Worzel Gummidge

Watching this again recently, having been there for the original broadcasts, I was delighted to be reminded how truly wonderful this show is. Story, crew, actors, all come together to create a real gem that can be enjoyed again & again. Pertwee gives a tour de force performance, but my personal favourite is the fiendishly delicious malevolence of Una Stubbs' Aunt Sally, I always hope she's in every episode, not quite the same when she isn't, Stubbs should be regarded far higher than she is.

I did recently see 1 or 2 episodes of the new version with Macenzie Thorpe & my oh my how far we have fallen. It was a totally forgettable, unfunny exercise of how not to resurrect a great show. I genuinely felt sorry for children today, if this is what they're given as entertainment, do them a favour & buy them this instead.

What else can you want other than a talking scarcrow that can change heads, who befriends two kids and a walking talking doll!

Jan 2022

The original Wurzel Gummidge ran for 4 series in the early 80s and i remember liking them back then, i recently saw them again and wow, they have stood up brilliantly, very funny, laugh out loud funny at times, and suitable for the whole family.

I then discovered they had comeback a few years later with a new series called Worzel Gummidge down under and of course there has been a much newer remake, i will review these on their respective pages.

Anyway the original gets 9 out of 10.

in 1980 I was 8 years old and Worzel Gummidge was my favorite show... to this day i can still picture the scarecrow losing his head!

this show was classic!

I moved from England in 1983 and have not been back, However worzel is burned in my brain's hard drive. The thing that was so great about this show is the actor who played worzel was excellent. I remember at the time thinking how cool it was to see Dr. Who playing a scarecrow... The fact that the scarecrow would come to life gave it that slight creepy factor, balanced out by the hilarious situations the bumbling worzel would find himself in...

No, its not, and it does seem quite old fashioned compared to todays television.

What it hasn't lost though is its very genuine innocent and gentle charm and humour. Worzel Gummidge was hugely popular with all ages, and Worzel's (Jon Pertwee) naive innocence was quite touching. Aunt Sally (Una Stubbs) was excellent, and so was Barbara Windsor in the episodes that she appeared in.

I don't know what Pertwee was like to work with in the series, as apparently when he was Dr Who he was allegedly very difficult. Ah well, its nice to see a perfectionist in whatever role he is playing.

When the series moved to New Zealand I personally felt that was not a good step as it became more darker - I believe a couple of episodes had zombies in them. Oh dear.