Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-09-01
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 8
• Running time: 1161 minutes

Synopsis
This release includes all 23 episodes of the beloved series JEEVES AND WOOSTER, based on P.G. Wodehouse's stories about a hapless aristocrat (Hugh Laurie) and his debonair butler (Stephen Fry), who rescues the wealthy fool from his ridiculous entanglements.

Customer Reviews

Simply Wonderful!
For me, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie were, are and always shall be, the quintessential Jeeves and Wooster! As English as Pimms and cucumber sandwiches, this glorious P.G. Wodehouse creation lifts the veil on the altogether more carefree life in 1920's high society, ironically observed through the wit of one of our great writers. And who better to bring it to the screen than two of our greatest comic talents.

Sadly, P.G. Wodehouse has suffered of late from the tight mouthed disapproval of Political Correctness. Landed gentry, dutiful servants, dim-witted police characatures, debutantes obsessed with marriage and black and white minstrel groups are not always popular topics today. I wish that some people could just get over their angst about "toffs" though, and see this for what it is - a wry and witty gallop through an entirely different era. This is comic farce, and it pokes fun at absolutely everyone.

I doubt this series could have been made today, but thank heavens it was, getting on for twenty years ago. As such, please remember that fact when watching these DVDs. The style of filming is a far cry from today's frenetic jump-cut output. But that just adds to the experience, and enhances the other-worldly feel of an altogether more innocent, genteel era.

There have been some voices of dissent about the story line here and there in this series. One feels that new scripts - partially removed from the writings of Wodehouse and involving a trip to the States - were created to help sales of the series in the US. They are, occasionally, less than wholly successful. Having said that, the majority of episodes are true to form, and the American settings do provide an interesting contrast to the usual round of English country houses and the glorious Drones club. If you too enjoy the episodes so much that you watch several back-to-back, you may notice also that one or two of the characters are played by more than one actor. These are minor niggles though in what I otherwise treasure as a real high point in television.

When the big box set was originally released by Granada the picture quality was - as is much of their shoddy output by the way - horrible! Note to Granada - pay more attention to quality!!! Luckily, this and the preceding re-packaged set of the complete four series collection are much better, having been digitally re-mastered. I just wish they'd filmed more episodes. Reaching the end of the final disc left me feeling sad that there were no more to view - my evenings would not be quite the same.

I heartily recommend you buy this set - it will give you many hours of enjoyment. Mix yourself a cocktail, pull up a chair and say PAH! to political correctness!

First class entertainment !
A Bit of Fry & Laurie: Season One [1989] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

A fine set of tales that make one chortle away like crazy ! Stephen Fry & Hugh Laurie do justice to some top-notch scripts that capture the art-deco , jazzy era of the 1930's but to perfection. They are very entertaining as Jeeves navigates young Bertie through one social awkward situation after another. Clive Exton did a superb job with this as he did with various Poirot adaptations during the 1990's. He did produce fine episodes of both that delighted the public and this fine series is a great legacy.

It is a massive mickey take on the 1930's as Aunt Agatha terrifies both Bertie and the viewer ! One gets the feeling the master & servant routine is not so clear cut as Jeeves is thankfully for Bertie really in the driving seat. This does cause one to think about Black Adder The Third and Up Pompeii as they where based upon a similar premise !

If you are a fan of Poirot but fancy art deco & dry humor but without the dead bodies then this is the show for you ! Likewise admirers of Mr Fry & Mr Laurie are in for a great treat. So don't delay buy today !

It will make the time fly by !

Class Comedy
There were some fantastic British comedies created in the 1970-1990 period and this would have to be in the top 3.
The production team have re-created work from PG Wodehouse as if it was especially written for Fry and Laurie.
Even the American episodes are carefully worked into the series.
Good content (modern writers please note), good actors, good production. Wonderful outcome!

Some people have criticised the quality of the picture. I found the Amazon version very good - at least it doesn't look like a kid with a little video camera has taken it- hence is unlike some modern shows.