Worzel Gummidge viewers have called out BBC bosses over the ‘sexual innuendos’ made in the children’s classic.
The highly anticipated new episode of the rebooted series, called Twitchers was released on BBCiPlayer on Tuesday, but furious parents struggled to ignore the adult jokes hidden in the fantasy series.
In one scene, twitcher Lee Dangerman tells a news reporter he ‘travelled 350 miles to see a blue-footed booby’.
Later on, during a TV interview, Lee stares into the camera and asks the female reporter: ‘Have you ever seen a penduline tit?’
The shocked news reporter quickly ends the interview, saying: ‘We’ll cut there.’
In another scene actor Steve Pemberton, who plays grumpy farmer Henry Braithwaite, is telling his foster children about his former hobby as a bird-watcher.
He says he lost out to his rival twitcher, who spotted a ‘red-knobbed coot’ which left siblings Susan and John in fits of laughter.
Of course, a red-knobbed coot, blue-footed booby, and penduline tit are all types of birds.
Parents also criticised Worzel star Mackenzie Crook, who wrote and directed the new series, and accused him of ‘going for cheap laughs’.
Jodie Graham, 45, from Alnwick, Northumberland, said: ‘I usually love watching the new Worzel Gummidge episodes and my kids do too but I was a bit surprised about the Twitchers one.
‘They littered it with far too much sexual innuendo for my liking. I counted at least three rude gags which is a lot for a family programme.
‘My youngest is only seven and he kept asking me why Susan and John were laughing when Mr Braitwaite said “red-knobbed coot.” I didn’t really have an answer.’
Gavin Taylor, 40, from Nottingham, added: ‘Worzel is a Christmas tradition in our house but the bird-watching episode was a bit too rude for a young audience.
‘I felt the writers were going for cheap laughs on this one although I did find the “red-knobbed coot” line amusing.’
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘Whilst we wouldn’t comment on this [the complaints], do note that Worzel Gummidge: Twitchers was watched by 2.7m viewers on BBC One last night.’
It ran for four series until 1981, eventually ending after Southern lost its contract to broadcast on ITV – with the show failing to be picked up by another company in spite of efforts being made to keep it going.
BBC declined to comment when contacted by Metro.co.uk
Worzel Gummidge is available to watch on BBCiPlayer BBC One at 7:15pm.
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