The essential episodes of Jeeves & Wooster

Watch these 15 in order and you've got Jeeves & Wooster — each pick states its reason.

1. 01

   S01E01 · Pilot · April 22, 1990 · 51m

   Jeeves Takes Charge8.2

   Aunt Agatha wants Bertie to marry Honoria Glossop so that she will mold his character and infuse much needed strong blood in the Wooster line. But old chum Bingo Little is in love with her, so Bertie hatches a scheme to set things straight. Luckily, Jeeves has arrived to save Bertie from his own schemes (and hangovers).

2. 02

   S01E02 · Top rated · April 29, 1990 · 50m

   Tuppy and the Terrier8.5

   After a round of golf with Barmy Fotheringay-Phipps, Bertie finds trouble in the form of Bobbie Wickham, first involving hot-water bottle piercing, then by giving away Aunt Agatha's dog to a Broadway producer. Meanwhile, Tuppy's become infatuated with an opera singer and Jeeves hatches a plan involving a little concert in which Bertie must sing.

3. 03

   S01E03 · Season 1 peak · May 6, 1990 · 50m

   The Purity of the Turf9.0

   Uncle George has become engaged to a young waitress and Aunt Agatha wants Bertie to offer her £100 to end the scandalous engagement, but Jeeves has other plans. Then it's off to Twing Hall where Lady Wickhammersley has banned gambling due to an unfortunate incident in which Lord Wickhammersley lost the East Wing with a bad hand. So Bertie, Bingo, and Jeeves start gambling on events in the village fair, such as the Boys and Girls Mixed Animal Potato Race and the Mothers Sack Race.

4. 04

   S01E04 · Top rated · May 13, 1990 · 49m

   The Hunger Strike8.2

   Part 1 of 2. Brought to Brinkley Court by Aunt Dahlia to give prizes at the Market Snodsbury Grammar School, Bertie comes up with a scheme to both help Gussie Fink-Nottle's new romance with Madeline Basset as well as get himself out of the prize-giving.

5. 05

   S01E05 · Top rated · May 20, 1990 · 49m

   Brinkley Manor8.2

   Part 2 of 2. To get Gussie to propose to Madeline, Jeeves slips a little something into the orange juice before he presents prizes at the grammar school. Unfortunately, so does Bertie. Things go downhill from there when Bertie rings the fire bell.

6. 06

   S02E02 · Top rated · April 21, 1991

   A Plan for Gussie8.7

   In order to help overcome his fear of Roderick Spode and Sir Watkin Bassett, Gussie Fink-Nottle writes down a notebook full of scornful thoughts about each of them. When he misplaces the notebook it falls into all the wrong peoples' hands, and desirable engagements are broken and undesirable ones formed like never before.

7. 07

   S02E03 · Season 2 peak · April 28, 1991

   Pearls Mean Tears9.0

   Bertie is called to Westcombe-on-Sea by Aunt Agatha, delaying a vacation in the south of France. There he meets a girl by the name of Aline Hemmingway whom she wishes him to marry. She and her brother leave pearls as security for £100 loan from Bertie. But when both the Hemmingways' pearls and Aunt Agatha's pearls disappear, trouble arises. Meanwhile, Bertie runs into Biffy Biffen, who has lost his fiancé in the most remarkable manner. Unfortunately, he is unable to remember her last name - in fact he is unable to remember almost anything.

8. 08

   S03E01 · Season 3 peak · March 29, 1992

   Bertie Sets Sail8.7

   In order to escape the wrath of Honoria Glossop and Aunt Agatha, Jeeves and Bertie board an oceanliner heading for New York. Unfortunately, Bertie is landed with the task of looking after Wilmot Malvern, a lad long cooped up with his mother Lady Malvern. He turns out to be a limpet of the worst sort with the knack for clinging to Woosters. On the ship Bertie also runs into Tuppy, who's off to America to become an importer of cars to Britain. Once in New York, the mother's boy breaks loose onto the nightclub scene with disasterous results, and Tuppy meets with similar lack of success when he realises he'll have to buy more than one car at a time and that the steering wheel's on the wrong side.

9. 09

   S03E02 · Top rated · April 5, 1992

   The Full House8.7

   The aunt of Bertie's poet friend, Rocky, wants him to go out and live the New York nightlife and write her weekly letters so that she might experience it vicariously. Rocky, however, can't stand anything but his cabin in the wilderness of Long Island, so Jeeves agrees to undergo the rigours and report back to Rocky. Another friend, Bicky, loves New York, but his uncle thinks he should be in Colorado. Jeeves suggests a bit of deception on his part as well, which works fine until relatives of both friends show up in New York, both believing that Bertie's flat belongs to their respective nephews. Solutions involve a lot of running about acting silly and quite a bit of handshaking as well.

10. 10

    S03E03 · Top rated · April 12, 1992

    Introduction on Broadway8.7

    Cyril Bassington-Bassington arrives in New York under specific instructions from Aunt Agatha for Bertie to keep him out of theatrical circles - which of course Cyril rips up before Bertie can read them. So he lands a part in a Broadway musical called Ask Dad! and Bertie tours the USA with the show. Meanwhile, Bertie's struggling artist friend, Corky, needs help convincing his uncle that the girl he wants to marry is suitable. Unfortunately Jeeves' solution may be too good.

11. 11

    S03E04 · Top rated · April 19, 1992

    Right Ho, Jeeves8.7

    After a wild night with Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright, Gussie ends up in stir for wading about Trafalgar fountain looking for newts. For purely simple and logical reasons Bertie goes to Devirill Hall pretending to be Gussie in order to win the aunts' approval of his marriage to Madeline Basset, and Gussie must go under the name Bertie Wooster to woo Catsmeat's fiancé, Gertrude Winkworth.

12. 12

    S04E02 · Season 4 peak · May 23, 1993

    The Once and Future Ex8.7

    Bertie spends much time putting the old Wooster brain to use in devising schemes to arrange the meeting of two tycoons. However, a more immediate concern is Stilton Cheesewright and Lady Florence Craye, both of whom hold vastly differing yet equally unpleasant opinions of Bertie - the former takes offence at his drinking and time spent with the later, while Florence thinks that he has possibilities.

13. 13

    S04E03 · Top rated · May 30, 1993

    Bridegroom Wanted8.7

    Bingo's in love with another waitress, and the old Rosie M. Banks gag comes up again, this time with an unfortunate twist. Unfortunately New York does not seem to be the haven it once was, and the Glossops are in town looking to marry off Honoria. Luckily, Blaire Egleston is in love with her and Bertie has just the plan to push him to propose. But he may have pushed too hard.

14. 14

    S04E05 · Top rated · June 13, 1993

    Trouble at Totleigh Towers8.7

    Certain members of the household believe there is a curse held over Totleigh Towers by a small African totem. So Bertie gets involved in another retrieval project while the Gussie-Madeline romance has developed it's final difficulties.

15. 15

    S04E06 · Series finale · June 20, 1993

    The Ties That Bind8.0

    The Ganymede Club book has turned up missing, and Jeeves must return it at all costs. Madeline Bassett's wedding doesn't proceed as smoothly as planned.