Jeeves and Wooster (TV)

Introduction

Jeeves and Wooster (JW) is a four series (season) long show comprised of 23 episodes and starring, principally, Hugh Laurie as the imbecilic but lovably earnest Bertie Wooster and the Stephen Fry as the wonderfully intelligent Reginald Jeeves. It is based, largely, on the Jeeves series of writings by P. G. Wodehouse, though some liberaties are taken (the chief two of which are to amp up the slapstick action and to meld multiple stories together).

It ran in the UK on the ITV network from 1990-1993 and has been brought to the States twice, first as part of the Masterpiece Theater on PBS and secondly for a run on A&E. The DVDs are available in America via "a megaset" or by separate season, through A&E.

Though the series is enjoyable overall, there are some caveats that need to be made. If you are a Wodehouse fan, you might wince at a few of the changes. Many are tolerable, but some seem to fizz out. Also, the series starts with a more subtle flair overall, and showing a good deal more of the tertiary characters. Later, it becomes increasingly slapstick, relying on sight gags and Laurie to perform a good deal of physical comedy. The direction changes enough that most fans prefer either the latter half or the former half (I am with the latter, in that I prefer the former).

Below, I collect together some bits of information to help you sort some things out. I will start with a general FAQ of questions I have noted online, and then move on to a cast list (the cast changes are one of the other complaints, and I will end it with a description of what episodes take from what story, as best I can figure out through the help of some other websites and with my personal information.