Jeeves and Wooster - Herr und Meister

Brilliant P.G.Wodehouse stories lose nothing from transfer to the screen. Of course, some series are better, some are worse, some are real masterpieces. In fact, I like all of them. Adaptation is really wonderful: amusing, dynamic, intelligent and sparkling with wit and humor. Leading actors are awesome. Hugh Laurie gives an unforgettable comic performance, masterfully imitating manners and way of speaking of typical young aristocratic idiot. Stephen Fry seems to be an unparalleled Jeeves. All series are well casted, though performers of several parts change. I especially like Elizabeth Morton as Madeline, Charlotte Attenborough as Stiffy and Richard Garnett as Gussie. The series entertain and cheer you up. As for me, I can't help laughing while watching them.

Any newcomers to the writing of P.G. Wodehouse should bear in mind the following points;

i) Wodehouse was a highly prodigious writer ii) All of his stories feature upper class idiots iii)There is always a happy ending iv) The plots are never plausible v) None of the first four points will prevent you from enjoying his work vi) Wodehouse is one of the greatest ever writers of English prose.

A surprising variety of humourists have been influenced by Wodehouse, including Peter Cook, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Ben Elton, Spike Milligan, Woody Allen and even Billy Connolly.

Television and film adaptations are rarely as good as the original book, but this production is about as good as it gets. Apart from Stephen Fry being rather too young at the time to play Jeeves, the casting is nearly perfect, particularly Hugh Laurie as Wooster.

There are time constraints on television programmes that books are not limited by. There is also the problem that Wodehouse was at his best in narrative passages rather than with dialogue. Nevertheless, this programme will still make you laugh out loud. Great music too.

Better still, read the books. Not just the Jeeves and Wooster titles, but also the Blandings series, Psmith, Mr. Mulliner and Ukridge books.

Whatever your taste in comedy, The Fast Show or Last Of The Summer Wine, Dad's Army or Monty Python, the chances are that PG Wodehouse will make you laugh.

'Jeeves and Wooster' still crops up on satellite and cable channels. It is well worth a look.

"Jeeves and Wooster" is a wonderful showcase for Hugh Laurie and Steven Fry, two of my favorite comedians. Their performances carry the series even when the writing starts to falter in the final season.

But the original P.G. Wodehouse books are, it should go without saying, better. Bertie Wooster's narration of his own adventures is hilarious, and much of his bizarre "wit" is inevitably lost in translation to TV. Thankfully, though, Clive Exton's scripts do retain an enormous amount of Wodehouse's original dialogue, which really can't be beat.

All the plots are the same, of course; Wooster is either helping a friend get married, or trying to avoid getting hitched himself. Somehow, though, this repetition doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the series; in fact, it's sort of a wacky bonus. I find that, if anything irks me, it's that some of Wooster's friends are total jerks or weeds who really don't deserve his help - though I suppose that's part of the joke. The oily Gussy Finklenottle drives me absolutely nuts, especially in the first two seasons!

The production values are surprisingly lavish, especially for British TV (though there is a rather lame recreation of the Empire State Building in one episode). The period detail is impressive, and the music is great. The casting is mostly spot-on, too, though some of the guest actors perform a little too grotesquely, and certain very important characters are re-cast midway through the series. It's quite distracting when a major character like Madeline Basset is suddenly played by a new actress, especially when the original Madeline later shows up playing another character, Florence. Thankfully, some of the best cast members stay the course.

There's a definite change in tone after the first two seasons. The show gradually becomes weirder, and when you get to the later episodes Wooster is suddenly getting shot at, jumping off boats, etc. But there's plenty of great material throughout the whole run, and I highly recommend picking up the whole set on DVD. I don't even mind the American characters, who seem to take a lot of heat on this site; aren't the bad accents silly on purpose?

Ultimately, what makes this series so memorable is its offbeat combination of different elements - it's like a comedy of manners, a musical, and a goofy slapstick routine rolled in one. I didn't really get it when I was a kid, but I think it's a hoot now, and Wodehouse's commentary on the laziness of privileged people and the fickleness of love still feels very relevant. Great stuff.

My father introduced me to the Jeeves stories and I fell in love with them. Adaptation can be a tricky affair but this series is done superbly. Hugh Laurie portrayed Bertie just as I pictured the character. I always thought of Jeeves as being older but Stephen Fry portrayal of Jeeves dispelled that notion. The other characters are done well especially Bingo and Aunt Agatha. If you've read the stories a couple of them are usually combined into one episode. Having great material to start with and maintaining that standard is tough but this series does it brilliantly. So if you enjoy Wodehouse or enjoy good farce I highly recommend this series.

"Jeeves and Wooster" is one of the best pure adaptations I have ever seen in a television show. As a huge fan of the books, I have no problem with any characterizations or plot dramtizations. The best thing about this series is its Britishness. Both Jeeves and Wooster drip with satire. Each episode is laugh out loud funny. It is much better made than many British television offerings, such as the Peter Wimsey series (although I love it, too). I highly recommend a look at this series to anyone who has a British sense of humor or enjoys '20s glamor.