Bill Bailey guest stars in Worzel Gummidge Christmas special
- Worzel Gummidge returns to BBC One for two new specials this Christmas
- Bill Bailey guest stars with Nneka Okoye in an episode called Calliope Jane
- The other new episode focuses on bird watchers arriving at the farm
Worzel Gummidge returns to BBC One this Christmas with Bill Bailey amongst the guest stars.
The BBC confirms: "Worzel Gummidge makes a welcome return in two brand new episodes - Twitchers and Calliope Jane - created by and starring Mackenzie Crook, alongside Bill Bailey as Mr Peregrine and Nneka Okoye as Calliope Jane."
The new specials follow on from Guy Forks, the Bonfire Night special broadcast in November.
The plots of the episodes are as follows:
Twitchers
After a raging thunderstorm, a flock of rare choughs turn up at Scatterbrook Farm. Keen to seize the opportunity of scaring such a rarely sighted bird, Worzel enlists the help of Susan and John. But their plans are soon scuppered once word of the choughs gets around and a group of avid twitchers move in before he's even had his chance. To make matters worse, the twitchers' arrival forces Mr B to come to face to face with his old birdwatching rival, Lee Dangerman. With the twitchers refusing to leave, can the children come up with a plan to help scare the choughs and save Worzel and Mr B from embarrassment?
Calliope Jane
Susan and John are excited when they learn that F R Peregrine's Travelling Fair is coming to Scatterbrook for one night only. But as much as he'd love to join his friends, Worzel can't be seen wandering around by humans. He recalls the legend of a fairground with an enchanted organ. It's believed that, with the right music, the organ has the power to send humans to sleep so that scarecrows can enjoy the rides without the fear of being seen. At the museum, Aunt Sally finds herself agreeing to go on an adventure with another ex-fairground attraction, Calliope Jane, and it turns out Worzel isn't the only scarecrow who wants to attend the fair... As the scarecrows descend the risk of being seen intensifies, but will the legend of the enchanted organ turn out to be true?
The new specials will be shown on BBC One in December. Exact broadcast dates will be announced nearer the time.