Worzel Gummidge (TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Worzel Gummidge
Created by	Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall based on characters created by Barbara Euphan Todd
Starring	Jon Pertwee Una Stubbs Connie Booth Geoffrey Bayldon Barbara Windsor Bill Maynard Lorraine Chase
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of episodes	31
Production
Running time	25 minutes
Release
Original network	Southern Television
Original release	25 February 1979 (1979-02-25) – 12 December 1981 (1981-12-12)
Chronology
Followed by	Worzel Gummidge Down Under

Worzel Gummidge is a fun British TV show about a scarecrow that comes to life! It's a fantasy series based on the Worzel Gummidge books by Barbara Euphan Todd. The show starred Jon Pertwee as Worzel and was produced by Southern Television for ITV. It aired for four series in the UK from 1979 to 1981. People loved it so much that it was ranked number 50 on the "50 Greatest Kids TV Shows" list by Channel 5 in 2013. Later, in 1987, Channel 4 brought the show back as Worzel Gummidge Down Under, which was filmed in New Zealand.

About the Show's Creation

Jon Pertwee as Worzel Gummidge in 1982

The TV show Worzel Gummidge started in 1979. It was created by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall. The main star was Jon Pertwee, who many people knew from Doctor Who. He played Worzel. Una Stubbs played Aunt Sally, a life-sized fairground doll. In the show, Aunt Sally is Worzel's girlfriend, which was different from the original books where she was his aunt.

The Crowman, who is the magical person who made Worzel and his scarecrow friends, was played by Geoffrey Bayldon. He was also famous for playing the main character in Catweazle. Many other well-known actors appeared in the show, like Barbara Windsor, Billy Connolly, and Bill Maynard.

How the Show Got Started

Jon Pertwee, the actor who played Worzel, said that the idea for the show first came from a movie idea. This movie would have been about scarecrows rising up against farmers. When the movie couldn't get enough money, Jon Pertwee suggested making it into a TV show instead. He tried to get the BBC and Thames Television interested, but they both said no.

Jon Pertwee almost gave up, but then Southern Television heard about the idea. They were very excited and decided to make the series!

Show's Run and End

A total of 30 episodes and one special Christmas episode were made between 1979 and 1981. The show had four series. When Southern Television lost its TV broadcasting contract, the new company, TVS, decided not to continue the show. Many fans, and even a newspaper called the Daily Star, tried to save it, but it didn't work.

There were attempts to make more episodes in Ireland, but these plans didn't happen. Jon Pertwee and Una Stubbs also starred in a musical version of Worzel Gummidge in 1981. Jon Pertwee played Worzel one last time on TV in 1995 to celebrate 40 years of ITV.

A song called "Worzel's Song," sung by Jon Pertwee, was released in 1980 and became quite popular, reaching number 33 in the UK music charts.

Filming Locations

The show was filmed in beautiful villages in Hampshire, England. These included Stockbridge, King's Somborne, and Braishfield. The scenes at Scatterbrook Farm were filmed at Pucknall in Braishfield. Worzel's scarecrow stand was filmed near Fishpond's Farm.

Worzel Gummidge Down Under

After the UK series ended, Channel 4 decided to bring Worzel back in 1986. This new version was called Worzel Gummidge Down Under and was filmed in New Zealand. It had two series with 22 episodes. Only Jon Pertwee and Una Stubbs returned from the original cast. A new actor, Bruce Phillips, played the Crowman.

Interestingly, Peter Jackson, who later directed The Lord of the Rings movies, worked on the special effects for this series early in his career! However, the New Zealand version didn't get many viewers, so Channel 4 decided to cancel it.

Worzel's Story and Friends

In the show, Worzel Gummidge is a scarecrow who can magically come to life! He lives in Ten Acre Field and often visits the nearby village of Scatterbrook. He becomes friends with two children, John and Sue Peters, who often try to help him out of trouble.

Worzel has a special collection of different heads made from vegetables like turnips and swede. Each head helps him do a different task or suits a certain mood. He even has his own language called Worzelese! Some of his funny catchphrases are: "A cup o' tea an' a slice o' cake," "I'll be bum-swizzled," and "Bozzy MCoo."

Worzel is completely in love with Aunt Sally. She is a very proud and sometimes mean fairground doll from a coconut-shy game. Aunt Sally thinks she is much too good for a simple scarecrow like Worzel. She often tricks him to get what she wants. For example, in one episode, she promises to marry him if he frees her from a washing machine, but she never plans to keep her promise! The Crowman explains that there are good and bad Aunt Sallys. The one Worzel likes is quite bossy and not very kind to him.

The reason Worzel went to New Zealand in Down Under was because Aunt Sally was bought by a museum visitor from New Zealand. Worzel, being so devoted, followed her all the way there!

UK Cast Members

Episode Guide

Series 1 Episodes

• "Worzel's Washing Day" (February 25, 1979): The Peters family moves to Scatterbrook Farm. John and Sue meet Worzel Gummidge, a scarecrow who can come to life!
• "A Home Fit for Scarecrows" (March 4, 1979): John and Sue offer Worzel a chair for his home. Worzel then tries to get more furniture from the village.
• "Aunt Sally" (March 11, 1979): Worzel goes to the village fair to see Aunt Sally. She tricks him into swapping places so she can escape being sold to a museum.
• "The Crowman" (March 18, 1979): Worzel asks the Crowman to make him a handsome head. He learns that being kind on the inside is more important than looks.
• "A Little Learning" (March 25, 1979): Worzel looks for his Clever Head. He finds it at the school and puts it on, making a teacher think he's a genius.
• "Worzel Pays a Visit" (April 1, 1979): Worzel hears Aunt Sally is working at Mrs. Bloomsbury-Barton's house. He visits, and Aunt Sally pretends to be the lady of the house, causing lots of trouble.
• "The Scarecrow Hop" (April 8, 1979): Aunt Sally is sad after losing her job. Worzel invites her to a charity ball to cheer her up.

Series 2 Episodes

• "Worzel and the Saucy Nancy" (January 6, 1980)
• "Worzel's Nephew" (January 13, 1980)
• "A Fishy Tale" (January 20, 1980)
• "The Trial of Worzel Gummidge" (January 27, 1980)
• "Very Good, Worzel" (February 3, 1980)
• "Worzel in the Limelight" (February 10, 1980)
• "Fire Drill" (February 17, 1980)
• "The Scarecrow Wedding" (February 24, 1980)

Series 3 Episodes

• "Moving On" (November 1, 1980)
• "Dolly Clothes Peg" (November 8, 1980)
• "A Fair Old Pullover" (November 15, 1980)
• "Worzel the Brave" (November 22, 1980)
• "Worzel's Wager" (November 29, 1980)
• "The Return of Dafthead" (December 6, 1980)
• "Captain Worzel" (December 13, 1980)
• "Choir Practice" (December 20, 1980)

Christmas Special

• "A Cup o' Tea and a Slice o' Cake" (December 27, 1980): This was a longer musical special. It didn't have the usual Worzel Gummidge title.

Series 4 Episodes

• "Muvver's Day" (October 31, 1981)
• "The Return of Dolly Clothes-Peg" (November 7, 1981)
• "The Jumbly Sale" (November 14, 1981)
• "Worzel in Revolt" (November 21, 1981)
• "Will the Real Aunt Sally...?" (November 28, 1981)
• "The Golden Hind" (December 5, 1981)
• "Worzel's Birthday" (December 12, 1981)

New Zealand Series (Worzel Gummidge Down Under)

Series 5 Episodes

• "As The Scarecrow Flies" (October 4, 1987)
• "The Sleeping Beauty" (October 11, 1987)
• "Full Employment" (October 18, 1987)
• "Worzel's Handicap" (October 25, 1987)
• "King of the Scarecrows" (November 1, 1987)
• "Ten Heads Are Better Than One" (November 8, 1987)
• "Worzel to the Rescue" (November 15, 1987)
• "Slave Scarecrow" (November 22, 1987)
• "The Traveller Unmasked" (November 29, 1987)
• "A Friend in Need" (December 6, 1987)

Series 6 Episodes

• "Stage Struck" (January 29, 1989)
• "A Red Sky in T'Morning"(February 5, 1989)
• "Them Thar Hills" (February 12, 1989)
• "The Beauty Contest" (February 19, 1989)
• "Bulbous Cauliflower" (February 26, 1989)
• "Weevily Swede" (March 5, 1989)
• "Elementary My Dear Worty" (March 12, 1989)
• "Dreams of Avarish" (March 19, 1989)
• "Runaway Train" (March 26, 1989)
• "Aunt Sally, R.A." (April 2, 1989)
• "Wattle Hearthbrush" (April 9, 1989)
• "The Bestest Scarecrow" (April 16, 1989)

Stage Musical Version

A musical play called Worzel Gummidge - The Musical was also created. The same people who wrote the TV show, Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, wrote the musical. It had music by Denis King. The original TV stars, Jon Pertwee, Una Stubbs, and Geoffrey Bayldon, all performed in it!

The musical first opened in 1980 in Birmingham. It was very popular and then moved to the Cambridge Theatre in London's West End from December 1981 to February 1982. An album of the songs from the London show was recorded at Abbey Road Studios.

Worzel's Lasting Impact

• In the early 1980s, a British politician named Michael Foot was sometimes compared to Worzel Gummidge because of his supposedly messy appearance.
• A small Worzel Gummidge figure was placed on Jon Pertwee's coffin when he passed away. This was a special tribute to him.
• In 2016, a book called The Worzel Book was released. It tells the complete story of the series. It includes over 40 interviews with the cast and crew, and many rare photos.