Doctor Finlay

This production is one of the finest I've ever seen: whether it be live theater, television or cinema. The stories are dramatic and gritty. The show doesn't give in to touchy-feely good endings. The actors play their characters marvelously. The story takes place in a small Scottish town after WWII. Various, believable and sometimes intense personal dramas take place in this series--which has an authentic beginning and ending. NO room for sequels here. I watched it once and then two days later stayed up all night watching it again. It has some humor but this isn't another All Creatures Great And Small (which in its way is an excellent series). I highly recommend this five-star, 10 point series.

Set Two contains the following episodes: "A Delicate Balance," "Childsplay," "Stolen Lives," "Burning Bridges," Secrecy," and "In Arcadia."

Perhaps another fan can tell us which episodes to look for, to hope for the DVD release of.

My wife and I are enjoying all three sets so much. I was able to read Russell Baker's script of his introductions to series two on the Masterpiece Theatre website.

Can anyone suggest where I might find more material on "Doctor Finlay"?

I'd love to see a website devoted to "Doctor Finlay" as good as the one for "Foyle's War."

The 1990's version of Dr.Finlay was filmed in my home town of Auchtermuchty. A great number of residents were cast as extras which was a great opportunity (not to mention £58 a day for not doing very much!!!). The cast members were delightful, especially the very charming and humble David Rintoul. The crew were equally fantastic and great to see again in the village over the 4 years the series was filmed. However not all the scenes were filmed in Auchtermuchty (Arden House for instance was elsewhere). As a teen on location it inspired me to take an interest and go on to study Television production at college.

To add to the previous comment, only the original Dr Findlay's Casebook was made by the BBC.

The remake Dr Findlay was not - it was made by Scottish Television.

The new version is now available in the USA on DVD.

Unfortunately the original does not seem to be available anywhere.

The original by A J Cronin was of course just a short story and the TV versions are really new works using the characters from this story.

A beautifully realised, sublime, and natural production. All of the cast were excellent. David Rintoul as Dr Finlay a terse, bottled-up, highly moral, human character. The wonderful Ian Bannen, so tragedly killed in a motor vehicle accident only a few years after the series ended, who's nuanced performance as the elder Dr Cameron, once mentor of Finlay and now partner. A young Jason Flemyng in the first series, added flavour and his character might have been further developed had he stayed in the series longer; Jackie Morison a delightful Rhona; the incomparable Annette Crosby as housekeeper Janet; and Ralph Riach as the somewhat 'oily' self important Dr Gilmore. All masters of their acting trade and a delight to watch. All this set against the beauty of the Scottish countryside.