The World of Wooster

Principal cast • Ian Carmichael as Bertie Wooster • Dennis Price as Jeeves Recurring cast • Derek Nimmo as Bingo Little (5 episodes) • Eleanor Summerfield as Aunt Dahlia (5 episodes) • Fabia Drake as Aunt Agatha (4 episodes) ==Background and production==

The series was produced by Michael Mills, Peter Cotes, and Frank Muir, with music by Sandy Wilson. The episodes were adapted from the stories of P. G. Wodehouse by Richard Waring and producer Michael Mills. Twenty episodes, each about 30 minutes long, were made for the series. Minimal, economical sets were used, and Bertie's apartment had a contemporary design, including a central staircase and intricate screen door. The series was successful, but after twenty episodes, Carmichael and others believed that they had adapted all the stories suitable for television. A serial adaptation of the Jeeves novel The Code of the Woosters was considered, though the idea of changing the series from an anthology to serial format was rejected. Instead, another series, The World of Wodehouse, was created to adapt other short stories written by Wodehouse. ==Theme song==

The theme song, "What Would I Do Without You Jeeves?" was sung (in character) by series lead Ian Carmichael. An extended single version also featuring Dennis Price as Jeeves was released with another in-character song by Carmichael, "Bertie's Lucky Day" on the b-side. ==Episodes==

Series overview Series 1 (1965) Series 2 (1966) Series 3 (1967) ==Reception==

The series was distributed worldwide. It won awards for best script and comedy in 1965 from the Guild of Television Producers and Directors. Wodehouse initially felt that Carmichael would be fine as Bertie Wooster, but later believed that Carmichael overacted; however, Wodehouse was satisfied enough with Carmichael's performance to later ask him to portray Bertie or Jeeves in a musical comedy. Carmichael declined, feeling he was too old to play Bertie again and that public perception prevented him from playing Jeeves. Wodehouse was more positive about Price's portrayal as Jeeves, stating that Price was the best Jeeves he had ever seen. ==References==