Shark Bytes

Series 3 Episode 3, right at the end when Aunt A got hit by the water spray from the firehose was when it jumped.

Not surprisingly the first two series' were top notch, but the quality - while still apparent - slipped quite dramatically, and most upsettingly, in series 3. It's still by far my most favourite TV show, though, and I agree with a previous post - Hugh Laurie was born to play Bertie.

I'm AMAZED at the numbers of negative reviews for this show, based on "it's not like the books". What, exactly, does that have to do with the quality of a TV show --- or any other medium, for that matter?

"Gone With the Wind" was the world's bestselling book for 3 1/2 years. "Gone With the Wind", the movie, cut out over 30% of the book, and eliminated or consolidated many situations and characters. It didn't seem to hurt the public's opinion of the movie, though.

Jeeves and Wooster, from first to last, was quality television, whether the episodes were 100% Wodehouse or 50% Wodehouse.

It definitely jumped the shark right at the end when Jeeves dressed up as an American woman. That just did't fit the character at all.

They should have been content to rest on their laurels after the first two seasons; three and four were obvious recycling. The BBC radio productions are snappier, but Hugh Laurie was born to play Bertie.

The show jumped the shark when Jeeves and Wooster moved from London to New York. The British actors playing American characters had some of the worst American accents in the history of recorded performance. Ironically, the only actor who could do a good American accent was Jugh Laurie, but he didn't display that ability until he was on "House."

I would not say that this show jumped the shark. Granted, some of the later episodes were a bit terrible, but that happens. I think it's completely unfair to say that the show isn't good when it strays from the books. Jeeves and Wooster, the TV show, was not, is not, Wodehouse's books. It's a different thing entirely -- it is BASED on the books. It is not, itself, the books, and it is nonsensical to judge the quality of a television series by comparing it to a book. If this television series were, itself, a book, it would be a terrible book, particularly because it would be on video. There's absolutely no comparing a television series to the book it was based on -- they're apples and oranges. Paintings and poems? . . . Television series and books. Jeeves and Wooster is-and-was an EXCELLENT television program.

When did this category become a platform for pompous pseudo intellectuals, i.e., "Oh, for Heaven's sake!"? I've read the Wodehouse books, watched the series (along with many other programs from the UK), and, yes, I do watch "Masterpiece Theatre" and I have been watching since the days of Alistair Cooke (how else would I have found about authors like Wodehouse without programming such as MT?). Frankly, I'm sure some of your students/colleagues/significant others find you and your opinions insufferable. You are entitled to your opinion, but there's no reason to start throwing out veiled insults. 'nuff said.

Bertie may be a bit daft at times, but he's not wholly stupid - above comments make him out to be positively demented. Hugh Laurie himself made a very astute comment about Bertie's intelligence in an interview: viz. that the stories are told *from Bertie's point of view* - it is *Bertie* writing all the great narration and recreating the priceless dialogue; it is *Bertie* who tells the stories as we know and love them. Remember: if Bertie were as certifiable as you say, would there be any reason for Jeeves to remain in his employ? There are dozens of references throughout the books - and several on the television show - of Jeeves leaving employers because they don't meet a certain standard. The comedy may arise from Bertie's bungles, but also from the idiocy of the problems that face his friends and family. And finally, these sorts of stories simply would not work without sympathetic characters, and the plots would be nonexistent were it not for Bertie's altruism in genuinely wanting to help other people.

This show never jumped. Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are perfect for their roles and they capture the Wodehouse stories perfectly.

I don't believe no one mentioned the cast changes. The casting directors that brilliantly thought of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are also responsible for the unfortunate replacement the original Bingo Little with that dark haired Wooster-wannabe. The original Bingo (the blond one) was the perfect epitome of an overgrown schoolboy dreamer. The imposter Bingo (the dark haired one) tried to adopt Hugh Laurie's patented high-pitched squeaky-door diction he reserves for cheerful-but-daft characters such as Wooster and everyone he played in Blackadder, only the faux Bingo did it with disastrous results. Additionally, every instance where the artificial Bingo falls in love (for example Mabel the waitress) he suddenly does a feeble impression of a long distance runner that's just run 20K. Whereas nearly every other character fit into their roles perfectly, Bingo v2.0 stuck out like a sore thumb. Other noticeable cast changes was the replacement the original lean and mean Roderick Glossip that slapped children with the long-haired lazy-eyed fat one that couldn't frighten a wild rabbit. The new Gussie being physically larger than the last one made it harder to believe he was frightened by Spode, whom he probably outweighed. Plus his severely exaggerated lisp was impossible to stand. I agree that the slapstick really detracted from the style the show had going for the 1st two series - outrageous language in an otherwise grounded physically setting. Even if Wodehouse included the occasional visual gag, when J&W started jumping out of moving ocean liners and Bertie flying across the room after getting punched, the show's integrity took a powder. Plus, with Jeeves getting his panties in a bunch over Bingo's horseshoe necktie and almost suffering a stroke over Wooster's mustache, why the hell would he find it fit to serve his master when both have torn clothing and chest length beards? Also, Jeeves dressing up as a woman once was hilarious but when he started shapeshifting at the drop of a hat (the Cockney policeman apprehending Alpine Joe) just ruined his character. By the 3rd and 4th seasons, the show's plots began to wear thin. Wodehouse-based or not, Wooster worrying about Lady Florence or Madeleine Bassett marrying him again? Yawn. The Code of the Woosters seems to exist only to get Bertie in trouble. Also, Lady Florence Cray falling for BRINKLEY? Puh-leez!

If it did at all - and I'm saying not - Jeeves in drag. Funny, but he would never have done it in the books. They DID do all the blacked-up minstrel stuff in the series, didn't they? I thought they did. Note: Jeeves was a valet, NOT a butler, and the whole point of the books was that he was far more intelligent than his employer. He saves the day in every book with his intellect versus Bertie's bewildered wittering. Personally I think Fry and Laurie really did Plum's work justice. Some of the plot changes might have been a little silly but the delivery was perfect.

Watch the show first, then treat yourself to the books. They are a perfect blend of subtle dry humor and laugh-out-loud hysterics. The show is excellent, but for whatever reason, it's not always exactly the same plot, dialogue, etc. as in the Wodehouse stories. Watch the show and enjoy it for its own merits, think of it as an introduction to these marvelous characters. Fry and Laurie did an outstanding job of making Jeeve and Wooster come to life, even though I did originally think that Fry was too young to play Jeeves and Laurie was too old to play Bertie.

This is an excellent series with a brilliant cast and great writing. Who cares if Wodehouse did or didn't write the 'jump off the boat' ending- it was fun and lighthearted. Don't be anal geeks. The settings, clothes, hair, props, writing, music, etc all were very very well done and the characters of Jeeves and Wooster are an incredible duo. Not a bad episode in the run tho some got a tad slow or tedious at times. However, tho never JUMPING the shark, the faked us out by riding over a suspicious wave when they recast Gussie. The original Gussie was best. The new Finknottle looked a little too sturdy.

Seinfeld did an episode where they totally skewered the whole humorous butler motif. I could hear Steven Fry gasping. It was the one wheere Jerry and George develop a new tv show where Jerry has a butler - clearly a parody of this show. For those who couldn't pick up on this, Jerry came out and did some jokes about the stupidity of the name Jeeves. "If your name is Jeeves, isn't it pretty much unavoidable that you're going to grow up to be a butler." Once again a little Yankee know-how punctures the air out of stuffy British convention.

The stories based on Wodehouse are good (some are great) and I have no problem with them being jumbled together. A lot of the non-Wodehouse stuff is crap, particularly in the last series (e.g. the drain-clearing machine). I think I first noticed it when J&W jumped of a liner mid-Atlantic.(1) IMHO, Steven Fry's Jeeves is a lot 'crueler' than the Wodehouse character. (2) I agree with the person who said that Bertie should do a voice-over; the books are written with Bertie as narrator. (3) for background on Jeeves, read C Norhcote Parkinson's biography of him. The middle section is sub-Wodehouse J&W stuff, but the early and late sections (before meeting Bertie, and retirement) are good. (4) Bobbie Wickham should be a redhead (5) I got really annoyed with the change of actors for various characters.