a lot of reaction shots to the hijinks.

Jeeves and Wooster: Bertie Sets Sail

Jeeves and Wooster: Bertie Sets Sail
ITV
29 March 1992
Historical Comedy
DVD
C+

This first of the "Jeeves & Wooster in America" episodes feels like it's more set-up than pay-off.  It uses one short story (the one about Wilmot and Lady Malvern) and interweaves it with a new thread about Tuppy interacting with recast Stokers.  But to be honest, I would've been just as happy hanging out in the country longer with Rocky Todd (John Fitzgerald Jay, who would have his own plot next time).  Luckily, more memorable things would take place during the sojourn in the US.  Note that this is set during Prohibition, so 1919 to '33, which narrows things down slightly.

Ricco Ross makes his first of three appearances as "Liftman Coneybear," i.e. the "colored" elevator operator, whose role is fleshed out a lot from his brief appearance in the original story.  Ferdinand Fairfax takes over as director, for this series and the final one.