Worzel Gummidge Down Under "Worzel's Handicap" Review

It's been a long while since anything from Worzel Gummidge was covered by me and it's been even longer since anything from the sequel series Worzel Gummidge Down Under was covered. As such as a way to kill to birds with one stone as it where it only made sense that I cover an episode of Worzel Gummidge Down Under and well then I think that i've found solid episode that is worth talking about and so then join me as I review the episode that has Worzel crying for some reason with the episode in question being called simply just "Worzel's Handicap" enjoy.

The plot of this episode is when Worzel finds out that his beloved Aunt Sally has feeling for an egotistical golfer called The Captain Worzel decides to enter the local Golfing competition to win her back. Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual plot thats actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual plot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty not that bad. While yes the episodes plot is a bit on thin side of things as there really much to this episodes plot outside of that brief summery the same thing could also be said for the rest of the plots in this sequel series and while the original series also had really simple and thin plot to them alot of them were filled with whimsy that you do kind of forgive them for being light on plot. Yet here in this episode that just simply isn't the case at all and therefor there is no excuse for this episode to be as light on plot as it ended up being due to the fact that alot of things that do happen in this plot do come out of nowhere with very little of them actually having an impact on the episodes plot itself and while you could argue that this was one of the scripts that was written when the show was meant to be set in Ireland which is fair enough the maker of this episode still should have taken the time to flesh out the plot a bit more as this is still a new show and therefore they do still have to set things up and yet they don't any of that as there is none of the charm and whimsy that made the original show standout and there is none of the almost scary storytelling that made episodes of this show standout and while yes the plot of this episode is still a fun plot as heck you could argue that having a more simple plot is what's best for this episode the episode itself still would have worked just as well if it had a more stronger plot to it with the plot of this episode also being really rather entertaining and as well as being really rather engaging as well in my freaking opinions anyways / at least.

Starring in this episode is Doctor Who and Wombling Free star Jon Pertwee as Worzel Gummidge and Gerald Bryan as Rooney. Also starring in this episode is Bob Gillespie as The Club Secretary , Peter Harcourt as The Captain , Olivia Ihimaera-Smiler as Manu , Jonathan Marks as Mickey , Power Rangers star Bruce Phillips as The Crowman , Una Stubbs as Aunt Sally and Michael Wilson as Father O'Malley.

Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual acting thats actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty not that bad. The fact that te acting in this episode was about as OK as it is is something that is pretty much the norm for this show as while actors like Jon Pertwee and Una Stubbs are trying to turn in a good performance and director James Hill is trying his best to get a good performance out of his actors sadly alot of the actors that are in this episode just aren't that good with them turning in some wooden performances with the only exception to this rule when it comes to the new actors being Bruce Phillips as The Crowman. Whilst this might be a bit of a cliche thing to say but the best actor in the whole entire episode is quite easily Jon Pertwee as you can tell that even tho everything in this show is inferior to the original show he is still having the time of his life playing this character with him getting to dress up near the end of the episode which is something that is always fun to see as you never really know just what kind of performance that you'll get from Jon Pertwee when he does that with it being crystal clear that he knows full well what James Hill wants out of him as an actor and is willing to go and give him exactly that right away with the fact that he still does have that twinkle in his eye when he's playing Worzel being something that really does shine through in his performance in this episode. With the acting that's in this episode not really being helped by the fact that this episodes script is just so bad as it gives none of this episodes actors absolutely anything to work with interms of what it is that there actual characters personalities are even meant to be in this very episode which is something that really does harm the overall quality of the acting that's in this very episode.

For some reason this episode makes Golf out to be the best sort that there is as they do spend alot of the episode just in this one Golf club. This wouldn't be an issue if golf was a top sport in New Zealand but it wasn't it was Rugby Union heck it's never been a top sport in the UK therefor it make no sense for there to be an entire episode dedicated to it as while yes there is alot of potential for comedy gold to be had with the sport and it is one of the more safest sports that kids can play it's also a sport that is quite boring to watch ad yet the makers of this episode do dedicate alot of time to showing us this one person playing the sport granted it's to show us just how good that this person is at the sport which does make sense but it's also something that not really needed in the episode either. Look to be frank doing an episode of this show that's based around a sport was always going to be hard as you don't want a sport that would feel out of character for Worzel to try his hand his hand at like for example Football or Rugby for that matter but on the other hand you don't want a sport that is to boring on screen either therefor going with Golf as the main sport in this episode is something that does make sense as alot of people will know about it and given the fact that Worzel is many years old and the show has dressed him in older gear before it is a sport that he would do even if Aunt Sally wasn't in the episode itself but at the same time tho there are better sports out there that are more fun to both watch and play but sadly tho not one of them would have been right for Worzel as a character even tho we do briefly see him playing Football near the end of this episode, heck the episode doesn't really take full advantage of the fact that it has the characters playing Golf as we don't get to see Worzel interacting all that much with The Captain prior to the climax of the episode and nor do we get a scene where Worzel finds out what it is after mixing it up with something if your going to feature this sport in the episode then why not go all out and have as much fun with it as you possibly could have done.

You always knew that you were going to be getting somethin special in the original Jon Pertwee Worzel Gummidge series whenever you saw Worzel cry as that series knew how to tug at your heartstrings. However tho they also knew when to use it whereas even tho the scene that has him crying is beautifully shot it doesn't make sense for him to cry in this episode as the thing that makes him cry in this episode being he fact that he believes that he made him look like a fool in front of Aunt Sally yet he did worse then that in the original show and never shed a tear therefor it makes no sense for it to be effecting him this much in this episode as all this does is lessen the impact that a scene like this should have have. As this should have been a scene that hits you right in the gut and makes you feel sad for Worzel like in Aunt Sally's debut episode where she rejects him just as hard as he's just rejected Jon and Sue and that is something that works because of the fact that Worzel for the first time is seeing her for who she truly is whereas here he didn't really do anything that made him look like a fool in the first place as he had no ide how to play Golf in the first place and no one on the field told him that he was facing the wrong way when he started hitting the balls in the first place, this is a scene that really could have worked and should have worked if the episode did show us more scenes of Worzel trying to win Aunt Sally back with her constantly rejecting him for The Captain as then us the audience would feel this deep sense of lose the same say that Worzel and while that won't justify him getting upset and crying in the episode it would go along way to making a scene like that somewhat make sense and it would also keep the fact that the scenes with Worzel crying are really important scenes with the only good thing to come out of this scene besides from the fact that it was beautifully shot being the fact that The Crowman does come into cheer Worzel up.

Whilst in the original series we never really got the scarecrow heads talking on there own this is something that this episode does give us very briefly. As when The Crowman is counting how many heads he has in stock when he puts a few of them onto a body thy do turn into full scarecrows that is except for one head where you just see the mouth move and that is just such a creepy and yet at the same time funny visual to see in the episode as usually when you think of this show and the amount of times that we've seen Worzel change his head we've never ever seen the head talking whilst not becoming a full scarecrow the head only come alive the second that Worzel puts it on and yet here we do get to see that at the vert least the heads that this Crowman makes are capable of somewhat becoming alive and able to talk. With the effect itself being a very basic puppet effect that no doubt created by Sir Peter Jackson as he did do effects work on this series it is an effect that does look kind if good as the effect itself is still held back by the episodes limited budget but you could also argue that this adds to its charm as it does still very much look like a head that isn't meant to be alive yet as we do see that the eyes are still painted on as are it's lips with the only thing that we see moving is it's mouth which just moves up and down, this is something that does also make it a creepy looking effect as it adds a sense on unease to the episode and the lore of Worzel Gummidge itself as now we now that heads have the power to come alive even when there not attached to a scarecrows body which is a creepy thought to have in the first place and given the fact that this series was known for having more creepy episodes it's a wonder that they didn't revisit this idea in a later episode as they could have done something memorable with it and while it's not featured all that much in this episode the effect is something that does stick with you long after the episodes finished due to how out of nowhere that it is in the first place. 

Whilst it didn't make sense for Worzel to be crying in this episode it did make sense for Aunt Sally to be getting emotional at the ed of the episode as she has just seen someone that she did have small feelings for kissing another woman thus dashing one her dreams. This was a great way to show us that Aunt Sally does have feelings and that they can be hurt as while we have seen her upset in the original show it was usually due to the fact that she might end up back locked up in the attic again and not able to travel the world as she wants to do where as here in this episode it oddly felt more personal as even tho she doesn't have much of an impact on the episode itself you do still get the feeling that she was hoping that The Captain would fall for her and would take her to all of these countries that she's only heard of before now. This is something that does make her getting upset at seeing him kissing another woman all the more hurtful as to Aunt sally she isn't just loosing a potential love interest she's loosing someone who held the keys to her dreams someone who she was hoping would make those dreams come true and when she sees that that's not true she does realise that Worzel really is who she is meant to be with which is something that Aunt Sally just doesn't seem to understand as while he loves her to the moon back she at times can barely stand to look at him. There are alot of characters in this episode that oddly enough don't play that big of a role in the episodes plot as Rooney the towns handyman , Aunt Sally and Mickey and Manu all don't play that big of a role in the episode which for Rooney is understandable as he a minor character but Aunt Sally and Mickey and Manu are meant to be main characters in this show and yet all three of them play a minor role in the episode with Mickey and Manu only getting two scenes in the whole entire episode with this being something that makes no sense as the makes of this episode should have been spending the time to give us more information about these kids as we know nothing about them and therefor we have to reason to care about them and yet there being treated like an after thought in the show and while there are other episodes with Aunt Sally as the main character given the fact that it was due to her taking a fancy to The Captain in the first place it would have made sense for her to play a bigger role in the episodes plot.

Now then this episode has / had an exact grand total running time of exactly twenty five minuets and eight seconds. This is pretty much the bogstandard running time for this show and to be fair to this episode whilst it didn't really need to be that long in the first place as you very easily could have told this episodes entire plot in well under twenty minuets those extra five minuets do make all the difference as they do allow for the episodes plot to breath more and for the characters to have alot more fun in the episode whereas if the episode didn't have those extra five minuets then none of that would be in the episode as none of the more fun scenes in the episode are important to the episodes plot with the episode itself having the right amount of plot there to cover that amount of running time in the first place. However tho the episode really doesn't use it's running time all that wisely as the episode doesn't take the time to fully develop it's plot with this oddly enough being due to the fact that the episode does have alot of fun but pointless scenes in it with this those scenes feeling more filler and padding then anything else and yet if the makers of this episode really wanted the the episode to reach it's running time then they very easily could have done just by expanding on the episodes plot as the plot of this episode is more then fun enough to have more fun moments be in the episode and not have it effect the development of the episodes plot mas a whole and yet as the makers of this episode are more focused on shoving the game of golf down our throats then it does mean that the episodes main plot can't be that well developed. The same thing is also true for the episodes character development as while it is more then understandable as to why both Worzel and Aunt Sally don't get any kind of character development as we have alot of the previous series for them to get there character development the same thing cannot be said for the rest of the episodes as we know next to nothing about characters like The Captain or The Crowman with neither character are given the chance to grow as characters with the makers of this episode instead being more focused on giving us pointless filler scenes that then they are in using that amount of screen time saved from having those filler scenes be cut from the episode and giving them to scenes that would have helped to further develop it's characters but I really will admit that this episode really does have some really good pacing to it tho.

So now then as this is a comedy that really does mean that I have to actually talk about the actual comedy that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual comedy that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really good. The episodes comedy is alot more better then what it really had any right to be as by all rights this episode shouldn't be that funny but due to the fact that the episode does have a plot that does allow for these more fun moments with the characters be it Worzel and Aunt Sally arguing in a bunker on the Golf course over if Aunt Sally is actually at the seaside or not or even Worzel pretending to be one The Crowman's heads bottom line being there are alot of fun moments in this episode. With the episodes best joke being the scene where Worzel and Aunt Sally argue about if she actually at the sea side or not as it is a scene that does feel very much like the original show as while both characters did indeed go to the seaside in the original something which Worzel himself does point out by saying he knows what the seaside is and it can't be where there are as it's not there and yet even so Aunt Sally still does manage to get the better of him not only by hitting him twice on the head which is always funny to see as it allows for Jon Pertwee to pull a funny face but also by saying that they are at the seaside and the reason why the sea isn't there right now is because the tide is out which does feel like an Aunt Sally thing to say with that joke even being one of the more better written and acted jokes in the episode as you do get the see the twinkle in both Una Stubbs's and Jon Pertwee's eyes as they get to act out this really silly scene together with that being the thing that makes this joke really funny with the rest of the episodes jokes being just as good as well in my freaking opinions anyways / at least.

Overall whilst this episode still isn't that good as it does have alot of flaws in it the same thing can also be said for alot of the episodes in Worzel Gummidge Down Under but what saves this episode are the brief moments where it does feel like the old show as we do get to see small glimpses of what made the original show not only memorable and funny but also really good as well in this episode in my freaking opinions anyways / at least. Now then  i've talked about all of the good and as well as all of the bad things that are in this very episode in this very review and as such that really does mean that this very episode really does earn itself a grand old score of exactly a 6 out of 10 from me.

Now then as for where I personally got all of the images that I personally used in this very review well then boys and girls and as well as ladies and gentlemen I personally got all of the images that I personally used in this very review from Amazon . Co . Uk and Google Images. With my personally preferred website to use to get the images from this very episode that I used in this very post being the really great Google Images really simply just due to the fact that really alot of if not really all of the images that are all really from this very episode with alot of them really being really better quality then what you'd really think of and all of the images are really of course up and really on Google Images really are also really all fairly high in quality and as well as them all being really fairly freaking high in definition.

Worzel Gummidge "Worzel's Birthday" Review

As the old saying goes all great things must come to an end with this being especially true when it comes to our favorite movies and TV shows. With the episode that i'm going to be talking to you all today officially marking the end of the British Worzel Gummidge series as while the series would get another two series years later those series were filmed in New Zealand and only have two actors from the British series back as there characters and so then join me as I review the episode that sees Worzel celebrating his bestest birthday with the episode in question being called simply just "Worzel's Birthday" enjoy.

The plot of this episode is on the day of Worzel's bestest birthday which is the birthday for his head he goes missing after Aunt Sally refuses to come to his party therefor it's up to John and Sue to not only find him but throw a part of there own for him. Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual plot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual plot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really good. With the thing that makes the episodes plot be as good as it is being the fact that it is delightfully simple and while that is something that might be seen as being a bad thing by today's standards by the standards of the olden days it is something that does work really well as this show was afterall made or the whole family to sit down and enjoy and a apart of that does entail having these more simple and easy to follow plots which is something that this episode does have in spades. While yes it would have helped the episode out quite a bit if the episode did have a more stronger plot as even for this show the plot does feel a bit to simple by making the plot more complex it would take away from the more carming and easy going nature of the show as this is a show that people can sit down and just relax to and to be fair this episodes plot does give you exactly that and while it would have been better if the plot did feel more like the final episode of a TV show as the makers of the show would have known that the station they were airing on was closing down and therefor would have had the time to give the show a more proper finale this episodes plot does give you all of the greatest hits from a show with the plot itself being a really fun plot with the episodes plot being really rather entertaining and as well as being really rather engaging as well in my freaking opinions anyways / at least.

Starring in this episode is Jon Pertwee as Worzel Gummidge , Jeremy Austin as John Peters and Charlotte Coleman ax Sue Peters. Also starring in this episode is Norman Bird as Mr. Braithwaite , Mike Berry as Mr. Peters , Michael Ripper as Mr. Shepherd , Sarah Thomas as Miss Maple , Una Stubbs as Aunt Sally , Laurence Harrington as The Landlord , Geoffrey Bayldon as The Crowman , Wally Thomas as An Elderly Gentleman and Frank Marlborough as Saggy Tatersack.

Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really good. With all of the episodes actors being just as good as they are in the rest of the show which is something by this point in the shows run was to be completely expected due to the fact that all of this episodes shows even the more weaker episodes did always have some really good acting in them with this being down to two things the first of which being the fact that they got a feature film director in James Hill to direct the series and the second of which is the fact that they surrounded the kid actors with these more established character actors and comedy legends. With the best actor in this whole entire episode being Una Stubbs as Aunt Sally as while she is always deliciously evil as the character here it feels like that she takes it not quite one step above what she normally would do as the character but up enough to the point where you both laugh at her antics and yet at the same time boo her due to how badly that she's treating Worzel himself with Una being the right person to play this version of the character as anyone else would either play her to far evil to be likable or to likable to be evil and yet Una even in this episode does manage to find the perfect sweet spot that a character like Aunt Sally should always have with the acting that's in this very episode really being helped by the fact that this episodes script is just so good that all this episodes actors have to do is just say the lines as they are written and a good performance will come out of them naturally which is something that really does help to raise the overall quality of the acting that's in this very episode. 

If there is one word to describe this episode it would be magical as that's exactly what this episode is in every single sense of the word. This is also something that could be said for alot of the episodes in this show but here for whatever reason it feels more true as we do get a scene where both John and Sue find out when Worzel's bestest birthday is when they come to his pole one day and find it surrounded by flowers with the whole thing just being filled to the brim with both magic and whimsy and while yes that is only scene it is one scene that does make the whole episode feel magical as it does give us some insight into how this world work from the point of view of a scarecrow. This is was something that other episodes of both this show and it's sequel show didn't do and yet it is something that they did in the more recent adaptation of the books and while that more recent version over did it here in this episode it was done in the right way as it is something that the episode doesn't spend that much time on with the episode really only giving it two scenes with the first one being set up and the other being the pay off but that's all it needed as the show is at it's best when it does focus on the characters and not the magic that is quite clearly in this world and yet even with that in mind, it is something that does also work in this episode due the fact that it is part of the episodes main plot and isn't just a quick throwaway scene like it very easily could have been with the scene in question being so beautifully shot that you'd be mistaken for thinking that it's a scene from feature length film due to the fact that everything about that scene from the writing to the directing does scream feature length film.

While this version of Aunt Sally is always really cruel to everyone who isn't her here it feels like that she's even more cruel and selfish then usual. Which is something that is fairly common place for the final episodes of this show as that's where they just let Aunt Sally be as cruel as she can be and while she doesn't make Worzel cry and break his heart like she has done in the past as here she not only refuses to go to his party when she thinks that it'll just be the two of them there when she finds out that John and Sue are buying Worzel this really big cake for there party she then follows them back to the barn and even tries to eat the cake herself when she thinks that Worzel is running late. Yet when the kids go looking for Worzel and take Aunt Sally with them the first thing she does is run away back to the barn and do exactly that as she eats his while birthday cake herself which even for her is a bit low as she knew full well that Worzel was excited about the idea of having a party and yet she goes and ruins it for him, this is something that is also fairly in character for her with her being the kind of character that always wants to be the centre of attention and can't handle it when someone else has more attention then her therefor it does make sense that she would try and ruin Worzel's birthday party for him weather or not she wanted to ruin his birthday is something that is up for debate as while she did know that his birthday was coming up and the kids to tell her plenty of times that it's for his birthday she doesn't seem like the kind of character that would go out of their way to ruin someone else's birthday, due to the fact that she might not even know what a birthday is to begin with and yet the saddest thing about this is the fact that even tho Worzel catches her after eating his cake deep down down he does still love her and would do anything for her.

As was stated earlier on in this review this episode doesn't feel like a finale episode even tho the makers of the show knew full well that the TV station that the were airing on was closing down. The reason for this being the fact that Southern which was the station that aired and made this show had lost it's broadcasting rights and was forced to close down yet even so this episode does feel loke a typical episode of the show with there being nothing about this episode that makes it feel special or like a finale episode this is something that could be because of the fact that the episode was written to be apart of the third series but was held off until this series with the only major difference being the fact that Mrs. Braithwaite was in the original version of the episode and yet alot of her lines where given to Mr. Peters with the character not even appearing in this final series at all. This is something that would explain why the series felt like a typical episode of the show but something that could help with that is the fact that maybe Jon Pertwee was hoping to sell the show to another network which would have been a very easy thing to do as the show was a massive hit yet for one reason or another it took them several years to get Worzel Gummidge Down Under made with even the final episode of that show not feeling like a finale episode but back to this episode there could be any number of reasons as to why this episode feels more like a typical episode of the show and not like a finale episode and they all would be completely valid and while the episode isn't harmed by this at all with the added benefit of hindsight it would have made the episode be alot more better if the episode was treated loke a proper finale due to the fact that this is the last time that we see all of the characters apart from Worzel and Aunt Sally as those are the only two characters that get brought over for Worzel Gummidge Down Under.

This episode does give us all of the greatest hits for Worzel as not only do we have a really big cake but we also have alot of the side characters coming back for a few scenes ad we also have Worzel getting some lessons from The Crowman and the episode even ends with big dance number with alot of the main characters. These are all things that do help to make this episode feel like a series final episode but not the show's final episode as alot of those characters would also appear in the other final episodes of the show and not just this one and while it is helped by the fact that we do have both Sarah Thomas and Frank Marlborough back as different characters it would have meant more if they were reprising there original characters of Dafthead and Enid respectively. Where this episode does shine the best is when we do get to see them play the greatest hits if you will as that's when we get to be reminded of just how this special that this show not only was but still is to a degree as we do get to the characters be there lovable but also goofy and charming selves which is something that they always where when this show was at it's best and while it is possible that they would have to ended the show after the fifth series as you can tell that the kids are growing up and are no longer ten years old the fact that we managed to get an episode with them and the side characters as well we do get to say goodbye to them on our own terms and not have it be something that was forced upon us is something that does work with this episode. This show was never one for saying goodbye to it's characters and the few times that they did it was mostly played for laughs and therefor to expect them to do the same here wouldn't be wise and it is something that would get in the way of them reminding us of why this show not only was but to a much more lesser extent still is loved by people young and old to this very day.

Now then this episode really has / had an exact grand total running time of really exactly twenty six minuets. With this being the bogstandard running time for the other episodes as well and to be fair t this episode this episode again much like the rest of the show really doesn't need to be that long as it is telling a simple story and it does do it really efficiently with alot of the episodes scenes being about advancing the plot of the episode, with the episode even having the right amount of plot there to cover that amount of running time in the first place as it does feel like that there isn't a single scene wasted in this episode due to the fact that alot of the scenes in this episodes are either cute comedy moments with the characters or are moments that remind you of why we loved these characters so much in the first place. Heck this episode even does use its running time very wisely as the plot of the episode is as well developed as its ever going to be due to the fact that the episode does have all of its scenes be about advancing its plot forward and it does take the time to add things to it's plot be it Aunt Sally first refusing to go to and then demanding that she come to Worzels birthday or the fact that we get to both John and Sue organizing a surprise party for Worzel they are all things that do play apart in the episodes plot in major ways. Even the episodes characters do feel as well developed as they are even going to be for a kids TV show as while they don't get any of that development in this episode you could make the argument that that's the point as both John and Sue are kids and therefor there not going to be that well developed anyway and Worzel is just a big kid at heart and is very forgetful yet we do find out more not only about him but about scarecrow kind as a whole which is something that the makers of this episode really didn't have to do but I really will admit that this episode really does have some really good pacing to it tho. 

So now then as this a comedy that really does mean that I have to actually talk about the actual comedy that's actually featured / presented t us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual comedy that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really good. With there being alot of painfully moments in this episode all of which do feel true to who these characters are as a people as while it would be hard to say that this episodes jokes are character driven due to the fact that there s a fair amount of slapstick jokes as well when this episode does tell a joke that feels true to whom these characters are that is when we do get some really good jokes in this episode. Yet none of those types of jokes are the best jokes in the episode as the best joke of the whole entire being when Aunt Sally eats Worzels entire cake as she acts like she's drunk which is something that little kids won't understand but it is something that once you notice it you can't unsee it and yet at the same time it is something that does work as of course Aunt Sally would have an entire cake to herself with the fact that she acts drunk being something that does make this cruel moment seem funny as it does give us a chance to see a side to her character that we've never been given the chance o see before now, this episode doesn't force Aunt Sally into it like alot of the other series four episodes did as here she is there to be the episodes main villain and to get some laughs out of us the audience and she does both of those things beautifully with Una Stubbs even acting like she's drunk as skunk on cake which is just a good idea in its own right and it is something that does tell you just how clever the writing on this show really was as yes there jokes in this episode that little kids will find funny but then there are jokes that you will get on two different levels as when your kid you'll see them for that you think they are and it'll be funny and then again as an adult when you see them as they truly are and it's still funny with the rest of the episodes jokes being just as funny in my freaking opinions anyways / at least. 

Overall whilst this version of Worzel Gummidge would continue on in Worzel Gummidge Down Under it was sad to this classic British series come to an end as it is something that does make you think of similar times in the UK with the episode on the whole being one of the more better episodes of this final series but is still a fairly weaker episode when compared to the shows other episodes in my freaking opinions anyways / at least. Now then i've talked about all of the good and as well as all of the bad things that are in this very episode in this very review and as such that really does mean that this very episode really does earn itself a grand old score of exactly a 7.5 out of 10 from me.

Now then as for where I personally got all o the images that I personally used in his very review well then boys and girls and as well as ladies and gentlemen I personally got all of the images that I personally used in this very review from Amazon . Co . Uk and Google Images. With my personally preferred website to use to get the images from this very episode that I used in this very post being the really great Google Images really simply just due to the fact that really alot of if not really all of the images that are all really from this very episode with alot of them really being really better quality then what you'd really think of and all of the images are really of course up and really on Google Images really are also really all fairly high in quality and as well as them all being really fairly freaking high in definition.

Worzel Gummidge "Captain Worzel" Review

Worzel Gummidge fans it has been a really long time since I last reviewed an episode of this show not for a lack of trying tho. As quite literally every single time that i've tried to get this review off the ground something has always come up to prevent me from reviewing do it well now i'm finally able to get back to reviewing episodes of Worzel Gummidge once again and so then join me as I review the episode that sees our beloved scarecrow take the water with the episode in question being called simply just "Captain Worzel" enjoy.

The plot of this episode is when Worzel thinks that Aunt Sally is being held against her will he and Saucy Nancy attempt to rescue her. Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual plot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual plot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really good with this episodes plot being filled to the brim with all of the wonder and whims that you expect from his show with the episode being just really charming on the whole with this being where the episodes plot shine through as while yes this plot is something that could be seen as being a bit thin as all it is is Worzel making a mistake when Aunt Sally a wooden doll was going to be sold to be in a Museum it's that kind of simple natured plot that really does allow for the plot to be as good as it is as alot of what makes this episodes be that good is due to the fact that the plot does allow for the characters to be there charming and that is somethin that it wouldn't be able to do if it was a more deep and thought provoking plot as then the episode just wouldn't have the room for things like that but due to the fact that the plot for this episode is as simple as it is it does allow for those things to happen and not every single thig needs to have a deep and thought provoking plot in order for it to work as sometimes all it needs is just a simple plot and that's exactly what this episodes plot is in all of the best ways possible with the plot of this episode also being really rather entertaining and as well as being really rather engaging as well in my freaking opinions anyways / at least. 

Starring in this episode is Doctor Who star Jon Pertwee as Worzel Gummidge and Laurence Harrington as Cyril. Also starring in this episode is Norman Mitchell as P.C. Parsons , Michael Ripper as Mr. Shepherd , Geoffrey Bayldon as The Crowman , Kate David as The Cashier , Blake Butler as The Boatyard Owner , Dame Barbara Windsor as Saucy Nancy , Una Stubbs as Aunt Sally and Keith Smith as Mr. Pursglove.

Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really good. With this episodes acting being as wonderfully good as you'd expect it to be and having been away from the show since late last year just now coming to it it did make me realise just how good the acting not only in this episode but in this show as a whole really was as these actors had truly define who these characters were as people as while yes many of them did appear in the original books alot of them however weren't and were therefor more well known for being in this show with all of this episodes actors really getting the tone and spirit of the show as while yes this was a kids TV show and therefor no one would have blamed these big named stars if they chose to phone in there performance it's the fact that they didn't do that and instead treated it as if they were working on a feature length film with this being due to the fact that the shows director James Hill also made sever theatrical films and helped to foster that kind of environment on set with him always demanding the best of his actors and it's something does shine through in the performances in this episode with the best actor in the whole entire episode being Jon Pertwee as the man is just so good in this show and in this episode as well with him being being able to capture Worzels more child like innocence in one scene and then hit you with something heavy in the exact same scene with the acting that's in this very episode really being helped by the fact that the script for this episode is just so good that all this episodes actors have to do is just say the lines as they are written and a good performance will come out of them naturally which is something that really does help to raise the overall quality of the acting that's in this very episode.

Where this episode either rises to the occasion or falls flat on it's face is with it's characters as they do have to do alot of the heavy lifting in this episode. As the plot of this episode is wafer thin in the first place and therefor the episode does rely alot more on it's characters to be there usual charming selves and that is something that they are in this episode with them all bein just as delightfully charming and funny as you'd want them to be in the episode with the only thing that does hold the characters back a bit is the fact that Saucy Nancy isn't her usual saucy self in this episode as while yes this was due to the fact that in her previous episode she did get married to Worzel's cousin they quickly undo that in this episode by having her explain that he left to go about being a pirate instead of returning to Australia like he has said he would do therefor there was no reason for her to not be her usual self in this episode as while yes she does have some fun banter with Aunt Sally which is as over the top as you'd expect all of the fun wordplay and innuendo that was with the character in her first and even previous episode is now gone all together and yet even so characters like Worzel and Aunt Sally are still really charming and still do bounce off of her really well with all of the characters truly getting a moment to shine in this episode be it from Mr. Shephard arguing with both the landlord and P.C. Parson at the start of the episode to Worzel putting on his cousins head and talking with an Australian accent this episode whilst it's not the best episode of the show by far it is one that does show just how god that these characters could still be even in a fairly decent at best episode of the show.

If you liked the banter that Aunt Sally and Saucy Nancy have had in all of their previous appearances together then your really going to love this episode as they argue with each other all the time in this episode. With them arguing over every little thing and all of the time it is something that does feel true to who they are as characters as while Saucy Nancy does have Worzel's best interests at heart Aunt Sally is only looking out for herself and yet even so it is still fun seeing both of these characters all the while Worzel is just doing the best that he can do to keep both of them happy and much like with her first appearances Saucy Nancy ends up ripping of Worzels arm which granted was done by accident but it is still something that does make this show stand out alot more as alot of the episodes in this show did have Worzel loosing limbs or getting ran over by a combine harvester or in the case of the first episode quite literally almost dying when he falls down a hill at the local tip and while those things are indeed really scary for a kid here in this episode it was played more for laughs which was most likely done as a way to tone down the scariness of the show and while it could be argued that that did work the episode still shows Worzel taking of his head to replace it with his cousins which was something that did scare little kids and while none of that does have a huge impact on the episode was does is showing Aunt Sally and Nancy arguing as it's because of that the Aunt Sally goes on to have a sulk thus leaving her on the narrow boat with her owner in the first place as even Worzel couldn't get her to stop sulking as if he did then she could have explained to him what was going on in the first place this ending the entire episode.

What could be seen as being a shocking move is the fact that even tho the episode does build up The Crowman as being someone who will play a big role in this episode. He does infact only appear in about two maybe three scenes all together both at the start of and near the end of the episode and that's really it which for someone who is meant to be a main character in the show and is someone who Worzel both fears and admires isn't really alot of time for this character maybe the makers of this episode just couldn't figure out a way to include the character in a meaningful way or maybe Geoffrey Bayldon was busy filming something else at the time and couldn't really commit to being in the episode alot more then he was either way it is odd that the character isn't in the episode alot more especially since he is always the one that's getting Worzel out of trouble even if it's something that does anger him alot of the time with character of Mr. Shephard instead getting alot more screen time which is something that does make alot of sense as he is owner of Aunt Sally afterall and he is the one that is trying to sell her but at the same time tho it would have been fun seeing both the The Crowman and Mr. Shephard interact in the episode as the two characters very rarely if ever interact in the show and it's something that could have provided some great comedy for the episode as both characters do have there moments of being really funny and yet for one reason or another despite The Crowman having his ways of knowing that Worzel got himself into trouble at the end of this episode he blames Aunt Sally when she did nothing wrong in the episode at all.

With Mr. Shephard basically being a main character in the episode we do get alot of scenes with him and the boatyard owner. Which was something that the episode could have dine without as while they were needed to get across the plot of the episode and to set up why Aunt Sally is on this one particular spot on the narrow boat in the first place alot of there scenes are just them repeating the same pieces of information and just going over the same joke as both Mr. Shephard and the boatyard owner both have things that go missing in the episode as the boatyard owner has Saucy Nancy walking about and Mr. Shephard has Aunt Sally doing her usual thing and yet both of those characters just don't do anything that's entertaining with each other other outside of there first interaction where the boatyard owner after asking Mr. Shephard if he knows how to drive a narrow boat then finds out that alot of Shephards relatives worked on boats something Mr. Shephard has obviously made up with the boatyard owner basically calling him out on that which was a fun interaction and it's the only time that one of there scenes together was actually entertaining to watch as alot of the time there scenes together even tho they are needed for the episode just feel like there lacking where as Mr. Shephards scene with Mr. Pursglove was a highly entertaining scene as even tho he believed that he would be getting money for Aunt Sally it infact turns out that Mr. Pursglove had no intention of paying him and was going to let Aunt Sally stay u his museum for the honor of it and that's really it which was a really entertaining thing to find out as the only thing that Mr. Shephard wants for his Aunt Sally is some decent money for her due to the fact that she's an antique.

Now then this episode has / had an exact grand total running time of exactly twenty six minuets and four seconds. Which is pretty much the bogstandard running time for this show to have in the first place with the episode really having the right amount of plot there to really cover that amount of running time in the first place and yet even so the episode really doesn't use it's running time all that wisely in one respect as the episode doesn't take the time that it really could have done to fully develop it's plot as the episode doesn't really take the time to explain things like why The Crowman doesn't catch up to Worzel in this episode despite the fact that earlier episodes of this show did exactly that something that could easily have been explained by showing The Crowman struggling to keep up with Mr. Shephards car and yet for one reason or another the makers of this episode put alot more focus on giving us these wacky situations with Worzel , Aunt Sally and Saucy Nancy when that is time that could have been spent on giving us a more well thought plot but to be fair this episode however to be fair tho the episode doesn't really take the time to give it's characters any kind of character development and while that might be seen as being a bad thing here it's not as this show doesn't really give it's characters character development in the first place with this episode being more focused funny and giving it's characters funny things to say and do then it is giving it's character development which in this case is something that does work really well for the episode as this episode is one that doesn't really demand that the characters get any kind of character development but I really will admit that this episode really does have some really good pacing to it tho.

So now then as this is a comedy that really does mean that I gave to actually talk about the actual comedy that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual comedy that' actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really good. With the episode having alot of really good jokes in it with this being more due to the fact that the episode did put alot of focus of giving us some really funny jokes and it is something that does pay off in the final episode as it does allow for all of these really funny actors to be just as funny as we the audience know that they can be with the best joke in the whole entire episode being when Aunt Sally and Saucy Nancy are arguing as they each force Worzel to sit up and stand up which might not sound funny but the thing that makes it funny is the fact that we get to see Jon Pertwee make some really funny faces all of which are more funnier then what they really should have been with it being something that does hit home the fact that Jon Pertwee can be a really funny man as he doesn't always need funny things to say to make him funny as he can get a laugh out of people just by doing things like putting on a shockingly good Australian accent or by pulling a funny face both of which are things that he does in this episode and both of which are really funny with this episode having alot of really jokes in it all of which work due to the fact that they feel true to who these characters are as people as well as bein really funny in there own right in my freaking opinions anyways / at least. 

Overall whilst yes there are better and more funnier episodes of this show this episode is one that is still really funny as it allows it's characters to just be these funny characters and not have alot of focus on drama or have that deep of a plot which is something that really does work for this episode in my freaking opinions anyways / at least. Now then i've talked about all of the good and as well as all of the bad things that are in this very episode in this very review and as such that really does mean that this very episode really does earn itself a grand old score of exactly an 8 out of 10 from me.

Now then as for where I personally got all of the images that I personally used in this very review well then boys and girls and as well as ladies and gentlemen I personally got all of the images that I personally used in this very review from Amazon . Co . Uk and Google Images. With my personally preferred website to use to get the images from this very episode that I used in this very review being the really great Google Images really simply just due to the fact that really alot of if not really all of the images that are all really from this very episode with alot of them being really better quality then what you'd really think of and all of the images are really of course up and really on Google Images are also really all fairly high in quality and as well as them all being really fairly freaking high in definition.

Worzel Gummidge Down Under "The Sleeping Beauty" Review

Worzel is a character that was for a long period of time a British institution with the hit Jon Pertwee show making the character move lovable then he has ever been. Yet even so with he's not remembered all that much nowadays which is a shame because when the series got it right it really did get things right it's only when the show moved to New Zealand that it start to get bad and while the episode that i'm going to be talking to you all about today isn't a bad episode persay it's also not a good one either and so then join me as I review the episode that introduces Worzel two human child friends into the show with the episode in question being called simply just "The Sleeping Beauty" enjoy.

The plot of this episode is when Worzel catches wind of just were his beloved Aunt Sally is staying he and his new human friends Mickey and Manu set off to rescue her. Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual plot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual plot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really bad as while this episodes pot does have some things to set up it does also have a pretty weak plot even for this version of the show as the episode has to set up who Worzel's new human friends are and what there like as people which is fair enough but that eats up so much of the episodes run time that it leaves very little time for the episodes main plot which is something that is left more of an afterthought when compared to anything else in the episode and while this episodes plot isn't the strongest plot in this show as it is pretty weak at best due to it feeling like a typical Aunt Sally plotline from the later series of Worzel Gummidge instead of feeling like something that was more in line with the original shows first series for example but to be fair to this episode there are still moments of that first series flair coming through in the plot of this episode but he episode is bogged down by so much bad things just in it's plot alone that it makes would could have been a very passable plot seem really dull and while this episode isn't unwatchable by any means the plot doesn't do the episode any kind of favors whatsoever with the plot of this episode not really being really rather entertaining and nor is it really rather engaging either in my freaking opinions anyways / at least.

Starring in this episode is Doctor Who star Jon Pertwee as Worzel Gummidge and Bruce Phillips as The Crowman. Also starring in this episode is Jonathan Marks as Mickey , Una Stubbs as Aunt Sally , Olivia Ihimaera-Smiler as Manu , Gerald Bryan as Rooney , Michael Haigh as Professor Pike , Patupatu Ripley as Mrs. Te Wheke , Joy Watson as Mrs. Peacock and David Copeland as Commissionaire Gilbert.

Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really good. With pretty much all of this episodes actors turning in some really good performances even the episodes kid actors which was something that was surprising as kids can usually be pretty annoying to watch and yet there the actors playing them were really good in the episode with of course the likes of Jon Pertwee and Una Stubbs being really great to watch as well which is something that does make alot of sense as they are reprising their roles from the original show and would therefor have the best knowledge on how best to perform there respective characters with both of them even being the episodes best actors as do still have a lot of chemistry with each other and are both quite clearly having a lot of fun in playing there respective characters with both characters being perfectly well cast as both of those actors bring something that's uniquely them to the roles with that being something that really does help to sell you on these characters and while both Jonathan Marks and Olivia Ihimaera-Smiler aren't as good as Jeremy Austin and Charlotte Coleman they both really good actors in this episode with the acting that's in this episode really being helped by the fact that this episodes script is just so good that all this episodes actors have to do is just say the lines as they are written and a good performance will come out of them naturally which is something that really does help to raise the overall quality of the acting that's in this very episode.

The episode does get a little bit better when it comes to it's characters as it does pretty much round out all of the side characters for this first series of the show. As while the side characters that we get fully introduced to in this episode won't be as good as the ones from the original show they all have there own unique charm to them that make them different from the ones on the original show with the best example of this being the kids Mickey and Manu who are the complete and total opposite of Jon and Sue as while those character were the typical good kids that all British kids TV shows seemed to have at the time it's clear right from the second that we see them in this episode that Mickey and Manu are trouble makers but ones that do have a heart of gold as while they trust straight up tell Worzel that there not his friends and there not surprised that he's a scarecrow they are willing to help him go and see Aunt Sally even tho it could get them into a lot of trouble with another good example of this episodes side characters being Rooney who is best described as being a handyman of sorts for the local town as he just does every little odd job here and there that's really needed of him which is something that does bring him into contact with both Worzel and The Crowman alot of the time and while he is portrayed as being quite dumb he can also be a bit wise something which doesn't really get showcased in this episode but in another episode he does tell The Crowman that if you want succeed in this town you have to be able to do many things as there's not much call for someone who just makes Scarecrows in the town anymore.  

Speaking of The Crowman it's in one his scenes that we actually get to find out about this series main villain The Travelling Scarecrow Maker as it's revealed by Rooney that he buys up all of the Mangal Worzel's to make his cheaper scarecrows with. This was a nice touch as you can tell right from how The Crowman talks about him that he and the scarecrow maker have a past with each other and it's one that does get revealed later on in the series and while he has nothing but pure hatred for The Travelling Scarecrow Maker he does have some what of a kinder relationship with Worzel as he does go looking for him when he leaves his post and while the two of them don't really get to spend any screen time together in this episode something which they really should have done to set up there relationship more fully it is nice seeing him care for Worzel and while yews this version of The Crowman doesn't let Worzel get away with much much like the original version did with the original version of The Crowman being more of a father figure to Worzel and this one being more like someone who is forced to look after him but starts to like him anyway and that is something that makes this version of the character alot more interesting as it shows that all scarecrow makers have to like alot of each others scarecrows as they have no reason to with this even being shown when he talks about The Travelling Scarecrow Maker as you can hear in his voice that he really doesn't like him and is really holding back his anger as not to reveal the fact that scarecrows can walk and talk with him even acting scared at the mere mention of him like he knows that that character is up to no good and that is something that does add some level mystery into this shows version of The Crowman.

This episode does also have the only time in which they directly reference the original Jon Pertwee show. As Worzel himself says that he's just left two little children right before he met up with Mickey and Manu and while the show would even directly use footage from the original show in a later episode and even have a photograph of Geoffrey Bayldon as The Crowman this show never really mentioned the original show all that much which I guess does make sense as you don't really want to remind people of other shows even if the show that your making is a sequel show but at the same time tho it was nice for this episode to reference Jon and Sue as they are Worzel's best friends so it does make sense he would make a reference to them in that way but it would have been nicer if we got to see them even if it was just a quick cameo at the start of the previous episode as that would have made sense given the fact that the previous episode started out in England and in the same village as the original show as well and while Mickey and Manu are good enough characters the fact that this episode does reference Jon and Sue does still remind you of the much more better show with that reference feeling like it was something that the makers of this episode felt like that they have to include as the fans of the original show would still be watching this new show as that reference adds nothing to the overall episode and felt more like fanservice but in the best way possible however what would made the episode even better was if the episode spent alot more time in fully fleshing out it's characters instead of just giving us the bare bones of characters as these are characters that we are goin to be spending the rest of the first series with and therefor we want to get to know more about them and yet when compare Mickey and Manu to Jon and Sue we got to find out more about Jon and Sue just from the first two episodes of that show alone then we did about Manu and Mickey from this episode.

In what was a bit of a shocking thing to see in this episode we don't really get to see an awful lot of Aunt Sally in this episode. Despite her being the main vocal point of the episode with her really only appearing in the episodes final five to ten minuets and that's really it which granted is mainly due to the fact that the episode also had to do some setting up for future episodes and to also introduce the shows new side characters as well but at the same time tho given that she is meant to be a main character in the plot of the episode it is weird that Aunt Sally barely shows up in the actual episode itself while yes granted they do have an in universe reasoning for that as Worzel is first trying to befriend Mickey and Manu before then being told where Aunt Sally is staying and so in that way it does make sense for her to only appear in a smaller amount of the episode but given the fact that the whole reason that Worzel went to New Zealand in the first place was to be with her it would have made sense within the episode to have Worzel find out where she's staying at the same time that he's trying to befriend Mickey and Manu and then have them bond over their expirences in this adventure instead of having them bond before it as that just makes it feel out of character for Worzel not to know where Aunt Sally is and go chasing after her however tho this episode does also mark a first in their relationship as it's the first and so far the only time that Worzel has actually successfully kissed Aunt Sally with that moment being treated as the right amount of silly and seriousness that it really needed but at the same time tho it not having her in the episode a whole lot more makes Aunt Sally feel more like an afterthought when she should have been more of the main focus of the episode.

Now then this episode has / has an exact grand total running time of exactly twenty four minuets and fifty five seconds. Which is a perfectly solid running time for this episode to have as alot of the episodes for this show do have a similar running time as well with this episode having just amount the right amount of plot there to really cover that amount of running time but in saying that tho this is an episode that really doesn't use it's running time all that wisely as the episode is more focused on setting up things for future episodes then it is in developing it's plot which does make this episodes plot also feel an afterthought when if the episode just spent more time in developing it's own plot then in setting up things for other episodes then we would have a slightly more better episode however tho this is also something that does effect it's characters as well as while it could be argued that both Worzel and Aunt Sally don't really need any kind of character development due to the fact that they were lead characters on the original show characters like Rooney , Mickey , Manu and The Crowman all needed it as alot of them are getting more screen time in this episode after just making a cameo in the previous episode with there characters really needing to be the most fleshed out due to the fact that they are new characters and while it could be argued that they get there development in future episodes which would be a fair argument to make it's something that should have started in this episode as this is our first real look at those characters but I really will admit that this episode really does have some really good pacing to it tho.

So now then  as this is a comedy that really does mean that I have to actually talk about the actual comedy that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual comedy that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty not that bad. With there being some really cute and funny jokes in this episode which is something that this show did do really best as those allow the characters to be there usual charming selves and with this episode having two returning characters it does mean that the episode can have some fun with there relationship to each other which is something that this episode does somewhat take full advantage of as the episodes best joke is when Worzel does kiss Aunt Sally which results in him being as giddy as a school boy and her being utterly shocked and appalled that a scarecrow would kiss her which is something that does feel completely in character for both of them as we know that Worzel loves Aunt Sally with all of his heart and would do anything for her much like how we know that she hated Worzel with all of her heart and would do anything to get away from him and so to them act differently to a kiss which was done just to wake her up with anther good joke when after escaping the museum Aunt Sally finds herself working as a local attraction once again getting balls thrown at her whilst Worzel finds himself being hung up onto a chimney with both characters not really being happy with there current predicament with this episode having alot of really good jokes in it in my freaking opinions anyways / at least.

Overall whilst this isn't the best episode of this show it's also not the worst one either as while there is a huge drop off interms of quality when compared to the original show this is an episode that can at times be really fun to watch it just needed more of a focus on it's plot and more Aunt Sally to make it better in my freaking opinions anyways / at least. Now then i've talked about all of the good and as well as all of the bad things that are in this very episode in this very review and as such that really does mean that this very episode really does earn itself a grand old score of exactly 5 out of 10 from me.

Now then as for where I personally got all of the images that I personally used in this very review well then boys and girls and well as ladies and gentlemen I personally got all of the images that I personally used in this very review from Amazon . Co . Uk and Google Images. With my personally preferred website to use to get the images from this very episode that I used in this very review being the really great Google Images really simply just due to the fact that really alot of if not really all of the images that are all really from this very episode with alot of them being really better quality then what you'd really think of and all of the images are really of course up and really on Google Images are also really all fairly high in quality and as well as them all being really fairly freaking high in definition.