Catweazle

a genuine classic, Catweazle is currently streaming in the UK on ITVX Premium with a 8/10 audience score that speaks for itself. 26 episodes — the right length to tell the story it is telling. Television that earns its era label is rarer than the number of shows attempting it suggests — most of what gets called prestige TV is really just expensive TV. Catweazle is one of the genuine examples: the craft is there in the writing, the performances, and the way it handles its subject matter. Geoffrey Bayldon's involvement signals the kind of production that attracts serious talent and uses it properly. Available now on streaming — no excuses left for not watching it.

Originally commissioned by ITV1, Catweazle quickly became exactly the kind of show that viewers rearrange their evenings for. A medieval wizard (though not a very good one) Catweazle is transported to the modern age... A British television series, created and written by Richard Carpenter which was produced and directed by Quentin Lawrence for London Weekend Television under the LWI banner, and screened in the UK on ITV in 1970. A second season in 1971 was directed by David Reid and David Lane. The series ran for 2 seasons (1970–1971), building a story that gave its audience time to invest properly. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and Catweazle holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-season curiosities. The consistency across the run is what elevates it — not every episode is the best, but none of them are a reason to stop watching.

The kind of show you put on in the background and find yourself actually paying attention to. It earns every laugh across its entire run — no coasting on goodwill. The comedy comes from character rather than situation, which means it holds up on rewatch in a way that pure farce never does. Geoffrey Bayldon sets the tone, but the supporting cast is where a lot of the best moments come from. If Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is already in your rotation, Catweazle fits naturally alongside it.