Production Year: 1979 - Family - Original Language: English - Classification: Exempt - Starring: Jon Pertwee, Geoffrey Bayldon, Una Stubbs, Mike Berry, Charlotte Coleman, Jeremy Austin, Megs Jenkins, Norman Bird more
This 1980s children's series stars Jon Pertwee as Worzel Gummidge, the walking and talking scarecrow. The collection presents all seven episodes of the first season, including... more
Worzel Gummidge - Series 1
Includes the following episodes:1. Worzel's Washing DayWhen children John and Sue Peters ... more
begin a farming holiday with their father, they make friends with a scarecrow with unbelievably human characteristics, Worzel Gummidge.2. A Home Fit For ScarecrowsWorzel craves not only for a home of his own but furniture as well. It is only when chairs and tables go missing from the farmhouse and village that John and Sue suspect their straw friend to be the culprit...3. Aunt SallyOn hearing that a village fete is being held, Worzel pays a visit and meets a forlorn Aunt Sally who is in fear of being sold to tourists by her grumpy owner, Mr Shepherd. The scarecrow takes an immediate fancy to her and agrees to change clothes so that she might escape...4. The CrowmanThe snobbish Mrs Bloomsbury-Barton asks Worzel's creator, the Crowman, to make her a handsome scarecrow for her garden. When Worzel hears of this he asks the Crowman to allow him to wear the new handsome head himself!...5. A Little LearningWorzel has misplaced one of his many turnip heads, this time his learning head which makes him very clever. He searches everywhere for it, and then remembers that John and Sue have begun at the local school...6. Worzel Pays A VisitWorzel still pines to meet his old flame Aunt Sally again, and is worried that not only does she remain missing, but also that Mr Shepherd and the police are still seeking her. When John and Sue discover that she is working at Mrs Bloomsbury-Barton's as a maid, it is not long before Worzel pays a visit...7. The Scarecrow HopWhen Aunt Sally turns up at Worzel's barn, the two decide to have some fun and go to the local village dance. When Worzel requests an old tune, the two show the others how gracefully they too can glide about the floor.
dealer sells Aunt Sally to the Piwakawaka Museum of Folklore in New Zealand, Worzel follows...2. The Sleeping BeautyThe Crowman hears of a rival travelling scare-crow maker whose activities have made mangel-worzel la key scarecrow ingredient scarce. Worzel is sold but is found to be missing...3. Full EmploymentWorzel steals the militaristic Rooney's drum and escapes on the postman's motorcycle. The Crowman finds Worzel after a crash...4. Worzel's HandicapWhile the crowman is building a new scarecrow, Worzel is allowed onto the course much to the annoyance of the club captain...5. King Of The ScarecrowsWorzel names a new scarecrow the rather unusual name of Dangnation Take It. The new scarecrow is under the impression that Worzel is King of the Scarecrows...6. Ten Heads Are Better Than OneWorzel steals a trunk containing many scarecrow heads, and meets Trudi von Crotchet the Steam Organ conductress...7. Worzel To The RescueWorzel escapes a thunderstorm in the safety of a barn whilst the Crowman and the Traveller pit their magical skills against each other...8. Slave ScarecrowWorzel is having nightmares about Zombie Scarecrows, but his dreams turn to reality as he awakes to find himself kidnapped by the Traveller and his undead helpers...9. The Traveller UnmaskedThe Crowman appeals to Aunt Sally for help in rescuing Worzel from the clutches of the Travellers.10. A Friend In NeedWorzel borrows the Crowman's gramophone to provide music for his birthday party. He lets Worzel keep the gramophone on the promise that he will return it unharmed...
A review by DuwDuw on Worzel Gummidge - Series 1 (DVD) May 27th, 2007
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Loved it
Story
Good
Characters / Performances
Good
Special Effects
Standard
How does it compare to similar films?
Good
Advantages:
Nostalgic memories aplenty and a great series for the next generation
Disadvantages:
Poorer quality produced on DVD and taken directly of origional film .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Worzel Gummidge is the somewhat scary scarecrow that came to our TV screens during 1979 and 1984. I was asked by a colleague to give a little talk on a popular TV programme for children from my youth and Worzel Gummidge came to mind. In an effort to remember the series I decided to purchase the complete 4 series' and even the fifth and sixth series based down under in New Zealand called Worzel Gummidge Down Under. The series has now become a firm favourite with my two children aged three and as a nostalgic trip for myself. It reminded myself of the series but also the importance of friends and even had a feel good factor with a small moral undertone.
Worzel Gummidge is a childrens character from the books of Barbara Euphen Todd and after a number of years in print it was then played as a childrens show on British radio in 1947. The television adaption was decided by Southern TV in late 1970's and with the clever writting talents of Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, Worzel Gummidge was born in glorious colour. Worzel Gummidge the hapless scarecrow that had a number of heads for various purposes such as singing heads and magic heads was played to perfection by Jon Pertwee (Dr Who, Navy Lark). Worzel like all scarecrows in the area was made by The Crowman who was played by Geoffrey Bayldon (Catweazle) and the series follows Worzels' adventures in a small English town and countryside and the number of scrapes that he gets into with his friends.
The Worzel Gummidge story starts when two children Sue and John played by the late Charlotte Coleman (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and Jeremy Austin who along with their father played by Mike Berry (Are You being Served) comes to Scatterbrook. The local farmer and his wife let the family live in a Gypsy Caravan in the farmyard, the children soon meet Worzel and befriend him and soon find themselves in a lot of trouble because of him. Worzel gets himself involved with a genuine fairground Aunt Sally played by Una Stubbs (Summer Holiday, 'till Death Us Do Part) and falls in love with her only to be constantly shunned and humiliated by her selfish nature. Many adventures follows over the Series 1 and into the following 3 British and 2 New Zealand series.
Series 1 has the following episodes
Worzel's Washing Day A Home Fit For Scarecrows Aunt Sally The Crowman A Little Learning Worzel Pays A Visit The Scarecrow Hop
The series will apeal to many on both a nostalgic and in the case of new generations a new adventure. The quality of the DVD leaves a lot to be desired of mainly due to the fact that it was simply transferred to DVD and not updated in anyway shape or form. Then again this was a series from the seventies and perhaps only would have had a limited apeal on DVD and therefore no great money would have been spent on it. Saying this the film quality is still good and would have been the same we saw in the seventies and eighties.
Advantages: great family fun for everyone Disadvantages: none
....
** DOWN UNDER SERIES1.?
* Brief rundown of what's on this DVD?
* 1... As the Scarecrow flies?
When a dodgy antique dealer sells Aunt Sally to the towns museum of Folklore in New Zealand the wooden figure is on her way to the other side of the world?much to Aunt Sally's joy and Worzels horror
* 2... The Sleeping Beauty?.
The crowman is not happy when he hears of a travelling scarecrow-maker who is meddling with the key ingredients that make scarecrows scary? mangle-worzel
* 3... Full Employment?
When Worzel steals the drum belonging to the military minded Rooney, (played by Gerald Bryan), and then is involved in a mishap with the postmans motorcycle the crowman is not happy.
* 4... Worzels Handicap?
Worzel causes chaos on the golf course whilst the Crowman is pre-occupied with another scarecrow.
* 5... King...
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Plot: All seven episodes from the first series including: 'Worzel's Washing Day', 'A Home Fit For Scarecrows', 'Aunt Sally', 'The Crowman', 'A Little Learning', 'Worzel Pays A Visit', and 'The Scarecrow Hop'.
DVD Description
This 1980s children's series stars Jon Pertwee as Worzel Gummidge, the walking and talking scarecrow. The collection presents all seven episodes of the first season, including "Worzel's Washing Day," "The Crowman," and "The Scarecrow Hop."