Worzel Gummidge - The Complete Collection [DVD]

Product Information

Bayldon was also already well known, especially to younger viewers, as the star of Catweazle from 1970 to 1971. Worzel is strictly forbidden from talking to humans, but after mistaking John and Susan for fellow scarecrows, his game is up. There are recurring guest roles for Carry On stars Barbara Windsor (Saucy Nancy) and Joan Sims (Mrs Bloomsbury-Barton).

Worzel’s cousin, Guy Forks, has taken his rightful place at the top of the bonfire, but an argument between the old friends leads to a competition to prove who can do the other’s job better. Keen to seize the opportunity of scaring such a rarely sighted bird, Worzel enlists the help of Susan and John. According to Pertwee's memoir, his version of Worzel Gummidge was originally pitched as a feature film, which would have told the story of "the scarecrow equivalent of the Peasant's Revolt". Perhaps the most notable thing about this series is that it gave Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson one of his earliest screen credits, working in the special effects department, and is where he met his wife, Frances Walsh, who wrote its second series.There is wonderful chemistry between the two as Aunt Sally mercilessly teases Worzel, while he always naively believes that, this time, she might actually follow through with her promises. One of the greatest joys of the series is in seeing how much fun Pertwee and Stubbs are having with the parts they play, and with each other, developing into a kind of double act. The first episode sees him visit the nearby Scatterbrook farmhouse, where he befriends children John and Sue Peters, played by Jeremy Austin and Charlotte Coleman, who have just moved to the area with their father.

With Worzel stuck on top of the bonfire, John and Susan turn to Aunt Sally for help, but can they find a way to rescue Worzel before time runs out?It was Pertwee's last starring role, and though he would continue working in television and straight-to-video Doctor Who spin-off films during the 1990s (as well as developing further ideas for Worzel projects), his career from this point consisted mainly of personal appearances at conventions, after dinner speaking and pantomime work, until his sudden death in 1996. Other comic actors who popped up during the series include John Le Mesurier, Mike Reid, Jimmy Jewel, Beryl Reid, Lorraine Chase, David Lodge and Gordon Rollings. Sadly, Todd never lived to see the most popular iteration of her scarecrow reach the screen, passing away in 1976, just as final negotiations were getting underway. Worzel Gummidge now, as then, trusts its young audience to be drawn into the world of the characters. This boxset is a delightful treat for those of us old enough to remember the series the first time around, or who caught the repeats during childhood.

The former had written the acclaimed novel Billy Liar in 1959, which the duo later adapted into an immensely successful stage play, film, musical and, later, a television sitcom, all of the same name. The antics of Pertwee and Stubbs anchor the show in charm and familiarity in a different, though equally rural setting, but ending it at two series, a decade after the original run, feels about right. Credit must also go to Una Stubbs, who valiantly gives her all to the character of Aunt Sally, which never really develops, but she is an excellent foil to Pertwee.Based on the stories of Barbara Euphan Todd, Worzel Gummidge was produced by Southern Television and ran for four series between 1979 and 1981, enchanting audiences of all ages. No-one on Scatterbrook Farm is more troubled by the late harvest than walking, talking scarecrow Worzel Gummidge. With modern farming techniques, do they even know what a scarecrow is, or have they seen one in real life? As the scarecrows descend, the risk of being seen intensifies, but will the legend of the enchanted organ turn out to be true? Rejoining Mackenzie as Worzel Gummidge for these new adventures are Steve Pemberton as Mr Braithwaite, Rosie Cavaliero as Mrs Braithwaite, Vicki Pepperdine as Aunt Sally, India Brown as Susan and Thierry Wickens as John.

This boxset from Fabulous Films brings together the complete collection of Worzel Gummidge episodes from the 1970s and 80s, which starred Jon Pertwee as the eponymous hero. It’s truly a complete performance that owes a debt to music hall and the era of the all-round variety entertainer. Watching the show through adult eyes, it’s possible to see just how detailed and nuanced Pertwee’s portrayal is.

Following the discovery of the original negatives in storage in Slough in 2018, a new box set is now available on DVD and Blu-ray from Fabulous Films.