Worzel Gummidge is set to make a TV comeback.

Jon Pertwee as Worzel Gummidge

Jon Pertwee as Worzel Gummidge

The much-loved talking scarecrow - who got into mischief on Scatterbrook Farm with interchangeable heads, with each one giving him a special skill - is being resurrected by 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star Mackenzie Crook.

The 46-year-old actor - who played Gareth Keenan in 'The Office' from 2001 to 2003 - is set to take on the character, who last appeared on screens 23 years ago, as well as penning the script for the reboot of the popular children's TV show, which will be an adaptation of the classic Puffin books by Barbara Euphan Todd, and broadcast by the BBC.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Mackenzie has been working on this for some time. He's written most of the script and pitched it to the BBC who were keen and are now officially on-board.

"It is not a continuation of the old story. Worzel is a legendary kids TV character and Mackenzie is keen to make sure the series does it justice."

However, a spokesman for the 'Britannia' star has said the project is still in "very early stages".

They told the Mirror Online: "Mackenzie Crook is currently in the very early stages of developing a contemporary adaptation of Barbara Euphan Todd's original Worzel Gummidge books as a new TV series for the BBC."

The late screen legend Jon Pertwee - who portrayed the Third Doctor in sci-fi series 'Doctor Who' between 1970 and 1974 - played Worzel since it first aired in 1979 on ITV.

The show took off and ran on the channel until 1981.

The comedian - who died in 1996 aged 76 - fronted a campaign in 1987 to have the show aired on New Zealand TV network.

It appeared on screens for a further two years on Channel 4 in the UK.

In 1995, Worzel bid farewell in a one-off special for ITV, celebrating 40 years of the channel.


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