Television TV

Catweazle

  1. Home
    2. >
  2. Television
    3. >
  3. Catweazle

It's Sunday afternoon in the early 1970s, the TV is warming up ready for Catweazle!

Catweazle was a medieval wizard who managed to jump into the 20th century via a castle moat while being pursued by knights, presumably to try him for witchcraft (well that's how I remember it).

He had a magic knife shaped amulet around his neck, dressed in an old monk's habit, had a wild beard and a toad called Touchwood. As far as I can remember he lived in an old water tower and befriended a ginger-headed boy called Carrots.

There were many catchphrases in the programme, Carrots would despair at Catweazle's antics and in frustration would yell 'Crumbs' (oh such innocence). Catweazle would always start a spell with something like 'Salmy dalmy adonay' all with mystical music... when everything went wrong, he would simply throw his hands in the air and declare 'Tsk... nothing works'

There were some charming moments in the programme when Catweazle would encounter 20th century inventions and not really understand them. I remember one episode where he was in a room with a vicar who was making a telephone call. Of course Catweazle thought the was talking to him and responded and when the vicar told him to be quiet, the person on the other end thought they were talking to them... oh such confusion!

No doubt this programme would seem very tame by today's standards but it would be nice to see some of them again.

Suggest an update

Author of this article:



Contributors to this article:

  • There are no contributors yet

Message boards

Discuss Catweazle on the message boards

Do You Remember Catweazle?

Do You Remember Catweazle?

  • Anonymous user
    on
    I was at boarding school (Worth Junior House 1968-72), & we had ONE TV set to watch. I don't recall when I started watching Catweazle, but it probably was the 2nd series (shown early 1971). Today I saw episode 1 of second series. Talking Pictures channel was featured on BBC 6 pm news today - congratulations, & many thanks.
  • shikiraclare
    on
    Not quite old enough to remember Catweazle yet just bought the first series on DVD and cried/laughed most of the way through!. Love the point that anonymous poster described Catweazle: 'he referred to modern technology in his own fashion, ie: telling-bone & elec-trickery. I'd quite happily sit through every single episode all over again! *sigh*'. I vaguely associate Catweazle with them public-warning commercials about the dangers of elec-trickery and fire-whizzing-rockets at bonfire night!. Geoffrey first appeared in Dr.Who as one of the doctors yet can't recall when and in which year (1968/9) or thereablouts, yet always remember him in Worzel Gummidge as the old nagging crowman who regularly had a pop at Worzel for his dreamy fascination of weddin the cake-monster eating aunt-sally.
  • LouiseOC
    on
    brilliant series, so funny. it has stood the test of time for me, i still find it amusing. I thought the first series was better than the second one.
  • Erik
    on
    Loved the series-I once jokingly told my usually very wel groomed wife (who hasn't seen the series) she looked like Catweazle when she had a bad hair day...She didn't make too much of it until I showed her the DVD cover...I won't use that expression again,believe me.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I have just recently bought the complete second series on dvd of catweazle to re-live my childhood and show my kids how great kids tv was back then!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    a 70's series about a wizard finding himself in prsent time, I think he lived in a water tower and had a toad called Touchwood.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    He also played the professor in the lighthouse on Fort Boyard. ELECK TRICKERY!!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I used to adore Catweazle! He was played brilliantly by Geoffrey Bayldon, who later played The CrowMan in Worzel Gummidge. His home, the water tower, was called Castle Saburac (i think!) and he referred to modern technology in his own fashion, ie: telling-bone & elec-trickery. I'd quite happily sit through every single episode all over again! *sigh*

Do you remember these?