"Kidnapped!" is the fifth episode of the second series of the 1990s British comedy television series ''
Jeeves and Wooster
''Jeeves and Wooster'' is a British comedy television series adapted by Clive Exton from P. G. Wodehouse's "Jeeves" stories. It aired on the ITV network from 22 April 1990 to 20 June 1993, with the last series nominated for a British Aca ...
''. It is also called "The Mysterious Stranger". It first aired in the UK on on
ITV.
In the US, "Kidnapped!" was one of five episodes of ''Jeeves and Wooster'' that were not aired as part of the original broadcast of the television series on ''
Masterpiece Theatre
''Masterpiece'' (formerly known as ''Masterpiece Theatre'') is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH Boston. It premiered on PBS on January 10, 1971. The series has presented numerous acclaimed British productions. Many of these ...
'', though all episodes were made available on US home video releases.
Background
Adapted from ''
Thank You, Jeeves''.
Chuffnell Regis parts were filmed in
Clovelly
Clovelly () is a privately owned harbour village in the Torridge District, Torridge district of Devon, England. The settlement and surrounding land belongs to John Rous, who inherited it from his mother in 1983. He belongs to the Hamlyn family ...
, Devon.
Cast
*
Jeeves
Jeeves (born Reginald Jeeves, nicknamed Reggie) is a fictional character in a series of comedic short stories and novels by English author P. G. Wodehouse. Jeeves is the highly competent valet of a wealthy and idle young Londoner named Bertie W ...
–
Stephen Fry
Sir Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director, narrator and writer. He came to prominence as a member of the comic act Fry and Laurie alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring in ''A Bit of ...
*
Bertie Wooster
Bertram Wilberforce Wooster is a fictional character in the comedic Jeeves stories created by British author P. G. Wodehouse. An amiable English gentleman and one of the "idle rich", Bertie appears alongside his valet, Jeeves, whose intellige ...
–
Hugh Laurie
*
"Chuffy", Lord Chuffnell –
Matthew Solon
* Pauline Stoker –
Sharon Holm
*
J. Washburn Stoker –
Manning Redwood
* Dwight Stoker –
James Holland
* Myrtle Pongleton –
Fidelis Morgan
* Seabury Pongleton –
Edward Holmes
* Sir
Roderick Glossop –
Roger Brierley
* Lady Glossop –
Jane Downs
* Barmy Fotheringay-Phipps –
Martin Clunes
*
Oofy Prosser –
Richard Dixon
* Sgt. Voules –
Dave Atkins
* Dobson –
William Waghorn
* Aunt Hilda –
Cynthia Grenville
* Station Master –
Gordon Salkilld
* Drones Porter –
Michael Ripper
Michael George Ripper (27 January 1913 – 28 June 2000) was an English character actor who appeared in many British horror and science fiction films.
Career
Ripper began his film career in quota quickies in the 1930s and until the late 195 ...
Plot
Bertie's club, the
Drones Club, are electing a new dining committee chairman. Bertie wishes to be elected, but discovers that no one with a criminal record can stand. The trip results in startling results, including an encounter with several Drones in
blackface
Blackface is the practice of performers using burned cork, shoe polish, or theatrical makeup to portray a caricature of black people on stage or in entertainment. Scholarship on the origins or definition of blackface vary with some taking a glo ...
.
Pauline Stoker is being stalked by a mysterious stranger. Bertie, always chivalrous, is called upon to protect her on her way back to Chuffnell Regis.
Because Lord Chuffnell ("Chuffy") cannot get permission to turn Chuffnell Hall into a hotel, Pauline tries to persuade
Sir Roderick Glossop to turn it into a sanatorium. Glossop initially views Bertie as mentally unstable.
Bertie is kidnapped by Pauline Stoker's father, who wants Bertie to marry his daughter. But Bertie escapes by posing as one of the Barmy's blackface musicians.
All musicians and Sir Roderick, Stoker and Bertie are arrested in blackface. Sir Roderick, Stoker and Bertie become civil to each other and they patch up their differences after having been obliged to blacken their faces for different reasons.
And they get in front of Chuffy as the local magistrate, who releases the prisoners Sir Roderick, Stoker and Bertie. Sir Roderick, Stoker and Bertie are going undercover using snazzy aliases so that they aren't recognized: Sir Roderick as Alfred
Trotsky
Lev Davidovich Bronstein ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky,; ; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky'' was a Russian revolutionary, Soviet politician, and political theorist. He was a key figure ...
, Stoker as Frederick Aloisius
Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...
and Bertie as
Dr. Crippen. But all musicians of Bertie's club, the Drones, are punished by Chuffy. The musicians of Bertie's club, the Drones, now have all a criminal record.
Chuffy, as the local magistrate, says: ''″... you, Alfred Trotsky, and you, Frederick Aloisius Lenin, were led astray. You are discharged. But as for the rest of you: Boko Disraeli, Oofy Lloyd George, Barmy, Lord Tennyson, and the rest—not only have you been guilty of a breach of the peace of considerable magnitude, I also strongly suspect that you have given false names and addresses! You are each fined the sum of five pounds... Quiet, Dr. Crippen″''
See also
*
List of ''Jeeves and Wooster'' characters
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kidnapped, Jeeves and Wooster
Jeeves and Wooster episodes
1991 British television episodes