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Jeeves And Wooster : Complete ITV Series (8 Disc Box Set) | 
 enlarge | Directors: Robert Young, Simon Langton, Ferdinand Fairfax
Actors: Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Charlotte Attenborough, Robert Daws, Simon Treves
Studio: ITV DVD
Category: DVD
List Price: £49.99
Buy New: £17.01
You Save: £32.98 (66%)
New (20) Used (3) from £17.01
Rating:  34 reviews
Format: Box Set, Pal
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Parental Guidance
Region: 2
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 8
Running Time: 999 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.7 x 1.4
EAN: 5037115091932
ASIN: B0009HBN5U
Release Date: July 18, 2005
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Well worth buying April 16, 2007
The watcher
66 out of 67 found this review helpful
I was going to buy the separate series, but took the plunge and bought all 4 in this set. I'm glad I did. The only problem is that I thought they would last us for months, and they are that addictive that we have got through them in weeks rather than months - never mind, we can just start at the beginning again.
If there is a downside to this truly excellent series, it is the wretched anti piracy leader. You can't even skip past it. Let's face it, if I was into pirate copies I wouldn't have bought the proper version. My guess is that most people who get to see these leaders don't need to because they buy legitmately, those that do need to see them probably see copies with the leader removed - RANT over
 Wonderful July 7, 2006
S. Lindgren
48 out of 50 found this review helpful
But why, might I gently enquire, did Clive Exton, who adapted the scrips from Wodehouse's magnificent original books, introduce so much slapstick? And cut and splice several unconnected stories together? Particularly when the originals as they stand appear to lend themselves perfectly to translation for the screen. The best of the lot are undoubtedly the two adapted from The Code of the Woosters in the second series, which stick fairly tightly to Wodehouse's original novel, and are magnificently realised.
Oh well. Best to accept them as they are. And they really are very good indeed. Direction is generally good, the scripts are slick, and the performances of Laurie and Fry irreproachable. They look spot on too. Some consider Fry too young -I beg to differ; it works perfectly for me, and he's thoroughly convincing.
The rest of the cast are a mixed bag -literally. Spode is played superbly well, with huge enjoyment, as is Sir Watkin Basset and Harold 'Stinker' Pinker. However, things are somewhat complicated in the rest of the cast by the fact that different people take the same role in different series, and occasionally, the same person plays a different character. To cite just a few examples:
The first Gussie Fink-Nottle, in series 1 and 2 for example, is truely brilliant. In series 3 & 4 Gussie is played by someone else (who originally performed the role of Rupert Steggles), who is, quite frankly, dreadful. Same goes for Madeline 'the' Basset. In the first series, she's played by the girl who would in series 4 play Lady Florence Craye (which she was much better suited to, despite being dark, not blonde). The second Madeline, in series two, captures the character perfectly. But the third Madeline, in series 3 & 4 is abysmal. Charlotte Attenborough plays Stiffy brilliantly in series 2 and 4, someone else plays her (badly, and with a completely different breed of dog) in series 3. A raft of other characters had different actors playing them too, to varying degrees of success. Consistancy was clearly a problem.
Never mind. The charm remains, the sets and costumes are perfect, and you can feel youself slipping into Wodehouse's wonderfully innocent world every time you watch one. The music is wonderful, and both the audio and picture quality are first-rate. Despite the problems, the genius of the original author is still easily discerned, and if you like charming comedy, performed for the most part by actors at the top of their game, look no further. I love it. You won't regret buying.
 A Curate's Egg - Good In Parts February 17, 2006
Peter Young (Cambridge, UK)
38 out of 53 found this review helpful
The old adage about the Curate's egg is particularly apt here - this series veers between the enchanting to the irritating, and from spot-on accurracy to a wild, veering away from anything to emerge from the Wodehouse pen.
Where these episodes are good, they triumph. The casting can make or break episodes and it does both - Laurie makes a superb Bertie and whilst Fry displays less ham than usual, he is too young to be really believable in the role, but he has a more than good dash at it and is to be commended for his efforts (faint praise!).
Some of the supporting cast is ideal - Madeline Bassett, Aunt Agatha and Gussie Fink-Nottle (and the "Drones" in general) are particularly well cast.
On the downside, however, we have some all too obvious howlers: a Spode who is at least 20 years too old and at least 6" too short for the role, which immediately dilutes the crediblity of the part, is perhaps the worst offender. A raven-haired Florence Craye (she is always described as platinum blonde!) and Percy Gorringe sans the infamous side whiskers amongst others....
Bizarrely, one of Wodehouse's finest comic creations, Aunt Dahlia, is inadequately portrayed by more than one totally inappropriate actress, losing a wonderful comedic opportunity. Indeed the lack of consideration given to one of Wodehouse's plum characters does make one wonder whether the books were actually read by those who produced the series.
The shows themselves veer from excellent to unwatchable! Generally speaking, the episodes set in the UK are better and the early ones the best.
For no good reason, (other then potential US marketing?) some of the action intended for the great country homes in which these books are based and provide such wonderful settings, are inexplicably relocated to the US, to the detriment of the plot, charcterisation and writing!
Here Wodehouse's original writing has regrettable liberties taken with it, some of it going much too far beyond the realms of adaptation. Unfortunately this is to the extent of rendering at least two episodes into a toe-curling display of abject writing (witness the scene atop a skyscraper in New York, but only if you have a strong stomach - truly dreadful).
This remains the only show in town and, if you are not a Wodehouse devotee, makes a more than decent introduction. It's almost impossible to recreate the wonderful humour from the books as so much of it is contained in the gloriously witty prose style that Wodehouse perfected.
The best of these episodes catch the atmosphere and character of the original writing very well indeed and are excellent viewing; the worst miss it by a country mile.
Dumbed down for the Colonies July 30, 2006
Mr. I. C. G. Bell (UK)
36 out of 52 found this review helpful
What is it about Wodehouse in general and the Jeeves books in particular that makes them so wonderful? Its the language, stupid. When this mixed series sticks to Wodehouse plots and dialogue its a gem, Fry and Laurie are superb delivering the bon mot. When the action is transplanted to the US in the second two series and descends into preposterous lowbrow slapstick, blasting Aunt Agatha with fire hoses, climbing lightning masts, the discerning viewer is left with a profound sense of the wrongness of things and the cack coated hand of transatlantic influence clumsily mauling our national treasures. Poor sound quality (central speaker only on 5.1) and an irritating unskippable grating "DVD piracy is theft" preach-lie at the start of all eight disks and no extra materials whatever make this set far less the preux chevalier than it might have been. Basically an enjoyable four series but could have been better.
What ho! Forty-seven ginger-headed sailors! December 2, 2006
Wodehouse Freak (LA CA USA)
33 out of 34 found this review helpful
Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie seem to have been born just to portray Jeeves and Wooster (seriously, I see their faces whenever I read a Jeeves story). I cannot believe how well Clive Exton adapted Wodehouse's books onto the little screen (except for series four), and Anne Dudley's theme sets the tone perfectly. The crew, too have done their jobs well in recreating Wodehouse's 1920s and 30s, with excellent sets, costumes, and music selections for Wooster to play.
Granada Ventures' release of the complete series blows A&E's release out of the water. This is the collection to have. With the interactive and stylish menu, a play-all button, and subtitles, life is good... I just wish they didn't force you to watch that anti-piracy thing at the beginning of EVERY disc (there are eight discs!). Of course, it would be even better if they provided a synopsis of the episodes, even a descriptive title like "Jeeves Saves the Cow Creamer" (the only thing A&E did right). I mean, "Series Two, Episode One" is hardly helpful.
Okay, as near as I can figure with this programme, actors change. Often. It seems the only actors to remain constant are Stephen Fry (Jeeves, duh), Hugh Laurie (Wooster, duh), and Robert Daws (Tuppy Glossop). Scheduling can't always be helped, but it's okay. It can get confusing sometimes, but once you figure out who's who, it no longer matters and the farce continues.
However, because television networks can be fickle, it appears that Clive Exton used up the good bits in the first two series. He takes some liberties in series three (it's okay), and lots of liberties in series four (...). Nevertheless, with a few "selective omissions", this rates five stars. More than five stars.
And yes, I think Wodehouse would have approved this adaptation.
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