Sleaze Diary: Steady On, Jeeves!

My recent reading obsession with PG Wodehouse inevitably led me to that 'lost' episode of the Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie Jeeves and Wooster TV series, based on the equally lost Wodehouse novel Steady On, Jeeves! Suppressed for many years by the late author's estate, the novel revealed Jeeves' side business of erotic photography, often featuring himself as a model. When Bertie's Aunt Dahlia faces the repossession of Brinkley Court as the result of her unpaid gambling debts, Jeeves steps in with a plan to create a nude calendar featuring the chaps from the Drones Club in order to generate revenue. Using his secret photographic studio, Jeeves soon has ten months in the bag, but Gussie Fink-Nottle's provocative pose with one of his newts results in the negatives being impounded by the Obscene Publications Squad. Moreover, a series of mishaps sees Bertie Wooster - 'Mr December' - forced to hide naked, save for a Santa hat, in Madelaine Bassett's wardrobe. Much to the chagrin of her fiancé Roderick Spode, who proceeds to chase the naked Wooster around the grounds of Brinkley.

Of course, Jeeves comes to the rescue, revising his original scheme and organising, at short notice, a nude calendar featuring himself and his fellow butlers and valets from the Junior Ganymede Club. He also arranges for Spode to be arrested for homosexuality (still an offence in 1936), convincing the police that Brinkley Court is, in fact, a naturist resort and that Spode, unable to contain his raging perverted passions after seeing Wooster naked, attempted to sexually assault. To facilitate the ruse, the entire household agree to divest themselves of their clothes for the afternoon - which causes Bertie's Aunt Agatha, paying an unannounced visit, a severe case of the vapours. Jeeves' appearance as 'Mr July' necessitates Bertie standing in for him behind the camera - astounded by the prowess with the ladies displayed by his 'Gentleman's Gentleman', Wooster utters the immortal words: 'Steady on, Jeeves!'.