Talk:Jeeves and Wooster

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So, what is this show actually about?[edit]

I came from Hugh Laurie's page knowing nothing about this show's premise...and I still don't. Wooster is "empty-headed", Jeeves is "well-informed", but what is the show actually about? Someone please update. SteveG 10:37, 17 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It is about a given time in England, before WWI, that the offspring of rich families used to party it up every day, avoid working for a living and generally get themselves into trouble, in one way or another, it was often up to the Valet (Jeeves) to get Wooster out of trouble.

if you can't understand what that is about, you need serious help. Trumpy (talk) 05:33, 11 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]

I've seen Wooster described as "24 in 1924, and 24 to this day". On the "silly fascist party" side, the would-be dictator Roderick Spode (who features in The Code of the Woosters and others) and his fascist organisation (the Blackshorts) is an obvious reference to the Blackshirts (british union of fascists) who were active in the 1930's, having been founded by Sir Oswald Mosley in 1932 (any parallels with Spode here?)

Please read the PG Wodehouse page, he never meant either of the characters to have an age, it wasn't a time-based thing. Trumpy (talk) 05:39, 11 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]

As one of the novels deals with the rising popularity of silly fascist parties in England (I believe it is The Code of the Woosters), it would be more accurate to say that the series takes place in some time before the second World War. I've edited the article accordingly. Kricxjo 04:33 4 Jun 2003 (UTC)

I don't think the series takes place in ANY real time, despite the fascism parody and the occasional jarring moment of reality (e.g., a reference to airplane hijacking!) ... what's important is the tone, which is very much pre-WWI in the innocense of the Edwardian Era when Plum was young - not the tone of the Jazz Era or the Depression. That's why I wrote that they "exist in a timeless world based on an idealized version of England before World War I" - not that they "take place in England before World War I," or something more matter-of-fact like that.

However, it's not a big deal, and certainly open to debate. Since "before World War II" also encompasses "before World War I," I will give way. DavidWBrooks 16:30 19 Jun 2003 (UTC)

Ok, I understand your points now. It would be good to mention this in the article. FWIW, the first Jeeves and Wooster short stories are Jazz Age-ish (especially Wooster's recollections of his months in New York City), and the series goes as far as the early to mid 1930's. But, you're right, Edwardian values play a big role. I'll try to touch on this in the article. Kricxjo 17:16 19 Jun 2003 (UTC)

As something of an affirmation to the "timelessness", I remember reading the article by Hugh Laurie on how "Wodehouse Saved My Life" (or similar title) and he was discussing being surprised that there never was an era like Wodehouse describes. Wyrmis 18:34, 18 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Plum wrote many of the Jeeves novels after WW2 when he was living in the states. There are references to vietnam protests (Bertie gets caught up in one... but I forget which novel.

Grakirby —Preceding undated comment was added at 18:46, 2 October 2008 (UTC).[reply]

Shouldn't this article be separated into Jeeves (or Reginald Jeeves) and Bertie Wooster? While they are a "comic duo," they are certainly separate characters. This page could perhaps remain as a short account of the characters as a comic duo, but should primarily focus on the BBC series entitled "Jeeves and Wooster." Wodehouse rarely referred to Bertie as "Wooster." Just my thoughts. — Dan | Talk 04:01, 21 Aug 2004 (UTC)

After nearly a month and no protest I'm now going split the article. — Dan | Talk 15:12, 19 Sep 2004 (UTC)

As Bertie narrates the novels it is not surprising that he is not often referred to as Wooster. However I beg to disagree there are numerous references to "the Wooster brain" etc etc. and of course a novel called The Code of the Woosters.

Thisu article is about the television series.. there are separate pages about the characters and novels etc. Talk —Preceding undated comment was added at 18:44, 2 October 2008 (UTC).[reply]

I have changed this article's category from Category:P. G. Wodehouse characters to Category:P. G. Wodehouse because it primarily concerns the series of books Wodehouse wrote about them rather than on the characters themselves. Jeeves and Berties Wooster are stil; in Category:P. G. Wodehouse characters. — Dan | Talk 00:51, 5 Jan 2005 (UTC)

the link to Richard Stirling seems to be unreasonable (it leads to 1986 born Cricket player, while the series was shot in the early 90-s)

I added the adjective "humourous" in an attempt to make the article more descriptive. Though I was kind of split over comedy vs humourous I went for the latter as I think comedy is too suggestive of a narrower type of humour than the often more gentle or droll form extant in J & W. The article possibly needs a "concept" section if people still feel it's too vague. Adytum72a 02:00, 4 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

While watching the series on Masterpiece Theater years ago, the host remarked that the 'valet' club Jeeves belonged to was named after a Greek god (Apollo?) that was above the Greek god that Woosters club was named after. Might be an interesting trivia addition. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.104.73.235 (talk) 03:48, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, Jeeves belonged to the Junior Ganymede Club, who was Zeus' "valet". Bertie's was the Drones Club. So, not directly related to each other, but definitely appropriate for both...Jrbaker (talk) 23:57, 29 April 2009 (UTC)[reply]

About the timeline - as for the show, the back cover of the DVDs put the show in the 1930s. Wodehouse was most active then and in WW2 with these, and was criticised for keeping things in the past while he was still writing them much later, which allows for the occasional quite anachronistic Vietnam War protest. Certainly not pre-WW1. The slang, the take-off of Oswald Mosley... definitely the 1930s. The show is even more so, given the fashion and so on. Prohibition is in force in one episode, as I recall, making it early 1930s I suppose (possibly late 1920s, I suppose).

Wooster's Car[edit]

"Bertie Wooster's car is an early 1930's Aston Martin. Chuffy Chufnell drives a Lagonda in series 2."

What about the Widgeon 2-seater? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by IanW (talk • contribs) 23:05, 2 March 2007 (UTC).[reply]

adaptations, or originals?[edit]

Are the episodes dramatisations of the original stories, or were the stories created specifically for the series? If the former, how faithful are they to the Wodehouse? 165.91.64.170 (talk) 23:39, 25 May 2009 (UTC)RKH[reply]

They are adaptations of the stories/novels, with many changes to fit the TV format - generally, combining multiple stories into one. - DavidWBrooks (talk) 00:12, 26 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There's an element of Bowdlerisation too - we never see Bertie giving money to Jeeves while in the books the fiver on the mantlepiece is often apparent.Keith-264 (talk) 08:59, 4 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

theme song[edit]

The article used to state that the theme is an adaptation of Irving Berlin's "Puttin on the Ritz" but I think anyone who's heard both tunes would say that this is clearly not true. I think the confusion might stem from the fact that the song "Puttin on the Ritz" is featured in an episode of the show. I went ahead and changed this, stating that the theme is an original piece written by Anne Dudley. Foscolo (talk) 05:23, 27 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In a scene in the movie "Arthur" (1981), while Arthur (Dudley Moore) lunches with Linda (Liza Minnelli) at an outdoor venue, a strolling three-piece combo comes over to their table and plays a tune that is virtually identical to the "Jeeves and Wooster" theme. —Preceding unsigned comment added by J52Jarhead (talk • contribs) 03:07, 7 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I sincerely disagree. The tune in Arthur is not "virtually identical" to the J&W theme. – Hattrem (talk) 01:42, 23 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The theme song is an arrangement of the 1938 song "Topsy" by by Edgar Battle and Eddie Durham, not an original composition. It is like several earlier recordings of that song. The reference mentioned on the page is in error as it only shows a front page of a CD, not the author of the song or arrangement. It is probably the case that Anne Dudley has arranged the song and made the recording, though. DK236 (talk) 22:27, 2 February 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Calling these two the same tune is a bit of a stretch. – Hattrem (talk) 23:15, 28 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Rhythm is kind of the same in spots; tune is quite different, and original. Topsy may be one of several pieces used to create a new tune in the style of the '30's. 2.31.34.225 (talk) 20:01, 15 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Chufnell Regis[edit]

Surely Clovelly, in North Devon, was where many if not all exterior shots depicting Chufnell Regis were filmed? --93.197.162.2 (talk) 20:46, 26 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Why "comedy-drama"?[edit]

I didn't want to edit such an important element without opening it up for discussion here first... but surely Wodehouse's Jeeves and Bertie stories, and these faithful adaptations, fall squarely in the category of "comedy," no? I am very familiar with both the books and these programs, and have never detected anything I'd call "serious content." Jcejhay (talk) 15:11, 10 December 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Long Term Unsourced Locations[edit]

I've removed the locations section on the article. This section had been around for years, tagged since 2015, and has no sources, and appears to be original research. Escape Orbit ^(Talk) 22:26, 23 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]