Worzel Gummidge

1 9 7 9 – 1 9 8 1 (UK)
31 x 30 minute episodes

Children’s novelist Barbara Euphan Todd created the character of Worzel Gummidge – a scarecrow who became a radio star in the 1940s and featured in a one-off TV adventure in the 1950s. After she died in 1976, the rights to the novels were bought by noted 60s cinema writers Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall.

Seeing the potential for a children’s feature film and armed with a script, they managed to involve a very enthusiastic Jon Pertwee, the former Doctor Who star. But the three failed to raise the necessary finance for a movie and so turned instead to television.

The BBC and several of the larger ITV franchises turned the project down before Southern accepted it.

Filmed entirely on location in Hampshire (in and around Stockbridge, King’s Somborne and Brashfield), the cheerful rustic adventures of Ten Acre Field’s cheeky resident bird-scarer, his young friends John and Sue (Jeremy Austin and Charlotte Coleman) from Scatterbrook Farm, his highly strung would-be paramour, fairground attraction Aunt Sally (Una Stubbs) and a host of semi-regular moving mannequins, including Dolly Clothes-Peg (Lorraine Chase), Saucy Nancy (Barbara Windsor) and Jolly Jack (Bernard Cribbins), were warm and uplifting slices of rural farce that captivated the audience.

Not only did Pertwee star as the mischievous turnip-headed scarecrow, but he also devised “Worzelese” – the West Country yokel scarecrow language – and the concept of Worzel’s interchangeable heads.

Worzel’s sinister creator – The Crowman – was played by former Catweazle star Geoffrey Bayldon.

In marked contrast to his role as Doctor Who, the part of Worzel Gummidge gave Pertwee the chance to show off his comedy skills and the funny voices he had used on many BBC radio shows, including The Navy Lark.

In 1980, Jon Pertwee even released a novelty single called Worzel’s Song, which became a minor chart hit.

The 1979 ITV blackout stopped filming, and only eight of the planned 13 episodes were filmed. The Christmas edition – made in October in Lymington, Hampshire – snowed more trouble for the production.

The fake snow was a white powder used for making toothpaste. Unfortunately, it blew everywhere and clung to the food in shops and to furniture and clothes on people’s washing lines. Restaurants had to throw out the dish of the day, and dress shops had to get rid of ruined items.

But the worst was yet to come – Southern Television lost the franchise, and the new company (TVS) declined to continue with Worzel.

A saviour appeared in the form of Harlech Television, but eleven days before they were due to start filming more episodes, the project was cancelled because of a dispute with technicians.

Channel 4 repeated the series in 1986, but Worzel and Jon remained bumswizzled until an independent New Zealand company came to the rescue and purchased the rights to make Worzel Gummidge Down Under with Worzel taking up residence in the Antipodes (the series was actually filmed in New Zealand) in 1987.

TRIVIA
Makeup artist Marion Durnford made Worzel’s warts from Sugar Puffs cut in half and painted brown, while his wispy whiskers were actual carrot roots or spring onion or turnip roots, applied with spirit gum and gauze. The eyebrows were real ears of corn.

Television’s first Worzel Gummidge was Frank Atkinson, who played the part in the 1953 series Worzel Gummidge Turns Detective.

Worzel Gummidge 
Jon Pertwee
Aunt Sally 
Una Stubbs
The Crowman 
Geoffrey Bayldon
John Peters 
Jeremy Austin
Sue Peters 
Charlotte Coleman
Mr Peters 
Mike Berry
Mrs Braithwaite 
Megs Jenkins
Mr Braithwaite 
Norman Bird
Saucy Nancy 
Barbara Windsor
Dolly Clothes-Peg 
Lorraine Chase
Mrs Bloomsbury-Barton 
Joan Sims
Mr Shepherd 
Michael Ripper

Video