'Jeeves in Manhattan' series, "The Artistic Career of Corky" by P.G. Wodehouse - BBC Radio

Support the Archive - Buy Me A Coffee ☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/JR_the_Old_R... Preserving classic radio drama, one story at a time. Classic Old Time Radio, vintage radio shows, the Golden Age of radio, BBC Radio, murder, mystery, drama, comedy, sci-fi, westerns. "The Artistic Career of Corky" is a P.G. Wodehouse short story featuring the well-meaning but often bungling Bertie Wooster and his incredibly resourceful valet, Jeeves. The BBC Radio 4 adaptation from 2010 brings this classic tale to life. The story centers on Bertie's friend, Bruce "Corky" Corcoran, a struggling artist in New York, who relies on an allowance from his wealthy and disagreeable uncle, Alexander Worple, a jute magnate. Corky falls in love with Muriel Singer, a chorus girl, but fears his uncle's disapproval. Jeeves, with his usual genius, devises a plan to win over Mr. Worple. The scheme involves Muriel supposedly writing a children's book about American birds, dedicated to Mr. Worple (who himself has written a book on the subject). Bertie funds the ghostwritten book's creation. However, things take an unexpected turn. While Bertie is away, Muriel ends up marrying the uncle, Alexander Worple, instead of Corky! This leaves Corky in a deeply awkward and financially precarious position. To make matters worse, Worple commissions Corky to paint a portrait of his new baby son. The resulting painting is, to Bertie's eyes, quite ugly and not at all what Worple expected, leading to Corky's allowance being cut off. Just when Corky seems doomed, Jeeves once again steps in. Inspired by Worple's disparaging remarks about the painting resembling a "comic supplement," Jeeves suggests that Corky pivot to creating comedic drawings based on the style of the baby's portrait. This unlikely venture proves incredibly successful, launching Corky's "artistic career" in a completely new direction and securing his financial future, all thanks to Jeeves's brilliant maneuvering. The BBC Radio 4 adaptation, often performed by Martin Jarvis as a one-man show, captures the humor and wit of Wodehouse's original story.