The Worzel Gummidge Christmas Special: A Cup o' Tea an' a Slice o' Cake

"He says and does the things that all of us would like to do, but are too shy, self-conscious and respectful to. Being rude to those in authority, being selfish... there is something of Worzel in all of us." So said Jon Pertwee of the character he most loved to play, scarecrow Worzel Gummidge. The character first appeared in the novels of Barbara Euphan Todd, became a radio star in the 1940s and briefly came to television for the serial Worzel Gummidge Turns Detective (BBC, 1953). After the death of Todd in 1976, screenwriters Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall bought the rights, hoping to make a movie version and attracting Pertwee to the idea of the lead. With British moviemaking in the doldrums, the team took the concept to television, where it quickly became a hit. This time Worzel appears in a Christmas special, A Cup O' Tea An' A Slice O' Cake, where he puts on his party head and heads off to the Scarecrow ball. As always with Worzel, nothing goes to plan and chaos and confusion follow him wherever he goes.