Jeeves & Wooster: The Complete Third Season (Full Screen) [2 Discs]

The dim, cheerful aristocrat and his impeccable manservant find that America is just as troublesome as England in the third season of "Jeeves and Wooster." While the American stories lack the usual all-out hilarity, the second half of the season is pure comedy from start to finish.

With Aunt Agatha determined to marry him to the horrible Honoria, "Bertie Sets Sail" for America. But domineering Lady Malvern wants Bertie to babysit her creepy son and keep him out of mischief -- except Monty is determined to live a Paris-Hiltonesque life.... every night. Bertie tries to escape to the country, only to find that his pal Tuppy is besotted with one of Bertie's ex-fiances.

The next is definitely "A Full House." Bicky wants to live in Manhattan, without his ducal dad knowing. And Rocky wants to live in the country, but his aunt wants him to "experience New York." Ever the loyal friend, Bertie volunteers Jeeves and his apartment to keep up the dual ruses. But when both the duke and the aunt show up unannounced, how can Jeeves and Bertie keep them from running into each other?

Aunt Agatha sends theater enthusiast Cyril Bassington-Bassington to New York, so Bertie can babysit him. The problem is, Cyril throws away the "no theatres" letter on the boat. As a result he ends up getting a part in an off-Broadway play, and Bertie happily follows the successful show all across America. But when Cyril attacks a sponsor's son, the entire play may go under... with Aunt Agatha in the audience.

Going back to England doesn't help matters, since Aunt Agatha insists that Bertie go to Deverill Hall and woo Gertrude Winkworth (who is also a pal's girlfriend). His pal Gussie is also required to present himself to Gertrude's mother. But after Gussie is arrested for hitting a cop, Bertie has to impersonate him. And Gussie has to impersonate Bertie. Of course, nothing can end well...

Scandalous memoirs are "Hot off the Press" when Bertie's new fiancee Florence announces that Sir Watkyn Basset, her uncle, is publishing a scandalous memoir. She insists that Bertie steal the book, or else. Even worse, wannabe Nazi Roderick Spode also wants Bertie to steal the book. And if things don't get straightened out by Jeeves, Bertie might end up marrying the soppy Madeleine Basset...

Finally, Bertie's always-in-love pal becomes "Comrade Bingo" when he falls for a comely Communist, and blackmails his uncle into providing money for the wedding. Unfortunately Roderick Spode is also in the area with the Blackshorts, causing a nasty clash between the Nazis and the Communists. Meanwhile, Aunt Dahlia is ordering Bertie to steal a hideous painting, not realizing that Spode is also trying to steal it.

The world of PG Wodehouse is full of domineering aunts, dumb young men with lots of past engagements, wannabe Hitlers, intelligent butlers and dim socialites. And the TV series did it justice, in a manner that Wodehouse himself would have been proud of. Good acting, clever scripting, and goofy direction.

The first half of the season is quite funny, but somehow taking Jeeves and Bertie off their native soil depletes some of the humor. Jeeves out on the town is a bit funny, but it seems rather out of character to see him smoking cigars and partying with actresses. But when Bertie returns to England in disgrace, it all returns. There are all sorts of hilarious scenes like Gussie attacking a bouncer, Madeleine reciting gooey poetry and the safe being blown up.

The cast is still in flux, with new actors in several roles like Stiffy, Bingo and Florence. But the core roles -- Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry -- are the same, and both are magnificent. Fry is quiet, witty and superior as the intelligent Jeeves, while Laurie gives Bertie a hapless, optimistic side that no other actor has managed.

The third season of "Jeeves and Wooster" suffers a bit compared to the first two, but is still cleverer and funnier than virtually any other comedy series. Ever so goosey goosey goosey...

there is an innocence that exists in these 4 DVDs (1-4) and Jeeves and Wooster become like a warm blanket to sit by on a dark night . The parts played by Laurie and Fry are a delight . If ever some one was born to play a part it was these two.Both Wooster's absure conclusions to resolve lifes woes and Jeeves' remedys are a delight ...get them all.

Absolutely my favorite season of the boys from London. Jeeves actually becomes a bit human rather than the so perfect Bertie Wooster's 'gentleman's gentleman'. One of my favorite scenes from one season is where an overblown wanna-be uppercrust pseudo-Hitler (tongue in cheek) confides to Jeeves that "The only blokes I can recruit are of the 'working class', but I'd guess you'd know all about that, eh, Jeeves?" And, looking down his very aristocratic nose, Jeeves replies, "I'm sure I wouldn't know, sir."

But the fixes these two get into, oh, thanks for P.G. Wodehouse! The vacuous Bertie Wooster is never silly, but roaringly funny, while Jeeves' smoothness is actually quite sexy. And every now and then, Bertie does or says something that proves he's got a very sharp spot somewhere in that brain of his. I cannot recommend enough - I can't even think of a British comedy that so sharply defines the early 20th century Brit upper crust with such biting humour.