Worzel Gummidge returned to screens with a bang on Christmas Eve and did not fail to impress fans with its well-recognised joyous and endearing scenes.
And viewers were left in floods of tears after the classic characters returned for another heart-warming adventure just in time for Christmas.
The festive remake saw Mackenzie Crook starring as Worzel and Shirley Henderson taking on the role of Saucy Nancy, played by the late Barbara Windsor in the 1980s original.
It’s back: Worzel Gummidge returned to screens with a bang on Christmas Eve and did not fail to impress fans with its well-recognised joyous and endearing scenes
The hour-long episode saw Worzel and his pals – Susan, played by India Brown, and John, played by Thierry Wickens – make a rare trip out of Scatterbrook.
Worzel is reunited with his foul-mouthed old friend – the carved ship’s figurehead – Saucy Nancy at a scrapyard, where she has been languishing unsold for years.
She longs to return to the sea but isn’t convinced the ship will be waiting for her – but Worzel and the children promise to get her there and the unlikely foursome head to the coast by foot, wheelbarrow, motorbike and sidecar.
And after watching the BBC special, viewers quickly took to Twitter to admit they were left feeling extremely emotional after some ‘beautiful’ and tear-jerking scenes.
Festive special: The BBC remake saw Mackenzie Crook starring as scarecrow Worzel Gummidge and Shirley Henderson taking on the role of Saucy Nancy
Teary-eyed: After watching the BBC special, viewers quickly took to Twitter to admit they were left feeling extremely emotional after some ‘beautiful’ and tear-jerking scenes
Fans were quick to praise the Christmas remake as the ‘perfect end to the rollercoaster of 2020’ while others said the episode of ‘lovely, sweet and funny’.
One viewer penned: ‘#WorzelGummidge seems to have unlocked all the strong emotions I thought I’d successfully repressed this year. What a beautiful thing to have given people on Christmas Eve 2020. Wow’.
While another tweeted: ‘I watched Worzel Gummidge and now my sofa is a sea of tears’.
And a third gushed: ‘I’ve just cried at #WorzelGummidge – I can’t really explain why but its just the loveliest, most gentle programme.’
A fourth said: ‘Didn’t think Worzel Gummidge would make me cry on Christmas Eve but here we are. #WorzelGummidge’
‘My sofa is a sea of tears’: Fans were quick to praise the Christmas remake as the ‘perfect end to the rollercoaster of 2020’ while others said the episode of ‘lovely, sweet and funny’
One scene that had fans feeling particularly overcome with emotion was when Saucy Nancy and Peg, played by Vanessa Redgrave, sing together.
Worzel was not the only one to wipe tears away from his eyes while the pair belted out a melodic tune, as viewers were left teary-eyed at the sweet moment.
And another endearing moment sees the ‘humble’ scarecrow tell the two children that he wants to spend a £20 note on ‘a door’ as there is nothing else he needs.
But it was the ending that left fans feeling overwhelmed, as the tale of friendship and belonging tied together with Worzel helping Nancy to make a home at the seaside.
Mackenzie Crook’s BBC Christmas special comes after EastEnders’ Dame Barbara Windsor, who played Saucy Nancy in the 1980s original, died.
The beloved TV star tragically died aged 83 earlier this month, following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Journey to the sea: The hour-long episode saw Worzel and his pals – Susan, played by India Brown, and John, played by Thierry Wickens – make a rare trip out of Scatterbrook
Friendship: Worzel is reunited with his foul-mouthed old friend – the carved ship’s figurehead – Saucy Nancy at a scrapyard, who longs to return to the seaside
Mackenzie, 49, was quick to agree that his show was a fitting tribute to her when asked by The Sun, saying before the show aired: ‘Absolutely, yes.
‘She played the original version and a lot of people will remember that fondly. It’s so sad that she died just weeks before our new one went out.’
Mackenzie also discussed how he had intended for there to be two Christmas specials but because of the coronavirus pandemic only one got made.
He explained how he wrote during the first lockdown and had to be in a bubble with two prosthetics makeup artists, who wore full PPE, when filming.
Speaking ahead of the show’s release on Christmas Eve, Mackenzie said: ‘I’m excited and grateful to be making a new episode of Worzel Gummidge after a difficult year for everyone.’
Tragic: The special comes after EastEnders’ Dame Barbara Windsor, who played Saucy Nancy, died (pictured L-R: Una Stubbs, Jon Pertwee and Barbara Windsor)
Tribute: For Mackenzie’s remake, Shirley Henderson took on the role of Saucy Nancy, played by the late Barbara Windsor in the 1980s original
Mackenzie’s show takes inspiration from the original, which became a cult classic after its launch in 1979, with 31 episodes spread across a two year run before it went off air in December 1981.
The show, starring Jon Pertwee as Gummidge and Una Stubbs as Aunt Sally, enjoyed a brief revival in 1987 for the New Zealand based Worzel Gummidge Down Under.
The show then returned with a new cast for Mackenzie’s Christmas specials in 2019, with viewers finding his Worzel much scarier than the late Jon Pertwee’s edition.
Fans had compared the new talking scarecrow to famous villain Freddy Krueger, but the beloved character seems to have made an endearing comeback this Christmas.
Mackenzie made a name for himself as Gareth Keenan in Ricky Gervais’ sitcom The Office before making the transition to film and a recurring role in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Cult classic: Mackenzie’s show takes inspiration from the original, which became a cult classic after its launch in 1979, with 31 episodes spread across a two year run