Lo spaventapasseri

As a child I only vaguely remember this show (I was born in '82). About 6 years ago I found a charity shop bundle of VHS videos of this franchise, bought the lot and instantly fell in love with what became a new favourite !

Essentially it's quite a basic plot. 2 kids their single father go to live in a caravan on a farm. The field's scarecrow comes to life in the form of an illiterate but lovable and hilarious character 'Worzel Gummidge'. He is constantly amorously pursuing the local antique 'Aunt Sally', also a living being, alongside his other chief passion of 'A Cup O' Tea And A slice O' Cake' ! Always up to mischief, the kids and Worzel's creator 'The Crowman' have to guide him through his adventures, making sure he doesn't get into trouble !

As well as highly comical, the show is also highly aesthetically beautiful and culturally idyllic. Set in rural Kent, the intimacy of tender fields and garden-like countryside, alongside a score of gentle, easy instrumental music gives the show a natural, traditional, serene and idyllic cultural bliss - there's next to no reference to contemporary popular culture.

The cast are quite notable too. The late Jon Pertwee plays the clumsy scatterbrained Worzel, Una Stubbs as the arrogant, deluded, greedy but charming Aunt Sally, the late Charlotte Coleman (an unrecognisable, dark featured 'Scarlet' from 4 weddings...) as young Sue, and Jeremy Austen as her brother John (otherwise only known for a brief role in Red Dwarf !) Guest appearances include Barbara Windsor, Anthony Sharpe + Connie Booth.

Overall, this show, both entertaining and cultural, is an often overlooked gem that should be seen by today's kids amidst a sea of internet degeneracy and apologies for shows. Not to forget the late-80s spin-off series, 'Worzel Gummidge Down Under', which I think I remember vaguely seeing back in the day !

As a child, I found scarecrows a little bit too creepy but by the time I was an adult and watched this show, I soon forgot about the creepy scarecrows you see in fields and enjoyed this show.

The late Jon Pertwee played scarecrow Worzel Gummidge who lived on Scatterbrook Farm (I think that was the name of the farm). Joining him were the likes of Una Stubbs as his girlfriend and Carry On... favourite Barbara Windsor.

The show itself was fun as Worzel got up to all sorts of adventures, scrapes and the like. Jon Pertwee did a great job with Worzel who is probably one of the funniest characters ever.

This is the perfect show for kids today. You can put on a video of this show for your kids and let them watch safe in the knowledge there will be no sex, bad language or violence. Worzel Gummidge didn't need to do it's best to be entertaining-it was just entertaining, period.

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

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...

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.