P. G. Wodehouse

P.G. Wodehouse (1881-1975) is an English comic writer who enjoyed enormous popular success for more than seventy years. He is best known for his Blandings Castle novels, and for creating Jeeves, the quintessential servant. (Jeeves is often mistakenly referred to as a butler; he was, in fact, a valet, or "gentleman's personal gentleman".) He also had some success writing the books for various stage musicals with Guy Bolton, mostly the Princess Theatre musicals (scored by Jerome Kern). Bolton and Wodehouse also wrote the book for one Gerhswin musical Oh Kay, and were originally hired to write the book for Anything Goes. Their book for the latter had to be abandoned, however Wodehouse did contribute some additional lyrics to Cole Porter's score.

When Miss Piggy breaks into No. 17 Highbrow Street in The Great Muppet Caper, she pretends that Neville (John Cleese) is "some sort of servant." After Neville recommends the Dubonnet Club, Piggy brushes past him, saying, "Thank you, Jeeves!"

Later, in the video compilation Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff, Gonzo asks Camilla to "ring for Jeeves," the imaginary butler. At one point, Shakey Sanchez wanders in, and Gonzo tries to convince his lady love that it's the missing Jeeves.

Connections
Several actors who have appeared in Muppet/Henson productions have also appeared in adaptations of Wodehouse's work.
 * Timothy Bateson played the purser in The Girl in Blue (film, 1962) and Beach the butler in Summer Lightning (BBC radio, 1983)
 * Brenda Blethyn played Nesta Pet in Picadilly Jim (film, 2004)
 * Denise Bryer played Edwin the Boy Scout in Joy in the Morning (BBC radio, 1978)
 * George Burns played George in A Damsel in Distress (film, 1937)
 * Richenda Carey played Lady Wickhammersley in Jeeves and Wooster (TV, 1990)
 * Percy Edwards played Stiffy Byng's dog Bartholomew on BBC radio (1973, 1981)
 * Stephen Fry played Jeeves in Jeeves and Wooster (TV, 1990-1993)
 * Louise Gold played Kay in Oh Kay in a concert staging at The Barbican in 1997. She also played Reno Sweeney in ''Anything Goes' in 1990 and recorded Wodehouse's on the JAY/TER recording of that show's score.
 * Richard Griffiths played Mr. Mulliner in four BBC radio series (2000-2004)
 * Sheila Hancock played Jane in The Girl on the Boat (film, 1961)
 * David Healy played L. O. Levitsky in Wodehouse Playhouse (TV, 1976) and Jas Waterbury in Jeeves and Wooster (TV, 1993)
 * Michael Hordern played Jeeves in several BBC radio series (1973-1981)
 * Allison Janney played Eugenia Crocker in Picadilly Jim (film, 2004)
 * Michael Kilgarriff played Stilton Cheesewright in Joy in the Morning (radio, 1978)
 * Hugh Laurie played Bertie Wooster in Jeeves and Wooster (TV, 1990-1993)
 * Fulton MacKay played Mr. Widgery in Wodehouse Playhouse (TV, 1975)
 * Miriam Margolyes played Stiffy Byng in The Code of the Woosters (radio, 1973)
 * Ethel Merman played Reno Sweeney in the musical Anything Goes (This show originally had a book by Guy Bolton and P G Wodehouse although it was hastily rewritten by
 * Peter O'Toole played Lord Emsworth in Heavy Weather (TV, 1993)
 * Geoffrey Palmer played Bayliss in Piccadilly Jim (film, 2004)
 * Austin Pendleton played Peter Pet in Piccadilly Jim (film, 2004)
 * Bryan Pringle played Pirbright the pigman in Heavy Weather (TV movie, 1995)
 * Joan Sanderson played Lady Bassett in Wodehouse Playhouse (TV, 1975)
 * Elizabeth Spriggs played Aunt Agatha in Jeeves and Wooster (TV, 1993)
 * John Turner as Roderick Spode in Jeeves and Wooster (TV, 1990-1993)
 * Richard Vernon played Lord Emsworth in BBC radio series (1985-1992)
 * Thick Wilson played Shorty McGee in Oh Kay in 1974 at The Westminster Theatre
 * Paxton Whitehead played Phipps in Tales from the Hollywood Hills: The Old Reliable (TV movie, 1988)
 * Norman Wisdom played Sam Marlowe in The Girl on the Boat (film, 1961)
 * Peter Woodthorpe played Percy, Lord Worplesdon in Joy in the Morning (radio, 1981) and Albert peasemarch in Luck of the Bodkins (radio, 2000)