Blandings

Blandings refers to the fictional estate of Blandings Castle and the surrounding community created by British author P. G. Wodehouse. The term is commonly used to denote the Blandings canon, a collection of comic novels and short stories in which a stable of aristocrats and their entourage inhabit the castle during various farcical adventures.

Central to the stories is Lord Emsworth, the amiable but absent-minded head of the family; his sister Lady Constance; the heir Freddie Threepwood; and the Empress of Blandings, the prize pig that drives many plots. A rotating cast of staff, cousins, and visitors contribute to a tradition of social farce, mistaken identities, and romantic entanglements. The tone blends gentle satire with lighthearted wordplay.

The Blandings cycle began in the early decades of the 20th century and continued through numerous novels and short stories published over several decades. The books are noted for their witty dialogue, intricate plotting, and affectionate parody of English country-house life.

Adaptations include a 2013-2014 BBC television series titled Blandings, featuring Timothy Spall as Lord Emsworth. The name Blandings has remained a shorthand for Wodehouse's country-house comedies and has had a lasting influence on English comic fiction.