To mark the release of Worzel Gummidge: The Complete Collection on 25th November, we’ve been given 2 copies to give away on DVD.
Revisit Jon Pertwee in his favourite role as Worzel Gummidge in this 9 Disc Complete Collection of the classic TV series. It includes Worzel Gummidge Seasons 1-4, A cup o’ tea an’ a slice o’ cake and Worzel Gummidge Down Under Seasons 1-2.
Walking, talking scarecrow Worzel Gummidge lives on Scatterbrook Farm, where he stands in Ten Acre field. Made by The Crowman, Worzel (who can come to life and pass as human) is able to change his head to reflect his mood. Worzel has befriended children John and Susan Peters who come to stay during the holidays on the Braithwaites farm. Worzel lands John and Susan in trouble especially when he is mischievous, as he goes into a sulk and once again becomes a lifeless scarecrow...
Revisit Jon Pertwee in his favourite role as Worzel Gummidge in this 9 Disc Complete Collection of the classic TV series. It includes Worzel Gummidge Seasons 1-4, A cup o’ tea an’ a slice o’ cake and Worzel Gummidge Down Under Seasons 1-2.
Walking, talking scarecrow Worzel Gummidge lives on Scatterbrook Farm, where he stands in Ten Acre field. Made by The Crowman, Worzel (who can come to life and pass as human) is able to change his head to reflect his mood. Worzel has befriended children John and Susan Peters who come to stay during the holidays on the Braithwaites farm. Worzel lands John and Susan in trouble especially when he is mischievous, as he goes into a sulk and once again becomes a lifeless scarecrow...
- 11/18/2019
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Michael Palin will be The Green Man, creator of the scarecrows, in the Mackenzie Crook adaptation of “Worzel Gummidge.” The specials will be a modern retelling of the classic stories of the eponymous walking, talking scarecrow. Kew Media has landed the distribution rights and will sell the series internationally.
“The Office” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” star Crook is writing, directing, and taking the title role in the drama, which will play on BBC One later this year in two one-hour installments. “It’s a lovely part for me, but the whole script is very memorable and touching, and very funny,” Palin said. “It quite skillfully weaves in something for everybody all the time.”
Barbara Euphan Todd wrote the Worzel Gummidge books, which were the basis for a classic British series starring Jon Pertwee in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Leopard Pictures has partnered with Treasure Trove Productions and...
“The Office” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” star Crook is writing, directing, and taking the title role in the drama, which will play on BBC One later this year in two one-hour installments. “It’s a lovely part for me, but the whole script is very memorable and touching, and very funny,” Palin said. “It quite skillfully weaves in something for everybody all the time.”
Barbara Euphan Todd wrote the Worzel Gummidge books, which were the basis for a classic British series starring Jon Pertwee in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Leopard Pictures has partnered with Treasure Trove Productions and...
- 9/26/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Mackenzie Crook will write and direct the BBC’s upcoming “Worzel Gummidge” dramas. He will also star as the lead character – a walking, talking scarecrow – in Worzel’s return to British screens in two hour-long specials. They are expected to bow at the end of the year.
Barbara Euphan Todd wrote the Worzel Gummidge books, which were the foundation for a classic British series starring Jon Pertwee in the title role in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Leopard Pictures, part of the Argonon Group, has partnered with Treasure Trove Productions and Lola Entertainment for the new adaptation.
The first episode in the new run, “The Scarecrow of Scatterbrook,” sees two youngsters, Susan and John, encounter Worzel Gummidge, the Scarecrow of Ten Acre Field. Their world is sent spinning into confusion when they realize Gummidge comes to life. The only person more shocked is Worzel when he discovers that the...
Barbara Euphan Todd wrote the Worzel Gummidge books, which were the foundation for a classic British series starring Jon Pertwee in the title role in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Leopard Pictures, part of the Argonon Group, has partnered with Treasure Trove Productions and Lola Entertainment for the new adaptation.
The first episode in the new run, “The Scarecrow of Scatterbrook,” sees two youngsters, Susan and John, encounter Worzel Gummidge, the Scarecrow of Ten Acre Field. Their world is sent spinning into confusion when they realize Gummidge comes to life. The only person more shocked is Worzel when he discovers that the...
- 6/6/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
This week was an exciting time for Marvel fans, as Tuesday saw the studio drop a whole host of character posters for Avengers: Endgame. 32 were released in total, comprising 16 full-color posters for the surviving heroes and 16 monochrome posters for those that perished at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. Still, despite the large number of one-sheets, there are many notable characters that didn’t get one.
For instance, Korg, the loveable Kronan from Thor: Ragnarok. Korg himself, Taika Waititi, didn’t let that stop him from joining in on the fun, though. Many of the posters were released by Endgame stars on social media, each bearing the simple caption “1 month.” In a perfect parody of the marketing strategy, Waititi took to Twitter to share the same message… alongside a picture of classic British TV character Worzel Gummidge.
1 Month. #AvengersEndgame pic.twitter.com/Hmi7jltXf8
— Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) March 27, 2019
Avengers: Endgame...
For instance, Korg, the loveable Kronan from Thor: Ragnarok. Korg himself, Taika Waititi, didn’t let that stop him from joining in on the fun, though. Many of the posters were released by Endgame stars on social media, each bearing the simple caption “1 month.” In a perfect parody of the marketing strategy, Waititi took to Twitter to share the same message… alongside a picture of classic British TV character Worzel Gummidge.
1 Month. #AvengersEndgame pic.twitter.com/Hmi7jltXf8
— Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) March 27, 2019
Avengers: Endgame...
- 3/30/2019
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
A tribute to the late Princess Diana has caused a social media frenzy. On Tuesday morning, Chesterfield Borough Council's Facebook account posted three photos of a floral tribute to Diana. "This year's #Chesterfield well dressing marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales," the post reads. "The well dressing is on display at the Town Pump outside the Market Hall." After being posted just hours ago, the photos have already been shared almost 1000 times and they've received over 800 comments on Facebook alone. And the response hasn't been pleasant, with commenters saying the tribute looks like Worzel Gummidge,...
- 9/12/2017
- E! Online
When it comes to Doctor Who, the character often wins over the audiences because they are kind-hearted and in many ways, are the saviour (or Doctor) we need. While a lot of focus does get given to the ‘new’ breed of Doctors, for fans of the old school we are spoilt for choice with who is the best. One that is high on my list has to be Jon Pertwee, which is why The Doctors: The Jon Pertwee Years was such a joy to watch.
A collection of interviews, The Doctors: The Jon Pertwee Years features Jon Pertwee himself, Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Caroline John (Liz Shaw), Nicholas Courtney (The Brigadier), Richard Franklin (Captain Yates), and John Levene (Sergeant Benton). Interviewed by the voice of the Daleks, Nicholas Briggs. Each interview with the stars of Doctor Who is around one hour in length, so you can imagine how interesting the Jon Pertwee one is.
A collection of interviews, The Doctors: The Jon Pertwee Years features Jon Pertwee himself, Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Caroline John (Liz Shaw), Nicholas Courtney (The Brigadier), Richard Franklin (Captain Yates), and John Levene (Sergeant Benton). Interviewed by the voice of the Daleks, Nicholas Briggs. Each interview with the stars of Doctor Who is around one hour in length, so you can imagine how interesting the Jon Pertwee one is.
- 3/8/2017
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
Louisa Mellor Dec 27, 2016
The Inside No. 9 Christmas special is an expertly layered treat for fans of vintage horror…
This review contains spoilers.
See related Batman Forever: the case for and against Val Kilmer looks back on Batman Forever Joel Schumacher on Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, nipples Jim Carrey on Batman Forever: Tommy Lee Jones hated me
The Devil Of Christmas opened up like a Matryoshka doll, revealing a different face each time. What first looked like a seventies TV film pastiche split open to reveal that mainstay of geek fandom, the director’s commentary. Inside that nestled something far nastier: a snuff film. Merry Christmas!
The retro send-up provided enough entertainment on its own—these days you have to be very good to make TV that bad—but this being a time of year for excess, Inside No. 9’s writers added a horrid final flourish. Avuncular veteran director Dennis Fulcher,...
The Inside No. 9 Christmas special is an expertly layered treat for fans of vintage horror…
This review contains spoilers.
See related Batman Forever: the case for and against Val Kilmer looks back on Batman Forever Joel Schumacher on Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, nipples Jim Carrey on Batman Forever: Tommy Lee Jones hated me
The Devil Of Christmas opened up like a Matryoshka doll, revealing a different face each time. What first looked like a seventies TV film pastiche split open to reveal that mainstay of geek fandom, the director’s commentary. Inside that nestled something far nastier: a snuff film. Merry Christmas!
The retro send-up provided enough entertainment on its own—these days you have to be very good to make TV that bad—but this being a time of year for excess, Inside No. 9’s writers added a horrid final flourish. Avuncular veteran director Dennis Fulcher,...
- 12/21/2016
- Den of Geek
Wesley Mead Dec 19, 2016
Think Christmas TV has always been warm and fluffy? Think again, as we revisit some disturbing vintage festive specials...
The festive season holds long-held ties to the macabre. From the classic novels of Charles Dickens to the melancholy of the Christmas carol canon, Christmas has always harboured a darker side, lurking beyond the tinsel and mince pies. That role has extended to festive television: for every smiles-and-silliness sitcom special, there’s a programme with an altogether more disturbing spin on the season – be that a dramatic Christmas episode imbued with fear and bloodshed, or a family classic whose ostensibly wholesome charms look questionable in retrospect.
See related Star Wars: Rogue One enjoys huge opening weekend
An early mainstay of the medium in its infancy, morality play anthology series were our first taste of a darker Christmastime being translated to television. Alfred Hitchcock Presents’ Back From Christmas...
Think Christmas TV has always been warm and fluffy? Think again, as we revisit some disturbing vintage festive specials...
The festive season holds long-held ties to the macabre. From the classic novels of Charles Dickens to the melancholy of the Christmas carol canon, Christmas has always harboured a darker side, lurking beyond the tinsel and mince pies. That role has extended to festive television: for every smiles-and-silliness sitcom special, there’s a programme with an altogether more disturbing spin on the season – be that a dramatic Christmas episode imbued with fear and bloodshed, or a family classic whose ostensibly wholesome charms look questionable in retrospect.
See related Star Wars: Rogue One enjoys huge opening weekend
An early mainstay of the medium in its infancy, morality play anthology series were our first taste of a darker Christmastime being translated to television. Alfred Hitchcock Presents’ Back From Christmas...
- 12/15/2016
- Den of Geek
Alex Westthorp Sep 19, 2016
We revisit Tom's Midnight Garden, Moondial, The Chronicles Of Narnia and a few lesser-known UK children's TV series...
Read our look-back at UK kids' fantasy dramas 1980 - 1984 here.
By 1985 British TV's children's drama had really hit its stride, achieving "a balanced diet of programmes" as Edward Barnes, the head of the BBC children's department observed. The late 80s, arguably, saw a new golden age for spooky and magical kids drama. Excellent production values, improved significantly by well-honed special effects work using Quantel, Paintbox and Harry, and moreover some interesting casting - often of very talented newcomers - produced some of the most memorable dramas of the era.
The second half of the decade saw the BBC riding high on the back of the success of their state-of-the-art adaptation of John Masefield's Box Of Delights. Meanwhile, anthology series Dramarama was going from strength to strength on ITV.
We revisit Tom's Midnight Garden, Moondial, The Chronicles Of Narnia and a few lesser-known UK children's TV series...
Read our look-back at UK kids' fantasy dramas 1980 - 1984 here.
By 1985 British TV's children's drama had really hit its stride, achieving "a balanced diet of programmes" as Edward Barnes, the head of the BBC children's department observed. The late 80s, arguably, saw a new golden age for spooky and magical kids drama. Excellent production values, improved significantly by well-honed special effects work using Quantel, Paintbox and Harry, and moreover some interesting casting - often of very talented newcomers - produced some of the most memorable dramas of the era.
The second half of the decade saw the BBC riding high on the back of the success of their state-of-the-art adaptation of John Masefield's Box Of Delights. Meanwhile, anthology series Dramarama was going from strength to strength on ITV.
- 8/16/2016
- Den of Geek
Alex Westthorp Sep 14, 2016
Did fantasy dramas Chocky, The Box Of Delights and Dramarama leave an impression on you as a kid? Revisit those nightmares here...
Spooky, always magical and occasionally downright scary dramas are the bedrock of kids' television. For me, the pinnacle of this sort of programme was reached in the 1980s. The decade saw a new approach to both traditional and contemporary drama by both UK broadcasters: ITV committed itself to regular seasons of children's plays with Dramarama (1983-89), a kind of youth version of the venerable BBC Play For Today (1970-84), which saw the 1988 television debut of one David Tennant. The BBC, building upon an impressive body of work from the early 70s onwards, produced some of its very best family drama in this era, embracing cutting edge technology to bring treats like The Box Of Delights (1984) and The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (1988) to the screen.
Did fantasy dramas Chocky, The Box Of Delights and Dramarama leave an impression on you as a kid? Revisit those nightmares here...
Spooky, always magical and occasionally downright scary dramas are the bedrock of kids' television. For me, the pinnacle of this sort of programme was reached in the 1980s. The decade saw a new approach to both traditional and contemporary drama by both UK broadcasters: ITV committed itself to regular seasons of children's plays with Dramarama (1983-89), a kind of youth version of the venerable BBC Play For Today (1970-84), which saw the 1988 television debut of one David Tennant. The BBC, building upon an impressive body of work from the early 70s onwards, produced some of its very best family drama in this era, embracing cutting edge technology to bring treats like The Box Of Delights (1984) and The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (1988) to the screen.
- 8/15/2016
- Den of Geek
The forthcoming Star Wars spin-off has joined the Suicide Squad, Avengers and Bond films in rejecting sombreness for levity. But the most successful adaptations do much more than simply impose a ‘dark’ or ‘light’ template
It is easy to forget what a shock to the system Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins was when it debuted just over a decade ago.
Nolan seemed to trim all extraneous fat from the comic book movie template, handing the caped crusader a humanising backstory that intelligently explained his capacities as the byproduct of huge wealth and near-psychotic levels of determination to perfect himself as a martial unit. Villains were stripped of their more fantastical elements and draped with the adornments of real-world freakiness, Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow shifting from Worzel Gummidge-like silliness to steely-eyed sociopath; Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul losing the comic character’s magical powers but retaining his hatred of civilisation.
It is easy to forget what a shock to the system Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins was when it debuted just over a decade ago.
Nolan seemed to trim all extraneous fat from the comic book movie template, handing the caped crusader a humanising backstory that intelligently explained his capacities as the byproduct of huge wealth and near-psychotic levels of determination to perfect himself as a martial unit. Villains were stripped of their more fantastical elements and draped with the adornments of real-world freakiness, Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow shifting from Worzel Gummidge-like silliness to steely-eyed sociopath; Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul losing the comic character’s magical powers but retaining his hatred of civilisation.
- 6/3/2016
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
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The dungeoneers on Citv’s Knightmare met a wide range of fantasy figures, from monks to mages to thieves. Here are 10 of the best…
“Mike, you’re in a room. There’s a cauliflower on the floor.”
Children aren’t very good at improv. That’s why there were never any on Whose Line Is It Anyway.
Basing Citv adventure game Knightmare around the improvised encounters of a temporarily blinded child guided on a parlous quest by three friends with a shaky grasp on the precise qualities that distinguish left from right, then, was a risky approach. You just couldn’t rely on early nineties kids to pull their weight in Knightmare’s improv scenes. It turns out a diet of Willy Wonka’s Dweebs and Vanilla Ice lyrics isn’t conducive to thinking on your feet.
That meant the weight of responsibility fell on the shoulders of Knightmare’s recurring actors.
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The dungeoneers on Citv’s Knightmare met a wide range of fantasy figures, from monks to mages to thieves. Here are 10 of the best…
“Mike, you’re in a room. There’s a cauliflower on the floor.”
Children aren’t very good at improv. That’s why there were never any on Whose Line Is It Anyway.
Basing Citv adventure game Knightmare around the improvised encounters of a temporarily blinded child guided on a parlous quest by three friends with a shaky grasp on the precise qualities that distinguish left from right, then, was a risky approach. You just couldn’t rely on early nineties kids to pull their weight in Knightmare’s improv scenes. It turns out a diet of Willy Wonka’s Dweebs and Vanilla Ice lyrics isn’t conducive to thinking on your feet.
That meant the weight of responsibility fell on the shoulders of Knightmare’s recurring actors.
- 4/18/2016
- Den of Geek
In the UK some reviews for The Dressmaker were so bitchy and churlish, it.s almost as if the critics were watching a different movie from the one that one million Aussies have enjoyed and appreciated.
The condescending and at times derisive tone smacks of cultural snobbery and an inability to grasp that director Jocelyn Moorhouse and her co-writer P. J. Hogan did a splendid job in adapting Rosalie Ham.s novel.
Tellingly, almost all the naysayers are male. While most Aussie critics hailed Judy Davis. superbly pitched performance, some of their Pommy counterparts were disdainful.
While it.s hard to quantify the impact of reviews on ticket sales, The Dressmaker opened on 202 screens in the UK, generating a modest £236,000 ($A496,000) in its first three days, according to Rentrak.
Producer Sue Maslin tells If, .There were strong reactions for and against in the UK. That says something about a film...
The condescending and at times derisive tone smacks of cultural snobbery and an inability to grasp that director Jocelyn Moorhouse and her co-writer P. J. Hogan did a splendid job in adapting Rosalie Ham.s novel.
Tellingly, almost all the naysayers are male. While most Aussie critics hailed Judy Davis. superbly pitched performance, some of their Pommy counterparts were disdainful.
While it.s hard to quantify the impact of reviews on ticket sales, The Dressmaker opened on 202 screens in the UK, generating a modest £236,000 ($A496,000) in its first three days, according to Rentrak.
Producer Sue Maslin tells If, .There were strong reactions for and against in the UK. That says something about a film...
- 11/22/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Doctor Who, Star Trek and more: what happened when sci-fi, horror & fantasy heroes have popped up on British daytime TV over the years…
Pre-YouTube, fandom was a hard-earned thing. It took research, dedication and enough patience to hover over the family video player’s ‘record’ button for an entire episode of TV-am in anticipation of six minutes with Sylvester McCoy. Six minutes in which the Seventh Doctor would be polled if he was a cat or dog person and then asked to taste a lemon roulade.
Scarcity bred desire in those days, so we took what we could get from our heroes of yore, even if that meant watching Hammer Horror legend Ingrid Pitt make a chocolate mousse, or the aforementioned McCoy attempt to answer fan questions above the hubbub of a Nottingham swimming pool complex. The collision of geek icons and UK daytime magazine shows was sometimes illuminating, sometimes excruciating,...
Pre-YouTube, fandom was a hard-earned thing. It took research, dedication and enough patience to hover over the family video player’s ‘record’ button for an entire episode of TV-am in anticipation of six minutes with Sylvester McCoy. Six minutes in which the Seventh Doctor would be polled if he was a cat or dog person and then asked to taste a lemon roulade.
Scarcity bred desire in those days, so we took what we could get from our heroes of yore, even if that meant watching Hammer Horror legend Ingrid Pitt make a chocolate mousse, or the aforementioned McCoy attempt to answer fan questions above the hubbub of a Nottingham swimming pool complex. The collision of geek icons and UK daytime magazine shows was sometimes illuminating, sometimes excruciating,...
- 3/10/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Burn the witch! No wait, it's just Louis Walsh in fancy dress for Halloween with his X Factor act Only the Young.
The ITV show judge made a terrifying Salem witch - but could have been a better Worzel Gummidge - wearing a puritanical-style smock splattered in blood, a witch's hat and mini cauldron.
He also accessorised with a crooked plastic nose and broomstick.
Only the Young - made up of hopefuls Mikey Bromley, Charlie George, Parisa Tarjomani and Betsy-Blue English - took Walsh trick or treating and also allowed Betsy-Blue and Parisa to draw all over his face.
You wouldn't want to open the door to that.
Mikey dressed as a banana, Charlie went as a rotten apple and Betsy-Blue was an egg to Parisa's bacon.
The band endured a set back last week as they were one of the bottom two acts of the week and had to...
The ITV show judge made a terrifying Salem witch - but could have been a better Worzel Gummidge - wearing a puritanical-style smock splattered in blood, a witch's hat and mini cauldron.
He also accessorised with a crooked plastic nose and broomstick.
Only the Young - made up of hopefuls Mikey Bromley, Charlie George, Parisa Tarjomani and Betsy-Blue English - took Walsh trick or treating and also allowed Betsy-Blue and Parisa to draw all over his face.
You wouldn't want to open the door to that.
Mikey dressed as a banana, Charlie went as a rotten apple and Betsy-Blue was an egg to Parisa's bacon.
The band endured a set back last week as they were one of the bottom two acts of the week and had to...
- 10/31/2014
- Digital Spy
Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
You probably know that Jon Pertwee wasn’t only the star of Doctor Who from 1970-1974. Five years later, he became a star to children once again as naughty-yet-lovable scarecrow Worzel Gummidge, and today we learn about a new CD soundtrack… Stage Door Records are pleased to announce the original London cast recording of the 1981
The post Remember Jon Pertwee As Worzel Gummidge With This Cast Recording! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
You probably know that Jon Pertwee wasn’t only the star of Doctor Who from 1970-1974. Five years later, he became a star to children once again as naughty-yet-lovable scarecrow Worzel Gummidge, and today we learn about a new CD soundtrack… Stage Door Records are pleased to announce the original London cast recording of the 1981
The post Remember Jon Pertwee As Worzel Gummidge With This Cast Recording! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 9/26/2014
- by Christian Cawley
- Kasterborous.com
Has it really been 20 years? We hadn't noticed. Prepare to feel old, because this week romantic comedy classic Four Weddings and a Funeral celebrates a landmark anniversary.
The Richard Curtis-penned film delivered exactly what its title promised and so much more. It was funny, charming and packed with brilliant performances from a stellar Brit cast. Without it Hugh Grant would never have hit the Hollywood A-list and Wet Wet Wet wouldn't have spent what felt like an eternity at the top of the UK singles chart.
But what are the cast up to two decades on? We take a look at the key players then and now below...
Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant was a respected supporting actor in the Brit film industry prior to Four Weddings thanks to roles in Remains of the Day and Sirens. Things changed overnight after his role as the ever-so-British and lovelorn Charles.
Leading...
The Richard Curtis-penned film delivered exactly what its title promised and so much more. It was funny, charming and packed with brilliant performances from a stellar Brit cast. Without it Hugh Grant would never have hit the Hollywood A-list and Wet Wet Wet wouldn't have spent what felt like an eternity at the top of the UK singles chart.
But what are the cast up to two decades on? We take a look at the key players then and now below...
Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant was a respected supporting actor in the Brit film industry prior to Four Weddings thanks to roles in Remains of the Day and Sirens. Things changed overnight after his role as the ever-so-British and lovelorn Charles.
Leading...
- 5/15/2014
- Digital Spy
Feature Alex Westthorp 28 Mar 2014 - 07:00
In a new series, Alex talks us through the film roles of the actors who've played the Doctor. First up, William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee...
We know them best as the twelve very different incarnations of the Doctor. But all the actors who've been the star of Doctor Who, being such good all-rounders in the first place, have also had film careers. Admittedly, some CVs are more impressive than others, but this retrospective attempts to pick out some of the many worthwhile films which have starred, featured or seen a fleeting cameo by the actors who would become (or had been) the Doctor.
William Hartnell was, above all else, a film star. He is by far the most prolific film actor of the main twelve to play the Time Lord. With over 70 films to his name, summarising Hartnell's film career is difficult at best.
In a new series, Alex talks us through the film roles of the actors who've played the Doctor. First up, William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee...
We know them best as the twelve very different incarnations of the Doctor. But all the actors who've been the star of Doctor Who, being such good all-rounders in the first place, have also had film careers. Admittedly, some CVs are more impressive than others, but this retrospective attempts to pick out some of the many worthwhile films which have starred, featured or seen a fleeting cameo by the actors who would become (or had been) the Doctor.
William Hartnell was, above all else, a film star. He is by far the most prolific film actor of the main twelve to play the Time Lord. With over 70 films to his name, summarising Hartnell's film career is difficult at best.
- 3/26/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Simon is back. Cheryl is back. Louis never went away in the first place. But who else could do an X Factor U-turn and try to rescue the show's faltering ratings?
If 2014 is going to be the year of the comeback on the ITV talent show, here are 6 more things that could potentially return to your autumn Saturday night TV schedule.
1. Gamu
Dumped by Cheryl for Katie 'sod it' Waissel in 2010, Gamu Nhengu's exit was, and always will be, a sore point for X Factor diehards. After being set up as a potential champion with her 'Walking on Sunshine' audition in the first show, there was a national outcry (well, we moaned about it a bit anyway) when she was axed. Gamu-gate and the hastag #bringbackGamu were born and we won't let them die until she gets a second chance.
2. Konnie Huq on The Xtra Factor
More awkward than...
If 2014 is going to be the year of the comeback on the ITV talent show, here are 6 more things that could potentially return to your autumn Saturday night TV schedule.
1. Gamu
Dumped by Cheryl for Katie 'sod it' Waissel in 2010, Gamu Nhengu's exit was, and always will be, a sore point for X Factor diehards. After being set up as a potential champion with her 'Walking on Sunshine' audition in the first show, there was a national outcry (well, we moaned about it a bit anyway) when she was axed. Gamu-gate and the hastag #bringbackGamu were born and we won't let them die until she gets a second chance.
2. Konnie Huq on The Xtra Factor
More awkward than...
- 3/11/2014
- Digital Spy
Feature Alex Westthorp 4 Feb 2014 - 07:00
From washer women to harlequins via milkmen, Alex looks back over the Doctor's penchant for disguise over the decades...
So, we've finally had our first glimpse of Peter Capaldi in his new Doctor Who costume. My personal opinion for the record: It's functional yet stylish and could be the basis of something more elaborate over time. Importantly though, it is a bold statement of exactly who this new Doctor is. Identity is important to the Doctor, whether developing his own or assuming that of another to defeat his opponents in his continuing quest to bring his own brand of humanity to the universe.
With that in mind, let's revisit our favourite Time Lord's ability to disguise himself in order to outwit his opponents. I should state at the outset this isn't a definitive list of every disguise the character has worn. Every Doctor has...
From washer women to harlequins via milkmen, Alex looks back over the Doctor's penchant for disguise over the decades...
So, we've finally had our first glimpse of Peter Capaldi in his new Doctor Who costume. My personal opinion for the record: It's functional yet stylish and could be the basis of something more elaborate over time. Importantly though, it is a bold statement of exactly who this new Doctor is. Identity is important to the Doctor, whether developing his own or assuming that of another to defeat his opponents in his continuing quest to bring his own brand of humanity to the universe.
With that in mind, let's revisit our favourite Time Lord's ability to disguise himself in order to outwit his opponents. I should state at the outset this isn't a definitive list of every disguise the character has worn. Every Doctor has...
- 2/3/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Cinema Retro has received the following press release:
For the first time on DVD a feature length documentary, Return to Scatterbrook: Memories of Worzel, celebrating the cult 70’s/80’s television series, Worzel Gummidge.
Featuring key interviews with members of the cast and crew; rare archive footage of Jon Pertwee; visits to the locations, and with many previously unseen continuity shots; behind the scenes photographs, and production designs – this film opens up the storybook behind British TV’s most lovable scarecrow.
Worzel Gummidge is highly regarded today as a piece of classic television, making this documentary a special journey down memory lane for anyone who remembers this delightful, magical series.
Featuring: Jon Pertwee, Geoffrey Bayldon, Lorraine Chase, Jeremy Austin & Mike Berry
Directed By Derek Pykett
DVD Extras: An Evening With Jon Pertwee (1996) & Worzel Gallery
Running Time: 104 minutes
Money raised from the sale of this DVD goes to:
Alzheimer’s Society (in...
For the first time on DVD a feature length documentary, Return to Scatterbrook: Memories of Worzel, celebrating the cult 70’s/80’s television series, Worzel Gummidge.
Featuring key interviews with members of the cast and crew; rare archive footage of Jon Pertwee; visits to the locations, and with many previously unseen continuity shots; behind the scenes photographs, and production designs – this film opens up the storybook behind British TV’s most lovable scarecrow.
Worzel Gummidge is highly regarded today as a piece of classic television, making this documentary a special journey down memory lane for anyone who remembers this delightful, magical series.
Featuring: Jon Pertwee, Geoffrey Bayldon, Lorraine Chase, Jeremy Austin & Mike Berry
Directed By Derek Pykett
DVD Extras: An Evening With Jon Pertwee (1996) & Worzel Gallery
Running Time: 104 minutes
Money raised from the sale of this DVD goes to:
Alzheimer’s Society (in...
- 11/18/2013
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Well, that was all a bit of a damp squib. The 'Next Time' teaser at the end of last week's Downton suggested that this week's episode was going to be a ripsnorter. A possible death, a last-minute trip to America, the return of the dastardly Green. Everything was finally coming together.
On paper, it sounded exciting. In reality, Downton's fourth series continues to dawdle and meander at the pace of one Lady Mary's dehydrated pigs.
First things first, Dame Maggie Smith isn't going anywhere. The Dowager had a nasty bout of flu, Violet went a bit cuckoo with fever and the hair and make-up team got to have a giggle, dressing her up like Worzel Gummidge on a bad day. But after a few rounds of gin rummy and some mopping of the brow with a damp flannel from Isobel (Penelope Wilton), she's back on her feet again.
Just in case you weren't sure,...
On paper, it sounded exciting. In reality, Downton's fourth series continues to dawdle and meander at the pace of one Lady Mary's dehydrated pigs.
First things first, Dame Maggie Smith isn't going anywhere. The Dowager had a nasty bout of flu, Violet went a bit cuckoo with fever and the hair and make-up team got to have a giggle, dressing her up like Worzel Gummidge on a bad day. But after a few rounds of gin rummy and some mopping of the brow with a damp flannel from Isobel (Penelope Wilton), she's back on her feet again.
Just in case you weren't sure,...
- 11/4/2013
- Digital Spy
Halloween is traditionally a time for vampires, witches, werewolves and other such traditional figures from the horror genre. But here at Digital Spy, our most chilling childhood memories aren't associated with blood-sucking or witchcraft - they all come from the terrifying world of children's television.
Check out Digital Spy's full list of haunting kids' TV confessions below:
Simon Reynolds, Movies Editor - Orville
I remember being petrified of Orville the Duck, and years on I'm still struggling to comprehend exactly why I found him so scary. Is it the disconcerting nappy with giant safety pin? The high-pitched voice? Or possibly the fact that he's green for no apparent reason? I'm pretty sure that some form of Chucky-like horror movie evil is lurking behind those glazed, soulless black eyes.
David Moynihan, Editor - Chocky
In the 1980s, the primary school I attended used to sit all the kids down to watch...
Check out Digital Spy's full list of haunting kids' TV confessions below:
Simon Reynolds, Movies Editor - Orville
I remember being petrified of Orville the Duck, and years on I'm still struggling to comprehend exactly why I found him so scary. Is it the disconcerting nappy with giant safety pin? The high-pitched voice? Or possibly the fact that he's green for no apparent reason? I'm pretty sure that some form of Chucky-like horror movie evil is lurking behind those glazed, soulless black eyes.
David Moynihan, Editor - Chocky
In the 1980s, the primary school I attended used to sit all the kids down to watch...
- 10/30/2013
- Digital Spy
Review Louisa Mellor 22 Sep 2013 - 22:30
Mrs Patmore struggles with an electric whisk in Downton Abbey’s season four opener…
This review contains spoilers.
The nights are closing in, which makes it time for the gates to Downton Abbey’s theme park of escapist wealth, posh frocks and Maggie Smith doing all the good bits to squeak ceremonially open and admit us twenty-first century oiks. ‘Look, a tiny spoon just for hazelnuts! How darling’ we gasp. ‘And look! Unjust social divisions, casual racism and a patriarchy that keeps women in check.’ Isn’t it elegant.
Unlike its series three counterpart, which had a glossy wedding and Shirley Maclaine to recommend it, this opening episode is a bleak affair. The Abbey is still mourning Cousin Matthew’s shock death from the Christmas misery special (“I can’t believe it’s time for the stone already” the Dowager Countess told Mr Molesley at the graveside.
Mrs Patmore struggles with an electric whisk in Downton Abbey’s season four opener…
This review contains spoilers.
The nights are closing in, which makes it time for the gates to Downton Abbey’s theme park of escapist wealth, posh frocks and Maggie Smith doing all the good bits to squeak ceremonially open and admit us twenty-first century oiks. ‘Look, a tiny spoon just for hazelnuts! How darling’ we gasp. ‘And look! Unjust social divisions, casual racism and a patriarchy that keeps women in check.’ Isn’t it elegant.
Unlike its series three counterpart, which had a glossy wedding and Shirley Maclaine to recommend it, this opening episode is a bleak affair. The Abbey is still mourning Cousin Matthew’s shock death from the Christmas misery special (“I can’t believe it’s time for the stone already” the Dowager Countess told Mr Molesley at the graveside.
- 9/22/2013
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Review Andrew Blair 15 Jul 2013 - 06:09
An oft-released Doctor Who adventure gets a high-definition reissue. Spearhead From Space is well worth picking up, Andrew writes...
Spearhead From Space has been released several times (twice on VHS, four times on DVD, and it's on iTunes). Due to it being entirely on film as opposed to video (industrial action meaning it had to be filmed largely on location, where film would be used instead), it is the only story from the original run of Doctor Who that can be released on Blu-ray without upconversion, and so here we are.
I was unable to get a copy of the omnibus edition I rented from a video shop in Hereford in 1994 for comparison, but certainly the picture quality here is as crisp as Quentin or Quavers. Blemish free, it's never looked better, and it's always looked good. Derek Martinus and his camera and editing crew throw in flourishes throughout,...
An oft-released Doctor Who adventure gets a high-definition reissue. Spearhead From Space is well worth picking up, Andrew writes...
Spearhead From Space has been released several times (twice on VHS, four times on DVD, and it's on iTunes). Due to it being entirely on film as opposed to video (industrial action meaning it had to be filmed largely on location, where film would be used instead), it is the only story from the original run of Doctor Who that can be released on Blu-ray without upconversion, and so here we are.
I was unable to get a copy of the omnibus edition I rented from a video shop in Hereford in 1994 for comparison, but certainly the picture quality here is as crisp as Quentin or Quavers. Blemish free, it's never looked better, and it's always looked good. Derek Martinus and his camera and editing crew throw in flourishes throughout,...
- 7/12/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
News Louisa Mellor 10 Jul 2013 - 07:00
Sean Pertwee is to join Jonny Lee Miller, Rhys Ifans, and Natalie Dormer as the latest Brit in CBS' Sherlock Holmes show, Elementary...
Elementary has nabbed itself a bit of a UK acting dynasty (well, dynasty might be somewhat grand a term for the family, but his dad did play both The Doctor and Worzel Gummidge) by casting Sean Pertwee as Scotland Yard detective, Inspector Lestrade.
Absent thus far from Elementary's New York-set proceedings, Lestrade is one of a flurry of Conan Doyle characters introduced at the tail-end of season one and the beginning of season two. First came Sebastian Moran, then Irene Adler, and Moriarty, next is Holmes' brother Mycroft, and with him, Sean Pertwee as Inspector Lestrade. The character, often depicted somewhat mockingly in the Conan Doyle stories, consults Holmes on various cases, and has won his professional reputation based largely on Holmes' deductions.
Sean Pertwee is to join Jonny Lee Miller, Rhys Ifans, and Natalie Dormer as the latest Brit in CBS' Sherlock Holmes show, Elementary...
Elementary has nabbed itself a bit of a UK acting dynasty (well, dynasty might be somewhat grand a term for the family, but his dad did play both The Doctor and Worzel Gummidge) by casting Sean Pertwee as Scotland Yard detective, Inspector Lestrade.
Absent thus far from Elementary's New York-set proceedings, Lestrade is one of a flurry of Conan Doyle characters introduced at the tail-end of season one and the beginning of season two. First came Sebastian Moran, then Irene Adler, and Moriarty, next is Holmes' brother Mycroft, and with him, Sean Pertwee as Inspector Lestrade. The character, often depicted somewhat mockingly in the Conan Doyle stories, consults Holmes on various cases, and has won his professional reputation based largely on Holmes' deductions.
- 7/10/2013
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Actor best known for playing the officious Arp warden William Hodges in Dad's Army
In his early days as a cabaret artist, the actor Bill Pertwee, who has died aged 86, did a manic cricket revue sketch at a fashionable club in central London. A haughty and inebriated diner kicked over his stumps and shouted: "How's that?" Pertwee punched him in the stomach and was escorted out by the head waiter, who informed him that the customer was always right. "As far as I'm concerned, he isn't!" retorted Pertwee.
This bubbling belligerence was successfully incorporated into the bossy character that made Pertwee famous: Arp Warden William Hodges in the celebrated BBC television series Dad's Army (1968-77), written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. As Hodges, he perpetually clashed with Captain George Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe) of the Home Guard.
The inspiration for the way Pertwee played the warden came from his boyhood during the second world war,...
In his early days as a cabaret artist, the actor Bill Pertwee, who has died aged 86, did a manic cricket revue sketch at a fashionable club in central London. A haughty and inebriated diner kicked over his stumps and shouted: "How's that?" Pertwee punched him in the stomach and was escorted out by the head waiter, who informed him that the customer was always right. "As far as I'm concerned, he isn't!" retorted Pertwee.
This bubbling belligerence was successfully incorporated into the bossy character that made Pertwee famous: Arp Warden William Hodges in the celebrated BBC television series Dad's Army (1968-77), written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. As Hodges, he perpetually clashed with Captain George Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe) of the Home Guard.
The inspiration for the way Pertwee played the warden came from his boyhood during the second world war,...
- 5/27/2013
- by Dennis Barker
- The Guardian - Film News
Prepare yourself for an epic Being Human this week - 'The Greater Good' is humorous, heartfelt and shocking in equal measure! Both of our boys find themselves playing babysitter this week, as Tom (Michael Socha) must mentor a fellow werewolf - gentle giant Bobby (Ricky Grover) - while Hal (Damien Molony) takes troubled Crumb (Colin Hoult) back under his wing...
Can hapless Bobby be reintegrated back into society? Is there hope for Crumb? And after his dark side bubbled back up to the surface last week, how much longer can Hal resist the murderous urges that lurk within?
Being Human continues on BBC Three this Sunday (February 24) at 10pm - check out our ten teasers for 'The Greater Good' below. Mild spoilers!
> Being Human: New episode 'The Greater Good' in pictures
> Being Human review: New episode 'Pie and Prejudice'
1. "I'll take Burt Reynolds and Worzel Gummidge please.
Can hapless Bobby be reintegrated back into society? Is there hope for Crumb? And after his dark side bubbled back up to the surface last week, how much longer can Hal resist the murderous urges that lurk within?
Being Human continues on BBC Three this Sunday (February 24) at 10pm - check out our ten teasers for 'The Greater Good' below. Mild spoilers!
> Being Human: New episode 'The Greater Good' in pictures
> Being Human review: New episode 'Pie and Prejudice'
1. "I'll take Burt Reynolds and Worzel Gummidge please.
- 2/20/2013
- Digital Spy
For a generation of 1980s kids raised on Worzel Gummidge, scarecrows are quite alarming enough already. For the independent British team Bloody Cuts however, they're the basis of something far more genuinely scary (and presumably with fewer cream cake fights). After a popular series of short films, the horror collective will make its feature debut with Scarecrows.Debuting in June last year, Bloody Cuts is an anthology series (as well as the name of the production company) aiming for 13 instalments, of which six have surfaced so far. Available to watch free on the Bloody Cuts website, the films have attracted around a quarter of a million views online, successfully hit the festival circuit, and picked up glowing notices from the likes of Fangoria and Ain't It Cool News. Stephen Fry is also a fan, to the extent that he generously threw some of his own money at their tight production funds.
- 11/23/2012
- EmpireOnline
I'm always experiencing Déjà vu these days. Like the other day I visited a lovely Cornish pub for a cosy meal with my wife Ally, and yet all of a sudden I had this notable feeling that I'd been there before. No word of warning, and then Bam! It was like I'd suddenly realised that I'd been a patron of this lovely olde worlde pub in another life. Back in the 1800s, I was probably one of those poor scribes clamouring for a slice of bread, slab of cheese and lots of ale in return for a dreary recital of my latest meisterwork. The pub would have seen a mass exodus of people, leaving me to mop the floor with my upturned head.
Still, this Déjà vu can extend to the telly - the problem with modern British TV is that these days, there seems to be more repeats than...
Still, this Déjà vu can extend to the telly - the problem with modern British TV is that these days, there seems to be more repeats than...
- 8/29/2012
- Shadowlocked
Also in today's Daily Bite, BAFTA honours 100-year-old cinematographer Wolfgang Suschitzky with a special BAFTA for creative contribution to British cinema, reports Variety. The evening featured tributes to Suschitzky - who turns 100 next month - from colleagues including actress Virginia McKenna and directors Hugh Hudson and Peter Pickering, as well as from his son Peter Suschitzky, David Cronenberg's regular cinematographer. Suschitzky started his career in the 1930s and is best known for his work on Mike Hodges' 'Get Carter' and cult British children's TV series 'Worzel Gummidge,' which ran for four seasons in the late 1970s and early 80s.
- 7/20/2012
- IFTN
Since Una Stubbs's film debut half a century ago, she's never been out of work. With a string of memorable TV series to her name, from Till Death Do Us Part to Sherlock, how does she feel now about her return to the National theatre stage at 75?
Una Stubbs can't quite believe she's being interviewed. "So who else are you speaking to from this production?" she asks when we meet backstage at the National Theatre. No one, I tell her. Just you. Behind her round-framed spectacles, Stubbs's eyes widen anxiously. "Oh," she says, brow crinkling. "Really?"
You might expect Una Stubbs to be more convinced by her own reputation. At 75, she has starred in some of the most memorable television programmes of the past four decades (Till Death Us Do Part, Give Us a Clue, Worzel Gummidge, Sherlock) and been directed on stage by such theatrical luminaries as Sir Peter Hall and Michael Grandage.
Una Stubbs can't quite believe she's being interviewed. "So who else are you speaking to from this production?" she asks when we meet backstage at the National Theatre. No one, I tell her. Just you. Behind her round-framed spectacles, Stubbs's eyes widen anxiously. "Oh," she says, brow crinkling. "Really?"
You might expect Una Stubbs to be more convinced by her own reputation. At 75, she has starred in some of the most memorable television programmes of the past four decades (Till Death Us Do Part, Give Us a Clue, Worzel Gummidge, Sherlock) and been directed on stage by such theatrical luminaries as Sir Peter Hall and Michael Grandage.
- 6/30/2012
- by Elizabeth Day, Simon Stephens
- The Guardian - Film News
Russell Brand is apparently in talks to star as scarecrow Worzel Gummidge in a new movie adaptation of the children's story.
The ITV show about the talking scarecrow, starring Doctor Who's John Pertwee and Una Stubbs as his love interest Aunt Sally, was a big hit in the 1980s.
Hollywood producer Patrick Pidgeon told The Daily Star he is keen to remake the show for the big screen with a modern twist and thinks Russell, 36, would be perfect for the role.
He said: "The actor who plays Worzel doesn't have to look like John Pertwee.
"I want to come up with a new way of how the character became Worzel. And maybe we could take him out of a rural setting into a Victorian town."
Patrick, who is also working on a movie version of 80s TV series Rentaghost starring Ben Stiller, said of Worzel Gummidge: "It's had zero exposure here.
The ITV show about the talking scarecrow, starring Doctor Who's John Pertwee and Una Stubbs as his love interest Aunt Sally, was a big hit in the 1980s.
Hollywood producer Patrick Pidgeon told The Daily Star he is keen to remake the show for the big screen with a modern twist and thinks Russell, 36, would be perfect for the role.
He said: "The actor who plays Worzel doesn't have to look like John Pertwee.
"I want to come up with a new way of how the character became Worzel. And maybe we could take him out of a rural setting into a Victorian town."
Patrick, who is also working on a movie version of 80s TV series Rentaghost starring Ben Stiller, said of Worzel Gummidge: "It's had zero exposure here.
- 2/7/2012
- by PA
- Huffington Post
London, Feb 7: Russell Brand may play Worzel Gummidge in a big-screen remake of the 80s television hit.
Hollywood producers reckon the British comedian would be perfect to play the famous talking scarecrow.
Efforts are under way to secure Peter Jackson of the 'Lord Of The Rings' fame.
He was involved in the original series when filming was relocated to his native New Zealand in 1987.
The ITV show drew massive audiences with ex-'Doctor Who' actor Jon Pertwee in the title role alongside Una Stubbs, 74, as Aunt Sally.
Us executives reckon a modern overhaul will rake in millions. Patrick Pidgeon,.
Hollywood producers reckon the British comedian would be perfect to play the famous talking scarecrow.
Efforts are under way to secure Peter Jackson of the 'Lord Of The Rings' fame.
He was involved in the original series when filming was relocated to his native New Zealand in 1987.
The ITV show drew massive audiences with ex-'Doctor Who' actor Jon Pertwee in the title role alongside Una Stubbs, 74, as Aunt Sally.
Us executives reckon a modern overhaul will rake in millions. Patrick Pidgeon,.
- 2/7/2012
- by Ketali Mehta
- RealBollywood.com
Russell Brand is set to star in the movie version of 'Worzel Gummidge'. The funnyman is being lined up by producers to play the famous talking scarecrow in the big screen remake of the classic 1980s British TV show, according to the Daily Star newspaper. The series - which was set in a rural village - was a huge hit and saw late 'Doctor Who' actor Jon Pertwee take on the title role alongside Una Stubbs, who played his sidekick Aunt Sally. 'Lord of the Rings' director Peter Jackson is being lined up to helm the project and Patrick Pidgeon - who is already producing an adaptation of another 80s classic 'Rentaghost' - is trying to convince Hollywood bosses to...
- 2/7/2012
- Monsters and Critics
Russell Brand is set to star in the movie version of 'Worzel Gummidge'. The funnyman is being lined up by producers to play the famous talking scarecrow in the big screen remake of the classic 1980s British TV show, according to the Daily Star newspaper. The series - which was set in a rural village - was a huge hit and saw late 'Doctor Who' actor Jon Pertwee take on the title role alongside Una Stubbs, who played his sidekick Aunt Sally. 'Lord of the Rings' director Peter Jackson is being lined up to helm the project...
- 2/7/2012
- Virgin Media - Movies
Someone actually wants to make a Hollywood film of 80s kids' series Worzel Gummidge? Shouldn't they get their thinking head on?
Age: 76.
Appearance: Scruffy, dirty, turnip for a head.
Either you're looking in a mirror … Very funny.
… Or we're strolling down memory lane. Wasn't this a kids' TV show 30-odd years ago? It certainly was. Worzel was a scarecrow with interchangeable heads for specific activities such as thinking, dancing or working. He had a comedy West Country accent and spent 30 episodes getting into tight spots from which he had to be rescued by a pair of kids. There was nothing he liked more than "a cup o' tea an' a slice o' cake".
Sounds terrible. That's "classic" TV for you.
Who was to blame for it? Barbara Euphan Todd wrote the books, but the TV scripts were by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, who also worked together on the film Billy Liar.
Age: 76.
Appearance: Scruffy, dirty, turnip for a head.
Either you're looking in a mirror … Very funny.
… Or we're strolling down memory lane. Wasn't this a kids' TV show 30-odd years ago? It certainly was. Worzel was a scarecrow with interchangeable heads for specific activities such as thinking, dancing or working. He had a comedy West Country accent and spent 30 episodes getting into tight spots from which he had to be rescued by a pair of kids. There was nothing he liked more than "a cup o' tea an' a slice o' cake".
Sounds terrible. That's "classic" TV for you.
Who was to blame for it? Barbara Euphan Todd wrote the books, but the TV scripts were by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, who also worked together on the film Billy Liar.
- 2/7/2012
- The Guardian - Film News
Actress and model Lorraine Chase has landed in Australia ahead of I'm A Celebrity, fuelling speculation that the former Emmerdale star will be entering the jungle later this week. Hosts Ant & Dec are already in the country and the celebrities taking part will be arriving there over the next couple of days. Chase, whose TV credits also include Worzel Gummidge and The Bill, was the first celebrity spotted by a Digital Spy reporter (more)...
- 11/7/2011
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
The metal world has suffered another heavy loss, with the sad news that former Motörhead guitarist, Würzel, passed away on July 9, 2011, reportedly from heart disease. He was 61 years old.
Würzel joined Motörhead in 1984, for the timeless album Orgasmatron, and remained with the band through to 1995.
According to Mark Carras at RockMyMonkey.com:
He had acquired the nickname Würzel in the Army because his Scarecrow like hair made him look like a British children's fictional character Worzel Gummidge. Motörhead leader Lemmy Kilmister is rumored to have had the idea to add the umlaut to the 'U' to make it more metal. [...]...
Würzel joined Motörhead in 1984, for the timeless album Orgasmatron, and remained with the band through to 1995.
According to Mark Carras at RockMyMonkey.com:
He had acquired the nickname Würzel in the Army because his Scarecrow like hair made him look like a British children's fictional character Worzel Gummidge. Motörhead leader Lemmy Kilmister is rumored to have had the idea to add the umlaut to the 'U' to make it more metal. [...]...
- 7/12/2011
- by Greg Davies
- Geeks of Doom
The metal world has just lost some of its luster. Guitarist Michael "Würzel" Burston, who was a prominent member of the hard-rocking British band Motörhead, passed away on Saturday from heart disease. He was 61. Burston joined the group in 1984 and lent his musical talents to such albums as Orgasmatron and March ör Die before departing in 1996. Besides his lightning-fast abilities on a six-string, he also made quite a memorable impression on both his bandmates and fans by way of his comedic personality. The nickname Wurzel was actually given to him back when he served as an army corporal because of a supposed resemblance to a scarecrow named Worzel Gummidge on a British...
- 7/11/2011
- E! Online
Chicago – Patrick Wilson (“Little Children”) and Rose Byrne (“Damages”) play a truly terrified couple in James Wan’s “Insidious,” opening this Friday, April 1st, 2011. Produced by the team behind “Paranormal Activity” and written and co-starring Leigh Whannell, the man who did the same double duty on “Saw,” “Insidious” hopes to be the haunted house movie of 2011 with a twist. The writer and director sat down with HollywoodChicago.com recently to talk about their film and real-life inspirations, the art of practical effects, and even the most terrifying memories of their childhood entertainment.
HollywoodChicago.com: Have you seen it with a crowd? Is there anything that plays differently than you expected? A bigger scare? A smaller scare?
James Wan: It actually went a lot better than I expected. When we went to Toronto, I had been so close with the movie — I cut the film myself — so that was my...
HollywoodChicago.com: Have you seen it with a crowd? Is there anything that plays differently than you expected? A bigger scare? A smaller scare?
James Wan: It actually went a lot better than I expected. When we went to Toronto, I had been so close with the movie — I cut the film myself — so that was my...
- 3/29/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
School trips were always like a lottery. On the one hand, you'd strike gold with trips to fairgrounds and theme parks – normally at the end of term. On the other, you'd be led zombie-like around some stuffy museum by some moth-eaten, upper-crust old curator – you know the sort I mean: a bit like the annoying, gap-toothed, bow-tied posho who presents Bargain Hunt. A great cure for insomnia, but a blow to kids who wanted a bit more than a 5-hour lecture on Victoria's and Albert's eating habits.
Actually, today, as a moth-eaten 36-year-old, I don't mind museums so much. It's probably because there's no irritating tour guide to send me into a coma. So with that in mind, I thought that I'd find The Mark Of The Rani marginally more interesting than when I was 10 – but no. Even several amounts of strong black coffee couldn't keep me awake first time around,...
Actually, today, as a moth-eaten 36-year-old, I don't mind museums so much. It's probably because there's no irritating tour guide to send me into a coma. So with that in mind, I thought that I'd find The Mark Of The Rani marginally more interesting than when I was 10 – but no. Even several amounts of strong black coffee couldn't keep me awake first time around,...
- 2/14/2011
- Shadowlocked
Mark Gatiss is perhaps best known for his work with comedy sketch show The League Of Gentlemen.
He has written episodes for, and appeared in, Doctor Who and played Mycroft in the BBC's Sherlock series, which he co-created with Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat.
Mark was also in the BBC's 2005 live remake of The Quatermass Experiment, during rehearsals for which David Tennant was offered the role of Doctor Who.
The 44-year-old recently presented A History Of Horror on BBC Four as well as adapting Hg Wells' sci-fi novel The First Men In The Moon, in which he starred as Edwardian scientist Professor Cavor.
Cavor's invention of a substance ('Cavorite') which can deflect gravity enables him and colleague Arnold Bedford to travel to the moon.
There they find a breathable atmosphere and creatures they call Selenites as they become involved in events that will eventually make the moon as inhospitable as it is today.
He has written episodes for, and appeared in, Doctor Who and played Mycroft in the BBC's Sherlock series, which he co-created with Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat.
Mark was also in the BBC's 2005 live remake of The Quatermass Experiment, during rehearsals for which David Tennant was offered the role of Doctor Who.
The 44-year-old recently presented A History Of Horror on BBC Four as well as adapting Hg Wells' sci-fi novel The First Men In The Moon, in which he starred as Edwardian scientist Professor Cavor.
Cavor's invention of a substance ('Cavorite') which can deflect gravity enables him and colleague Arnold Bedford to travel to the moon.
There they find a breathable atmosphere and creatures they call Selenites as they become involved in events that will eventually make the moon as inhospitable as it is today.
- 11/10/2010
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
Richard Pomerance caused confusion on The X Factor when he said that he was entering to impress Andrew Lloyd Webber. The taxi driver, 63, appeared at the London auditions and claimed that he wanted a role in a Worzel Gummidge musical. "I know Andrew Lloyd Webber has found a Dorothy and a Joseph. I think he should now look for a Worzel Gummidge," he told the panel. Speaking on The Xtra Factor, Pomerance (more)...
- 8/23/2010
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
Steven Moffat does it again. Over the years he has achieved some remarkable television feats. Not only did he essentially sell his UK version of Friends back to the United States (as Coupling), write the best episodes of Doctor Who during the Russell T. Davies era and eventually take over the running of the show himself, snubbing Spielberg in the process, he and Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen, Doctor Who) have now reinvented Sherlock Holmes for the 21st Century in spectacular fashion. Note to Guy Ritchie. This is how its done.
The old adage in entertainment is that two similar vehicles come along at roughly the same time. For example, when Armageddon was released in 1998, we also had Deep Impact. When The Illusionist was released, we also had The Prestige. Antz and A Bug's Life, Dante's Peak and Volcano, Iron Eagle and Top Gun. I could go on. Sherlock Holmes is no different.
The old adage in entertainment is that two similar vehicles come along at roughly the same time. For example, when Armageddon was released in 1998, we also had Deep Impact. When The Illusionist was released, we also had The Prestige. Antz and A Bug's Life, Dante's Peak and Volcano, Iron Eagle and Top Gun. I could go on. Sherlock Holmes is no different.
- 8/12/2010
- by Paul Kerton
- TVovermind.com
Could Robin Hood use a bit of help from our favourite Time Lord?
Doctor Who and Robin Hood: two British icons that go above and beyond the call of duty to fight for the common people. Both are still going strong and sitting pretty atop the pop culture thrones of television and the movie screen respectively, despite it being 2010 and not actually 1963 or 1192.
Of course, they're not completely similar. Robin steals from the rich to give to the poor whereas the Doctor only gives them a free ride through trippy time and space in his Tardis, but that's not the point. Crucially, both are beloved British legends that have appeared on screen with an array of different faces.
There's a core character - sharp arrow shooter with a desire for social justice or two-hearted eccentric with a sonic screwdriver - and then from there the choice is yours. You can...
Doctor Who and Robin Hood: two British icons that go above and beyond the call of duty to fight for the common people. Both are still going strong and sitting pretty atop the pop culture thrones of television and the movie screen respectively, despite it being 2010 and not actually 1963 or 1192.
Of course, they're not completely similar. Robin steals from the rich to give to the poor whereas the Doctor only gives them a free ride through trippy time and space in his Tardis, but that's not the point. Crucially, both are beloved British legends that have appeared on screen with an array of different faces.
There's a core character - sharp arrow shooter with a desire for social justice or two-hearted eccentric with a sonic screwdriver - and then from there the choice is yours. You can...
- 5/13/2010
- Den of Geek
Eighteen months ago, the comedian's career seemed on the edge of collapse. Now he's on the verge of international stardom. So what went right?
When Russell Brand was 16, he inscribed a school-leaving card to his first girlfriend. "You might be as famous as me one day," he wrote. "If so, see you at the top." There was no "might", not from the very beginning, about how famous Russell Brand expected to be.
But the rest of us might have been forgiven for thinking the game was up for Brand after the 2008 incident when, egged on by Jonathan Ross, he prank-called the elderly actor Andrew Sachs to boast he had slept with his granddaughter. The incident cost him his show on Radio 2 and turned much of the UK media against him. Yet, a year-and-a-half on from "Sachsgate", while Ross's star is falling, Brand has become a transatlantically famous name.
Having been...
When Russell Brand was 16, he inscribed a school-leaving card to his first girlfriend. "You might be as famous as me one day," he wrote. "If so, see you at the top." There was no "might", not from the very beginning, about how famous Russell Brand expected to be.
But the rest of us might have been forgiven for thinking the game was up for Brand after the 2008 incident when, egged on by Jonathan Ross, he prank-called the elderly actor Andrew Sachs to boast he had slept with his granddaughter. The incident cost him his show on Radio 2 and turned much of the UK media against him. Yet, a year-and-a-half on from "Sachsgate", while Ross's star is falling, Brand has become a transatlantically famous name.
Having been...
- 4/6/2010
- by Sam Leith
- The Guardian - Film News
This week: Stuart Heritage's top five moral dilemmas on film
The moral conundrum at the heart of new Cameron Diaz film The Box isn't whether or not you should see it – because reviewers seem pretty adamant that you absolutely shouldn't – it's this: would you push a button that gave you a million dollars, even if you knew it meant that a stranger would die? Fiendish. You would, obviously, but it's still quite fiendish. Here are five other cinematic moral dilemmas, along with their solutions …
The Dark Knight
Two boats filled with explosives – should passengers save themselves by blowing up the other vessel? Yes! They live in Gotham City, so it's not like they have anything to live for. Best-case scenario is that they survive and then a fat bloke dressed as a penguin comes along and kills them after a fortnight. They'd be doing the other boat a favour,...
The moral conundrum at the heart of new Cameron Diaz film The Box isn't whether or not you should see it – because reviewers seem pretty adamant that you absolutely shouldn't – it's this: would you push a button that gave you a million dollars, even if you knew it meant that a stranger would die? Fiendish. You would, obviously, but it's still quite fiendish. Here are five other cinematic moral dilemmas, along with their solutions …
The Dark Knight
Two boats filled with explosives – should passengers save themselves by blowing up the other vessel? Yes! They live in Gotham City, so it's not like they have anything to live for. Best-case scenario is that they survive and then a fat bloke dressed as a penguin comes along and kills them after a fortnight. They'd be doing the other boat a favour,...
- 11/28/2009
- by Stuart Heritage
- The Guardian - Film News
Bernard Cribbins is to receive a Special Award at this year’s British Academy Children’s Awards, which will take place next Sunday at the London Hilton.
Cribbins, who plays Wilfred Mott in Doctor Who, is receiving the award for his outstanding creative contribution to the industry. The citation says "His name is synonymous with quality, traditional entertainment for children in a career spanning six decades and covering film, television and other entertainment mediums."
BAFTA Chief Executive, Amanda Berry, said:
"Bernard Cribbins has made an amazing contribution to children’s entertainment throughout his outstanding career and is still entertaining children today, now playing Wilfred Mott in ‘Doctor Who’. He is a worthy recipient of this year’s Special Award; in fact he deserved it a long time ago! We are absolutely delighted he has accepted."
On television Bernard Cribbins has appeared in many classic programmes including over 100 apperances on Jackanory...
Cribbins, who plays Wilfred Mott in Doctor Who, is receiving the award for his outstanding creative contribution to the industry. The citation says "His name is synonymous with quality, traditional entertainment for children in a career spanning six decades and covering film, television and other entertainment mediums."
BAFTA Chief Executive, Amanda Berry, said:
"Bernard Cribbins has made an amazing contribution to children’s entertainment throughout his outstanding career and is still entertaining children today, now playing Wilfred Mott in ‘Doctor Who’. He is a worthy recipient of this year’s Special Award; in fact he deserved it a long time ago! We are absolutely delighted he has accepted."
On television Bernard Cribbins has appeared in many classic programmes including over 100 apperances on Jackanory...
- 11/25/2009
- by Marcus
- The Doctor Who News Page
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