
Worzel Gummidge (1979)
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Geoffrey Bayldon as The Crowman
Episodes 21
Worzel's Washing Day
As John, Sue and Mr. Peters are all driving to their new home, a Romany Caravan at Scatterbrook Farm, John sees a Scarecrow (Worzel) in a field and claims to see it move. Later ,John persuades his sister to go back to the field, Ten-Acre field, to have a closer look at the Scarecrow, but once there it starts raining. With no other option other than to get soaked, John asks the Scarecrow if they can lend his umbrella, to which the Scarecrow replies with a deep, "OO - AARR!" sending the terrified children running for home. Later that evening Worzel turns up at Scatterbrook to claim back his umbrella and anything else he can find.
Read MoreThe Crowman
Worzel wants a wife and so he asks The Crowman to make him a ‘handsome head’, spotting an opportunity for Worzel to learn a lesson the Crowman agrees. He tells Worzel that in return for one of his own heads he can have the loan of a head which he has made for a ‘decorative scarecrow’ ordered by Mrs. Bloomsbury - Barton. The next day Worzel turns up at Mrs. Bloomsbury - Barton’s Hall to pick up his new handsome head from the Crowman, who is working there. However, he is not the only one working there that day. Mr. Peters is also there, re-wiring the hall, and chaos quickly ensues when Worzel is asked to help him.
Read MoreThe Scarecrow Hop
Mrs. Bloomsbury - Barton sacks Aunt Sally, and as she is homeless she turns up at Worzel’s barn. As soon as she arrives she starts telling him, Sue and John about where she is going to go next, and this prompts John into saying how boring the village is. Sue protests and brings up the fact that there is a village dance on that evening and Aunt Sally and Worzel decide to go. They both agree that they need outfits to wear and visit the local museum to pinch some. At the dance, Worzel finds the music boring and requests the band play ‘The Scarecrow Hop’ which is a roaring success.
Read MoreWorzel's Nephew
Worzel receives an unexpected visit from his cockney nephew, Pickles Bramble. The youngster gets a job on the Braithwaite's farm and blackmails him into doing all the work. He has to come up with a scheme to rid himself of the troublesome relative...
Read MoreThe Trial of Worzel Gummidge
Worzel is worried when a salesman tries to convince Mr. Braithwaite to replace him with an electric rook scarer...
Read MoreFire Drill
When Mrs. Bloomsbury-Barton holds a bonfire party, her choice of Guy to burn on it causes Worzel some alarm...
Read MoreThe Scarecrow Wedding
Worzel rescues Aunt Sally from inside a dishwasher at a junkshop and in return she promises to marry him...
Read MoreMoving On
The Braithwaites and the Peters have been on holiday in Tenerife and return home to a very unpleasant and unwelcome surprise. While they’ve been away Worzel and Aunt Sally have moved into their farmhouse, eaten all their food and completely wrecked the place! Mr Braithwaite finds what he believes to be just his old scarecrow and an old doll, Aunt Sally, and so puts the damage down to vandals. As they clear up the mess a newcomer, Mrs Cousins, comes along and takes away Aunt Sally for her daughter, Emma, and of course Worzel follows. When the coast is clear Worzel drags Aunt Sally away but their reunion is short-lived. The fair is passing through the village and Aunt Sally jumps on their wagon and joins them. Worzel, not to be beaten, grabs the Crowman’s trike and follows her as the disapproving Crowman follows on foot.
Read MoreDolly Clothes-Peg
Worzel and Aunt Sally are both employed at the fair but Worzel, as usual, has a problem. She is walking out with ‘The Great Orlando’, the strongman. After being let down by her yet again he goes for a walk and meets up with ‘Dolly Clothes - Peg’, an ex shop window dummy who is currently employed as a makeshift scarecrow. She explains to him how the Crowman had brought her to life and they both decide to go for a cup of tea and a slice of cake at the local tea room. Unfortunately, Aunt Sally is already there and, to make matters worse, so is ‘The Great Orlando’.
Read MoreA Fair Old Pullover
Worzel is skulking around the farmyard with a purpose in mind. Firstly he steals Mr. Braithwaite’s flat cap, then Mrs Braithwaite’s scarf and finally Harry’s welding goggles. It turns out that he’s putting together a driving outfit, but this drive is no ordinary drive. Worzel has decided that he’s going with the Braithwaites on their weekly shopping trip to Little Minster, but he isn’t travelling with them in the car - he’s travelling ON the car! Along the way he causes havoc, people fall into ditches or off their bicycles, but it’s in Little Minster itself that he draws the most attention. Luckily however the Crowman is there to get him out of trouble.
Read MoreWorzel the Brave
Mrs Bloomsbury - Barton has sold her hall to a Colonel Bloodstock who is bringing all his belongings into the village via rail. On the same journey is Aunt Sally as a package for Mr. Shepherd. Unfortunately, she gets taken up to the hall with the Colonel’s furniture, and when she arrives manages to convince him that she is a maid that comes along with the hall. She does not, however, reach there unobserved. From a field Worzel sees everything and decides to visit her. When he arrives he gets a less than warm reception - in fact he is thrown by her and finally seen off the premises courtesy of Colonel Bloodstock and his shotgun! Worzel realizes the only way he can rescue Aunt Sally is to go and see the Crowman and ask him for a ‘brave head’.
Read MoreWorzel's Wager
29 November 1980
Worzel has a dead cert racing tip courtesy of his Robin, is desperate for five pounds and decides to place a bet. Unfortunately though, before he has a chance he’s thrown out of the betting shop when it emerges he has no money. Meanwhile, the rest of the village is gearing up for the annual dog race. Worzel is still no nearer to figuring out a way to make his five pounds so he decides to take a nap in a field, and as if things weren’t bad enough he gets caught up in a combined harvester. As usual though the Crowman is on hand to put him back together. Once repaired he gives Worzel a task - to look after his dog, Ratter, for him whilst he goes to fix another scarecrow, Scratty Swedehead. As soon as the Crowman leaves Worzel has an idea - to enter Ratter in the local dog race.
Read MoreThe Return of Dafthead
Sue and John go up to Ten - Acre field to give Worzel a present - a bowl of Black Forest Gateaux mix. When they arrive they find a different scarecrow at Worzel’s post, Dafthead. It turns out that he has put a bucket on Worzel’s head, tied him up and then dumped him in his barn. Sue and John free Worzel and the trio head up to Ten - Acre to confront Dafthead. When they arrive he is still eating the cake mix so Worzel tries to outsmart him. Unfortunately, Dafthead is too clever so Worzel decides to go and see the Crowman to see if he has any ideas.
Read MoreCaptain Worzel
Mr Shepherd is taking Aunt Sally on a canal boat holiday through West Chester in order to see a museum owner, Mr. Pursglove, who he believes wishes to purchase her. However, before he can leave, Worzel spies her in the back of the car and decides to jump in and stow away with them. At the boatyard he gets out of the car to explore and ends up seeing a face he recognizes - Saucy Nancy. He climbs aboard her boat, but unfortunately it’s the same boat Mr Shepherd has hired, and when Aunt Sally gets aboard... of course, a fight ensues!
Read MoreA Cup o' Tea an' a Slice o' Cake (1)
Double-length musical holiday special: it's Christmas Eve, a most important day for scarecrows as they must stand in position to guide Santa Claus back to the North Pole. Worzel Gummidge, however, deserts his post to enjoy the delights of the season, jeopardizing his chances for attending the Scarecrow Ball.
Read MoreA Cup o' Tea an' a Slice o' Cake (2)
It’s Christmas Eve and Worzel’s feeling the cold. However any hopes he has of a Christmas holiday are dashed when the Crowman, canny to Worzel’s ways, ties him to his post in Ten-Acre field and points him North as he does with all Scarecrows. This is because Santa Claus uses the Scarecrows as landmarks to guide him back home after he has delivered all the gifts. As an extra security measure he also threatens to ban Worzel from the Scarecrow ball the following evening if he leaves his post. However all this is in vain as five minutes later John and Sue turn up and untie Worzel who immediately heads for Farmer Braithwaite’s barn to dig out his party-going head. He finds it and heads up to the hall to find Aunt Sally who he intends to take to the Scarecrow ball. Unfortunately Worzel soon discovers that it is months since she left the hall and so all he succeeds in doing is getting shot at by Col. Bloodstock Unabashed by this Worzel continues his search and meets up with the Saucy Nancy who is living on a Pantomime Showboat on wheels! The reunion however is short lived when he is set upon by the boat’s owner and PC Parsons. Of course Worzel escapes and then, as luck would have it, he runs into Aunt Sally who has fallen on hard times and is selling bundles of kindling wood from a hand cart at 50 pence a bundle. As usual Worzel takes over her duties from her but, will they reach the Scarecrow ball and, more importantly, will the Crowman let them in?
Read MoreMuvver's Day
After being driven out of the village baby contest Worzel decides he wants his mum. The only person who can help him is the Crowman who deduces that a scarecrow called 'Sarah Pigswill’ was made from a row of turnips which, twelve months later, seeded Worzel. Technically making her Worzel’s mother. The wheels are set in motion and Worzel prepares for the arrival of his mother on his ‘bestest birthday'. Unfortunately, he soon realises that her idea of a birthday tea and his own are very different.
Read MoreThe Return of Dolly Clothes-Peg
A letter is delivered to Scatterbrook but no one, save for John and Sue, recognise the name of the person it is addressed to - Worzel Gummidge. When they find him they discover the Crowman is fixing him up and therefore reads the letter for him. It is from ‘Dolly Clothes-Peg’ writing that she is coming to see Worzel on the ‘eleventy-twelve’ bus and that she is bringing a big cake for him. Unfortunately she spends all her money, including her bus fare, on the cake and so she has to walk to Scatterbrook. When she doesn’t arrive on the bus Worzel thinks she is not coming and becomes upset, but worse is yet to come...
Read MoreThe Jumbly Sale
It’s the day of the village jumble sale and Worzel has decided that he’s going along to get himself a new outfit so that he can impress Aunt Sally into marrying him. Meanwhile Mr. Shepherd has decided to make a contribution of his own to the sale - Aunt Sally. When Worzel arrives he finds Aunt Sally in a box outside and decides to rescue her. Unfortunately, as he’s trying to free her he pulls off one of her legs and before he can put things right, is chased away by PC Parsons. Worzel is distraught by the event and decides to end it all. He goes to see the crowman to ask him to dig him into the compost heap.
Read MoreWorzel in Revolt
The Crowman has dispatched pigeons to round up Aunt Sally and Worzel. When they arrive at his abode they discover why. He has heard about a cake fight the pair have had at the bishop’s tea party. He explains to them that due to their recent absenteeism they are both in bad books with their owners. The Crowman has therefore decided that the safest place for them is to stay with him until the fuss has died down. However, he wants them to both earn their keep with Worzel being his valet and Aunt Sally acting as parloir maid. Unfortunately, things don’t go the way the Crowman plans when it emerges that Aunt Sally is making Worzel do all the work.
Read MoreWill the Real Aunt Sally...?
Worzel cannot believe his ears when Aunt Sally accepts his proposal of marriage, but almost in the same breath he is rejected. He enlists the help of John and Sue and between them they discover that there are is another Aunt Sally in the village. The children are so worried about the effect this may have on Worzel that they tell the Crowman...
Read MoreThe Golden Hind
The Golden Hind, a new fish and chips shop has opened in the village. As usual Worzel is wandering about the village and is attracted by the smell. He is just about to enter the establishment when he meets the shop’s mascot, a ship’s figurehead called ‘Jolly Jack’. He explains what fish and chips are and reveals that he is a friend of Saucy Nancy. Once the coast is clear Jack takes Worzel inside the shop and they help themselves to as much food as they can carry. A little later Worzel bumps into Aunt Sally who, smelling the chips, decides she wants some. He stubbornly refuses to comply with her wishes and she goes off to find her own, ending up working at the Golden Hind and meeting Jolly Jack - will she find love ?
Read MoreWorzel's Birthday
Ten Acre field is covered in flowers of all colours and sizes for Worzel’s 'bestest birthday'. This comes as no surprise to John and Sue who, over the previous weeks, have had to endure his many hints. They plan a surprise party and have also scraped all their savings together to buy him a gigantic birthday cake... but will it survive the attention of Aunt Sally ?
Read More