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?