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Worzel Gummidge Down Under - All Of Series 1 [2002]
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Kids TV doesn't get any better than this!!!
Review date: 2002-11-21 Rating: 10 out of 10
Worzel Gummidge 'Down Under' was originally written as the 'Irish Adventures' of Worzel Gummidge but the contract fell through and the series was filmed in New Zealand instead. Worzel and Aunt Sally are still superbly played by Jon Pertwee and Una Stubbs, the only real character difference is that the Crowman is played by Bruce Phillips and not Geoffrey Bayldon. He is the Crowman for New Zealand and credits the English Crowman as his superior so the storyline works perfectly. The major difference in this series is that there is far more of a plot being established throughout. The evil travelling Scarecrow maker kidnaps Aunt Sally and Worzel has to go to the rescue. The evil Scarecows and the scenery are quite frightening but the comedy element lightens the darkness. I cannot recommend this enough, the acting is superb. The only downside is the lack of the real Crowman as the new one needs a crystal ball in order to find out where Worzel is, the real Crowman needed no such object!!
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Reviews
Underrated Sequel
Review date: 2002-11-13 Rating: 8 out of 10
Produced five years after the original UK series, "Worzel Gummidge Down Under" sees the scarecrow and his beloved Aunt Sally heading for the Antipodes for a new series of adventures.
So, is it any good? Relocating such an overtly English series to another clime might seem like lunacy, but original director James Hill recaptures much of the original's rural charm and humour. Jon Pertwee and Una Stubbs are as hearty and humourous as ever, and generally the results are good natured fun, albeit without the first-class guest casts the original had to draw from.
The most interesting change from the original is the crossover from sinister asides to out-and-out horror, with the Travelling Scarecrow Maker serial that fills much of the later episodes. With its army of Karloff-esque zombie scarecrows, a bewitched Worzel and a repellant villain, it's by turns nightmarish and astonishingly bleak in places. It's as grim as children's television gets, but Jon Pertwee's warmth and humour never fails to shine through.
For a series now 15 years old, it seems refreshingly unaffected by time, and should prove great fun for children and adults alike... even if they may need to retreat behind the sofa at times.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Una Stubbs;Jonathan Marks (II);Jon Pertwee;Bruce Phillips;William Kircher;Wi Kuki Kaa;Olivia Ihimaera-Smiler;Anne Chamberlain
Director(s):
Recording label: delta home entertainment
Manufacturer: delta home entertainment
EAN: 4006408823216
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2002-10-14
Number of discs: 1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Running time: 260 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1987
Language: English (Unknown)
Language: English (Original Language)