# Shows where someone has to be someone else's butler **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 29, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-someone-has-to-be-someone-elses-butler/333207 "2005-11-29T15:23:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mint\_my\_own](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mint\_my\_own](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mint_my_own)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-someone-has-to-be-someone-elses-butler/333207/1 "2005-11-29T15:23:47Z")
Remember on Seinfeld when they are producing their first sitcom episode and George says “Why not have somebody lose a case in court and the judge makes him work as my butler?” I think that has appeared several times before, but I can’t locate but one episode. It’s from the Andy Griffith Show It’s the episode called [“Andy’s English Valet”.](http://www.tv.com/andy-griffith-show/andys-english-valet/episode/9118/summary.html)An English guy causes a car accident in Mayberry, and he can’t pay the fine, so he works it off by serving as Andy’s butler (or “valet,” which is sort of a butler for one person). Wasn’t there an earlier movie like this, someone being a butler to pay off a debt? ---
**Author:** ![VegaBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ee7513/32.png) [@VegaBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VegaBean)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-someone-has-to-be-someone-elses-butler/333207/2 "2005-11-29T17:55:50Z")
On Cheers Sam had to be the boss’s butler, I think, or maybe he was the bartender and one of the other guys was the butler. A quick search found “Bilko the Butler” Bilko wants an invitation to a society dinner. Bilko: Phil Silvers. Mrs. Cunningham: Nancy Guild. Henshaw: Allan Melvin. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-someone-has-to-be-someone-elses-butler/333207/3 "2005-11-29T18:39:11Z")
> [@VegaBean](#): > > A quick search found “Bilko the Butler” That’s a little different – Bilko was posing as a servant in a cockeyed scheme to get into a party and rub shoulders with wealthy and influential people. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-someone-has-to-be-someone-elses-butler/333207/4 "2005-11-29T19:02:06Z")
It was the central premise of “Blackadder III”. The Blackadder family has fallen so far in fortune that Edmund has to take a job as butler to the Prince Regent.