Mackenzie Crook preparing to bring Worzel Gummidge back to TV

A spokesperson for Crook confirmed to RadioTimes.com that the actor - best know for his work on Detectorists, Pirates of The Caribbean and The Office - is currently working on the script for an adaptation of Barbara Euphan Todd's original children's book series for the BBC.

"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," a spokesperson for Crook said.

Crook has been tipped for sometime to step into the lead role as Gummidge, a talking scarecrow who was famously played by Doctor Who's Jon Pertwee in the 1980s.

The new show will not serve as a reboot of the original series, but a contemporary adaptation of Euphan Todd's books, according to the Telegraph.

The original, Pertwee-fronted series, which ran between 1979-81 on ITV before returning as a co-production between Channel 4 and Television New Zealand from 1987-89, saw the scarecrow come to life on Scatterbrook Farm and cause mischief with children John and Susan who visited the farm on their holidays.

It featured guest appearances from Barbara Windsor, Billy Connolly, Billy Maynard, Lorraine Chase and Bernard Cribbins.