Catweazle

A medieval English magician tries to escape the invading Norman armies of the 11th century and inadvertently sends himself 900 years into the future where he must survive and work out a way to return to his own time.

Both witty and inventive with a solid turn from the late Geoffrey Bayldon, this fun show entertained a generation of children and adults. Well written by the talented Richard Carpenter, there is also a nostalgiafest going on here for middle aged adults looking at how relatively unspoilt the English countryside was just half a century ago and may bring back some memories of their youth.

No nastiness here, just good fun and whilst we watch Catweazle learn about modernity we also learn a little about us too.

A good cast helps pad the show out too. Personally I found series one to be more interesting than series two and the show was starting to flag a little by the middle of the second series, although the wonderful Peter Butterworth does help partially redeem it, but it it is still a darned sight more watchable than the majority of family centric TV shows these days. The innocence of a bygone era coupled with a 'famous five' sense of adventure and well written characters kept this show ticking along. Some fun cameos help with the nostalgia value as well.

Good clean fun and hugely inventive.

Poor Catweazle! All he wanted was a spell that would make him fly. While he never took off (not by magic, anyway), the series definitely did!

This was Geoffrey Bayldons finest hour. The premise of a medieval magician with questionable skills accidentally transported forward in time 900 years is a great canvas to write of his exploits dealing with life in the modern world (well, England circa 1970 anyway).

Although the 'fish out of water' scenario has been done in other TV shows and films, this has a certain charm of its own, with some delightful characterisation, amusing dialogue and guest appearances by the likes of Hattie Jacques amongst others to keep the viewer watching. Catweazle's reactions to modern life and its tools (the telephone in particular) is at times hilarious. And although a series now half a century old is bound to show its age, this surprisingly adds to its charm, seeing our nation in a time with no mobile phones, no dvd or VHS players, no video games and every car is british made adds to its appeal.

If you are under ten (or over 40 and remember those simpler times) then you should enjoy the wit and wisdom of our medieval sorcerer hero stranded in time, desperate to get back to his. The first series is definitely superior to the second. It is fresher for a start and had more unpredictable scenarios to enjoy. Despite the more polished look, the second series starts to run out of steam and ideas by the midway point and this is what stopped me giving it ten stars. Bayldon rightly felt the scripts started to run out of ideas after about episode six of series two but the cast (including the underused Peter Butterworth) battle through and end on a high note. In fact series creator Richard Carpenter felt that the change of setting and supporting cast in series two and the relocation to a stately home was a mistake by the producers. But don't let that put you off the whole Catweazle experience and just how creative a writer Richard Carpenter was and how despite a long stage, screen and television career, Geoffrey Bayldon will always be remembered for this iconic character.

I grew up watching this show (in German 'voiceover') and I can only recommend it to viewers of all ages. I actually just ordered the DVD's and can't wait to watch it again and again. The Brit's have done a great job with this show by treating kids like people and not like little dummies, the story line is continuously interesting and of course Catweazle himself is an incredible character. Catweazle's sudden journey from the 11th century into the 20th century is a tale of wonderful stories that make you laugh and cry and make you want to be part of the story. The actor that plays Catweazle did a great job acting as if he was from the 11th century and his amazement about 'new' inventions in the 20th century seem so real, I remember laughing until my belly hurt when he discovered the phone. I don't want to give away to much because I believe this is a show that is still worth watching in this day and age. A must see:-) Cheerio!!

This is nostalgia at its finest!

For all people who just desire to watch a simple series about friendship and how fast one can be overrun by nowadays' inventions, this is the perfect entertainment. Short episodes, no boring lenghts and especially enough but not too much humor.

The main character, Catweazle, is a wizard from about 1066 who by accident teleported himself and his toad into the 1970s. There, he is confronted with all kinds of modern technology (electricity, cars etc.). Together with a teenage friend, he finds at the beginning of each season, he explores this unknown time and tries to get back in his own time.

Interestingly enough, Catweazle is not as dumb as any other cliched time traveler who still can't figure out the technology of the future on the third try.

I also liked the actors really well: Geoffrey Bayldon just perfectly melts into the role of Catweazle. Harold, Cedric (Catweazle's friends in season one and two) and Catweazle are portrayed in a perfect manny, a bit over the top but not too much. Thus, each character grows on you within the first episode.

Although it's a kids show, also adults can have fun with it. It is one of the best British TV shows to just relax for approx. 25 minutes per episode. I loved watching it again!