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: 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: A Plan for Gussie

Jeeves and Wooster: A Plan for Gussie
ITV
21 April 1991
Historical Comedy
DVD
C+

This episode has much the same cast and setting (Totleigh Towers) as the previous episode, including:

• Charlotte Attenborough as Stiffy
• Diana Blackburn as Madeline
• Richard Garnett as Gussie
• Campbell Morrison as Oates
• Simon Treves as Stinker
• John Turner as Spode
• and John Woodnutt as Sir Watkyn

I don't remember offhand which novel it's based on, but Gussy and Madeline are still engaged, although they break up a few times, which worries Bertie.  And meanwhile he agrees to pretend to be engaged to Stiffy, so her uncle will think Stinker is an improvement.  Also, we find out the mystery of "Eulalie" in Spode's life.  

I still can't quite put my finger on what's lacking in the second series.  It doesn't help that Bertie doesn't sing, although fortunately that will come back in later episodes.

Martin Clunes and Richard Dixon return as Barmy and Oofy, the former having more to do but still not a lot.

Jeeves and Wooster: Jeeves Saves the Cow Creamer

Jeeves and Wooster: Jeeves Saves the Cow Creamer
ITV
14 April 1991
Historical Comedy
DVD
C+

Some pointless recasting-- Vivian Pickles, Harold's mother in Harold and Maude, given little to do here as Aunt Dahlia, and Diana Blackburn as a decidedly un-soupy Madeline Bassett-- as well as Exton's so-so adaptation of a good if overrated novel (reviewed here http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2012/05/code-of-woosters.html) make for an unimpressive Series-Two-opener.  At least Richard Garnett is back as Gussie Fink-Nottle, and Charlotte Attenborough and Simon Treves do fine in the roles of Madeline's cousin Stiffy Byng and Stinker Pinker, Stiffy's fiance and Bertie's old schoolmate.  John Woodnutt, who was in the very first scene of the premiere of the programme, has much more to do here as Madeline's father Sir Watkyn.  I'm not crazy about the character of Sir Roderick Spode, as villain or comic relief, but John Turner does what he can with it.

Michael Ripper returns as the Drones Porter.  Campbell Morrison makes his first of two appearances as Oates.  Martin Clunes takes over the still very minor role of Barmy Fotheringay Phipps, for the first of four times.  Simon Langton is the new director, for this and the rest of the second series, so we'll see how much of the blame he deserves.  But, yes, I'd rather have watched this than many of the New York episodes of Whose Line Is It Anyway?