John Devon Roland Pertwee was an English actor. Born into a theatrical family, he became nationally known as a comedy actor, playing Chief Petty Officer Pertwee in the BBC Radio sitcom The Navy Lark (1959–1977) and appearing in four films in the Carry On series. On television, Pertwee starred as the third incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running British science fiction series Doctor Who (1970–1974), hosted the game show Whodunnit? (1974–1978) and played the title character in Worzel Gummidge. Towards the end of his life he maintained a close association with Doctor Who by appearing at many fan conventions related to the series and giving interviews.
Una Stubbs was a British actress, television personality, and dancer who appeared on British television, in the theatre, and occasionally in films. She became known after appearing in the film Summer Holiday (1963) and later played Rita Rawlins in the BBC sitcoms Till Death Us Do Part (1965–1975) and In Sickness and in Health (1985–1992). Her other television roles include Aunt Sally in Worzel Gummidge (1979–1981) and Miss Bat in The Worst Witch (1998–2001). She also appeared as Sherlock Holmes's landlady Mrs. Hudson in the BAFTA-winning television series Sherlock (2010–2017).
Worzel Gummidge is a scarecrow in British children's fiction, who originally appeared in a series of books by the English novelist Barbara Euphan Todd. It was the first story book published by Puffin Books.
Dame Frances Rosemary Walsh is a New Zealand screenwriter and film producer.
Albert Geoffrey Bayldon was an English actor. After playing roles in many stage productions, including the works of William Shakespeare, he became known for portraying the title role of the children's series Catweazle (1969–70). Bayldon's other long-running parts include the Crowman in Worzel Gummidge (1979–81) and Magic Grandad in the BBC television series Watch (1995).
Charlotte Ninon Coleman was an English actress best known for playing Scarlett in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral, Jess in the television drama Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, and her childhood roles of Sue in Worzel Gummidge and the character Marmalade Atkins.
John Talfryn Thomas was a Welsh character actor, best known for supporting roles on television in the 1970s, including those of Private Cheeseman in Dad's Army (1973–1974) and Tom Price in Survivors (1975), while Thomas also appeared with Jon Pertwee in two Doctor Who serials.
Willis Edward Hall was an English playwright and radio, television and film writer who drew on his working-class roots in Leeds for much of his writing. Willis formed an extremely prolific partnership with his life-long friend Keith Waterhouse producing over 250 works. He wrote plays such as Billy Liar, The Long and the Short and the Tall, and Celebration; the screenplays for Whistle Down the Wind, A Kind of Loving and Alfred Hitchcock's Torn Curtain; and television programmes including Budgie, Worzel Gummidge and Minder. His passion for musical theatre led to a string of hits, including Wind in the Willows, The Card, and George Stiles' and Anthony Drewe's Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure.
Aunt Sally is a traditional English game usually played in pub gardens and fairgrounds, in which players throw sticks or battens at a ball, known as a 'dolly', balanced on top of a stick; traditionally, a model of an old woman's head was sometimes used. Leagues of pub teams still play the game, throughout the spring and summer months, mainly in Oxfordshire and some bordering counties. In France, the game is called jeu de massacre.
Lorraine Chase is an English actress and former model. She became well known for her strong south east London accent and frequent use of cockney slang, and found fame through a series of television adverts for Campari before embarking on an acting career. She is best known for playing the role of Steph Stokes in ITV soap opera Emmerdale from 2002 to 2006, with a brief return in 2013. Her partner, John Knight, died from cancer in 1996.
Barbara Euphan Todd was an English writer widely remembered for her ten books for children about a scarecrow called Worzel Gummidge. These were adapted for radio and television. The title story was chosen as the first in the publisher's new series, Puffin Books.
Denis Andrew King is an English composer and singer. He is best remembered as a member of a family ensemble, The King Brothers.
Worzel Gummidge is a British children's television series, produced by Southern Television for ITV, and based on the Worzel Gummidge books by English author Barbara Euphan Todd. The programme starred Jon Pertwee as the titular scarecrow and Una Stubbs as Aunt Sally. It ran for four series in the UK from 1979 to 1981. On a countdown of the greatest British children's programmes, this series was number 50 in the 50 Greatest Kids TV Shows on Channel 5 on 8 November 2013. Channel 4 reprised the show in 1987 as Worzel Gummidge Down Under, which was set in New Zealand.
Wi Kuki Kaa was a New Zealand actor in film, theatre and television.
Worzel Gummidge Turns Detective is a British children's television series, first aired by the BBC in 1953. It was the first TV manifestation of Barbara Euphan Todd's character who had already appeared on radio and would reappear on television 26 years later.
James Hill was a British film and television director, screenwriter and producer whose career spanned 52 years between 1937 and 1989, best remembered for his documentaries and short subjects such as Giuseppina and The Home-Made Car, and as director of the internationally acclaimed Born Free.
John Callen is an English-born New Zealand actor and director. He portrayed Óin, brother of Glóin in the 2012-2014 The Hobbit film trilogy.
The following is a list of events relating to television in Ireland from 1989.
The following is a list of events relating to television in Ireland from 1990.
Worzel Gummidge is a 2019 British TV fantasy drama series and an adaptation of the Worzel Gummidge books by Barbara Euphan Todd. It stars Mackenzie Crook, who also wrote and directed the series, as the scarecrow. It was produced by Leopard Pictures and was broadcast by BBC One on 26 and 27 December 2019.
