"Hullo, Reggie!"

[lostwiginity.livejournal.com]

I have a book series - TV series question:

Is it just in the book, or does Bertie find out Jeeves's first name in the show, too?

Comments

[violetjimjams.livejournal.com]

In the last ep, Ties That Bind, Brinkley addresses Jeeves as "Reggie" while Bertie is standing there, so yes.

[princesshannah4.livejournal.com]

Brinkley never calls him anything BUT "Reggie," however I don't remember Bertie taking any special notice of it.

[lostwiginity.livejournal.com]

That's a shame, cos in the book he does have some thoughts on Jeeves's name.

[storyfan.livejournal.com]

I don't think Bertie says anything, but I remember him giving a sort of raised-eyebrows expression.

[ironicbees.livejournal.com]

I think he already knows it in the show. In "Jeeves in the Country" (s2 ep4) he tells Brinkley his uncle is sick, and when Brinkley asks which uncle he says Reginald. Presumably it's a reference to the part in "Thank You, Jeeves" where he tells Pauline that he looks on Jeeves as more of an uncle than a personal attendant.

[closetofheroes.livejournal.com]

Bertie tells Brinkley that his uncle is sick? I don't remember that. I need to watch the series again. Oh wait - was it that moment when he realised he didn't fancy Brinkley's cooking?

When Brinkley first calls Jeeves 'Reggie' it seemed to be treated as if Bertie already knew. I wonder if they thought the idea of Bertie not even knowing the first name of his valet of so many years might be a bit hard for a modern audience to swallow. But I did love that revelation in the story - 'it never even occurred to me that he had a first name', and he mentioned what embarrassment would have been caused if it had turned out to be 'Bertie'. :D

I've mentioned this before, but I did love the fact that Jeeves called himself 'Witherspoon' in one of the novels, when it turned out in another story that Bertie actually had a distant Uncle called Reginald Witherspoon. Again, reinforcing the avuncular role.

[ironicbees.livejournal.com]

Yep. He makes up a fake sick uncle so he doesn't have to eat the funny-smelling meat pie.

I can't help wondering if he pretended he never knew Jeeves's name for so long to hide some of their closeness. Even if Jeeves never told him his name, I can't believe Bertie didn't hear it even once before, e.g. on a telegram or letter to Jeeves. If he went to Mabel & Biffy's wedding he'd probably hear Mabel calling him Uncle Reggie/Reginald or something.

I just read that story with Reginald Witherspoon last night and thought of your post about it. :)

[juliacarmen.livejournal.com]

"he mentioned what embarrassment would have been caused if it had turned out to be 'Bertie'."

Bertie was very nearly Reggie. Wodehouse's first name for him was Reggie Pepper, wasn't it?

[closetofheroes.livejournal.com]

Lol! I forgot that. Obviously a favourite name of PGW's.