New-To-Me TV series from Britain (or the UK)

.

Last week, I sent out for a DVD of a TV series based on P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves stories, starring Bertie Wooster, and his man Jeeves. As a kid I read these stories avidly, trying not to be too admiring of the social class represented by Wooster. (He was a member of the Drones Club, which really says it all.) Still, I recognized that the banter in those books, and the characters, formed a background for the later series by Leslie Charteris, who wrote the highly successful Saint novels (for our younger readers: a sort of Robin Hood-type character who stole from crooks). The Saint often called the Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard "Aunt Agatha," a clear reference to Wodehouse (or rather, one of Wodehouse's characters, Bertie's hatchet-faced Aunt Agatha).  The series, I forgot to mention, is called Jeeves and Wooster.

I had expected to receive from Netflix a show featuring Terry Thomas, but instead got a series made in 1990 [I had previously said "around 2001", and I had been in error] starring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry (a modern-day team comparable to Peter Cooke and Dudley Moore). I was very pleasantly surprised. Hugh Laurie's delivery of Wodehouse's lines was brilliant (and you must hear it to understand just why; it was the custom to use rather Baroque imagery to convey the simplest ideas, and it was not pompous verbiage, but brilliant extrapolation of pseudo- American-style slang), and Stephen Fry's face was just a tiny bit more mobile than one imagined the face of a typical valet must have been in the roaring Teens, making it just a little more palatable for 21st century audiences.

But the most wonderful thing about the series was the style. The clothes, Hugh Laurie singing silly limericks at the piano, the paper plane-throwing at The Drones, but most of all the jazzy theme music by Anne Dudley, were all consistent with the New Yorker style of the production, capped off by the outstanding title sequence.  Wodehouse was all about style (well, style and humor, I must admit, but stylish humor), and the series captures the spirit of Wodehouse perfectly.

The second [To be continued; talk among yourselves, please ... OK, I'm back] pleasant surprise was recommended to us by my own Aunt (who shall remain anonymous, to protect the innocent), who said: "You have to see this!  It is ... what is the word? ... Shakespearean comedy!" in a sort of hushed voice, as if she was talking about something wonderful and holy.

It is a series called As time goes by, starring, of all people, Judi Dench, Geoffrey Palmer, Moira Brooker, Philip Bretherton, and Jenny Funnell. All of them (except Mr Bretherton, and possibly he, too) are utterly charming. Perhaps what's most delightful about the series is the opportunity to see Judi Dench in a non-dragon-lady role.

The acting is wonderful, even if Geoffrey Palmer being a curmudgeon is slightly annoying at first. The writing, above all, is excellent, and sit very comfortably on the lips of the exceptional cast. We've watched about 8 half-hour episodes, by now, and just as I think I'm too tired to watch anymore, I see a really cool ending, and I'm hooked again.  (The clothes are fabulous, as BBC clothes invariably appear to be--at least the shows I watch.)

The one terrible negative is: the music. Just as much as the Wooster music was good, the music of this series is god-awful. It features the title song recorded by Joe Fagin, who ... let's just say that I don't like what he does to the song. It reminds me of the slimy theme from The Love Boat, which was appropriate and good for that show, but whose style does not fit the delicacy of As time goes by.  (I'm especially captivated by Moira Brooker and her adorable dimples, but I have to go slow on dimples out of wedlock.)

Well, hope you choose to see these series, and hope doing so does not interfere with your daily battle for truth, justice, and the rest of the stuff.

P.S. if you acquired the Big Bach Box from Amazon and started listening, and heard an intermittent rumble, especially at high volumes, you're not alone. You have to turn the bass somewhat lower than you normally would. I apologize for having urged you to consider this slightly flawed piece of merchandise, but I think it is still a worthy investment. (I understand that the rumble is caused by jet planes taking off from a field near the studios.)

Arch