An hour devoted to P G Wodehouse was transmitted on BBC2 on Saturday 28th December. I was so stunned by the quality of this broadcast, called mysteriously "The Lost Exile", that I thought it justified views on it from several people.

The life was based on McCrum's biography, and bodes well for that biography. McCrum perceived that PGW after the war had for years been accused of being either a fool or a knave. So he was keen to prove he was a dumb brick, when he wasn't either dumb or a brick.

It includes many new faces, such as the two internees with Wodehouse, Barry Pitt and Bob Whitby; and Jacqueline Powell, Ethel's secretary at Le Touquet, now one of the Society's Patrons.

I think it makes the best case yet in TV form that the government's refusal to publish the Cussen report until 1999 was seriously unjust to Wodehouse.

From Murray Hedgcock:

This was a lively and different approach that surely must have held the attention even of the most informed Wodehouse buff. Mixing narration, interviews, archive footage of Plum and re-creation, it managed to skip smoothly over sectors of Plum's life (virtually nothing on Dulwich, for instance, and little on the actual style and quality of his writing) without leaving you feeling deprived. I did find it slightly confusing at times whether we were seeing archive footage or re-creation: it was mostly clear enough, but occasionally you were not quite clear if you were seeing some filmed record previously unknown.

The linking use of Robert McCrum's research was effective: you felt here was a man who fully understood and appreciated Plum without losing the biographer's proper perspective. And it was refreshing to see Edward Cazalet present the very personal memories and assessment of one privileged to be so close to The Master.

In the real world, we pay our tribute to the BBC for a major contribution to the celebration and understanding of PGW.

From Norman Murphy:

The programme covered Wodehouse's life extremely well; it was informative, fair, and the use of actors to play Wodehouse came over surprisingly well. The physical resemblance to Plum and Ethel was remarkably close. I would say the only weak point in an otherwise excellent programme was the idiotic Drone trying to open a decanter of whisky. This was a very minor irritation in an otherwise strong and informative documentary which had splendid interviews with people who knew the background, such as Barry Pitt, and Wodehouse's own family, which gave veracity and authenticity to the whole thing. I agree with Murray that this was the best programme on Wodehouse that I have seen.

From Elin Woodger Murphy:

Given Wodehouse's 93 years and tremendous productivity, the BBC did a wonderful job of summarising his life and career in the space of an hour. I was especially pleased with the attention given to his years in the U.S. and his achievements as a lyricist, which allowed Hal Cazalet to shine. The coverage of the wartime broadcasts was fair and gratifying, as it made absolutely clear that Wodehouse was innocent of any crime. While some may argue with small errors or omissions, these were few and far between, and overall the documentary is well worth viewing.

From Tony Ring:

With this programme, there is no doubt that the makers did get it nearly right. Filming of relevant places was supported by previously unknown cine footage of the Wodehouses at Degenerhausen, the German estate where he and Ethel spent a couple of summers.

A series of contributions from relevant people: Robert McCrum (whose researches for his forthcoming biography inspired the making of the programme), Patrick Wodehouse, Edward Cazalet, and others was mixed with readings from the texts by worthies such as John Mortimer, Tim Rice and Olivia Williams. Hal Cazalet sang snatches from some of Plum's songs to his own piano accompaniment and generally, Plum's involvement with the musical theatre was given good coverage.

The gravest misjudgement was a tabloid minute or two trying to give the impression of how a Drone might have looked and acted. The time absorbed by this could have been spent mentioning that Plum lived at Emsworth, and summarising the influence of that part of the country. The impact of Leonora's death was ignored completely. The interview with Lee Davis was informative, but his final comments would have made more sense if the viewer had been told that his father was Plum's doctor!

Omissions regretted and lapses from taste queried, but overall an extremely good representation to the public of the life of the century's greatest humorous writer.