CATWEAZLE is a cult British kid's TV show that I missed growing up, only to recently catch up on it for the first time thanks to the efforts of Talking Pictures TV (a quite wonderful British channel dedicated to old fare) at bringing it back to our screens. It lasts for a brief two series and follows the misadventures of a Norman-era sorcerer, played to the hilt by the lovable Geoffrey Bayldon, as he's catapulted to the present day.
In the first series, Catweazle hides out at a rambling farmhouse and indulges in various secret adventures with a boy living there; disbelieving adults including Charles Tingwell and Neil McCarthy provide antagonism. The second series swaps to a country mansion where Catweazle befriends another boy while kooky supporting characters like Peter Butterworth keep popping up. The second series is also more quest-focused, as our hero attempts to gather the thirteen signs of the zodiac that will allow his return back to his own time. The humour is often juvenile but warm-hearted, enlivened by classic old-school special effects, and it's notable that both series have a downbeat final episode that works well.
In the first series, Catweazle hides out at a rambling farmhouse and indulges in various secret adventures with a boy living there; disbelieving adults including Charles Tingwell and Neil McCarthy provide antagonism. The second series swaps to a country mansion where Catweazle befriends another boy while kooky supporting characters like Peter Butterworth keep popping up. The second series is also more quest-focused, as our hero attempts to gather the thirteen signs of the zodiac that will allow his return back to his own time. The humour is often juvenile but warm-hearted, enlivened by classic old-school special effects, and it's notable that both series have a downbeat final episode that works well.