Jeeves and Wooster

Bertram "Bertie" Wooster (Hugh Laurie) stands perplexed and speechless in a courtroom as the judge condemns his recent antics: he stole a policeman's helmet.  He pays his fine and returns to his untidy apartment where, still dressed, he collapses into his bed.  Seemingly only moments later, the doorbell rings.  All efforts to ignore it fail and he finally answers to find Jeeves (Stephen Fry) standing there.  "I've been sent by the agency."  Still speechless, Bertie stands mute as Jeeves glides through the apartment, leaving tidiness in his wake.  Jeeves mixes his own personal concoction that, when Bertie drinks it, brings back his capacity to speak!  "I say!  You're engaged!"  And so begins a most entertaining series based on the stories of PG Wodehouse.

Bertie Wooster is a member of the idle rich in late 20s to early 30s England.  He belongs to the Drones Club where many of his old school chums wile away their time with drinking and silly games.  Each of them have peculiar names: Tuppy Glossop, Gussie Fink Nottle, Barmy Fotheringay Phipps, Bingo Little, and the like.  Bertie's most pressing problem is usually avoiding marriage to any number of women that his Aunt Agatha or Aunt Dahlia send his way.  His clever ploys to avoid these engagements invariably fail miserably - and humorously - which requires Jeeves to save the day.  Certain themes are repeated, eventually to the point of failing to be funny anymore by the 4th series.  Notably, Bertie is the 2nd choice for groom to several women and thus he finds that he must mend broken engagements to avoid his own undesired engagement.  As a price to mend relationships, Bertie is often blackmailed into committing theft: a painting, a book, a statue, a string of pearls, and such.  Again and again, Jeeves arrives to save the day when such thefts go wrong.

Where Bertie is a lovable bumpkin, a happy-go-lucky and amiable playboy, Jeeves is a walking encyclopedia who seems to know countless random facts on any given subject.  Also, through his connections among the valet community, he knows a great deal about the upper-class families with whom Bertie interacts.  Bertie has an avant garde view toward fashion, which frequently irks the more staid Jeeves.  In these cases, Jeeves often suggests that Wooster expunge such items from the wardrobe in exchange for help in the current crisis.

All in all, a great series and worth watching.  Great popcorn fun.  Highly recommended.