All Creatures Great & Small

I saw this TV series during a 3-year stay in the UK (father's work), when it was first aired. I was going through kindergarten/primary school at the time. Absolutely loved it! That may be more of a personal memory and less of a 'review', but the simple fact that this is one of the few things I remember so well must account for something...

The starting tune never fails to bring a smile on my face. Good acting from the main character, James Herriot. I saw an episode not too long ago and I must say, the series hasn't lost it charm after all these years. It's seem almost timeless, which in my opinion is one of the best compliments possible. The scenery in the series is breathtakingly beautiful and the stories are charming, entertaining and very 'feelgood'. Good memories!

My first introduction to James Herriot was my father's laughing fits while reading the books. Then, the series appeared on PBS and I enjoyed what I saw, which in turn motivated me to read the books. The books are wonderful, almost in the realm of Fantasy (perhaps, the books are my second favorite set of books next to Lord of the Rings) if it weren't so grounded in reality. Sure Herriot smooths some of the rough edges off of his real life, but it still seems real. And this series captures the same feel that the books had, which no small achievement in my opinion. Most of the characters, major and minor, ring true to the depictions in the books and I have little trouble using the images when I re-read the books. Both the books and the series explore triumphs and failures that make life what it is. It makes common sense statements about life without being heavy handed about it. You almost feel you've lived the important, meaningful episodes of someone else's life as if they were your own. What more could be asked from auto-biographical (or semi-auto-biographical) material?

This film (and indeed series) is set in 1930's Britain, not the 1940's as stated elsewhere in this site, as Britain was involved in that fracas called the Second World War from 1939 and both Farnon and Herriot joined up with the Royal Air Force.... The books did carry on for the post war period but the film is firmly in the 30's! The attention to detail - even down to the advertisements by the roadside, is extraordinary, whilst the realisation of pre-war Britain, with its optimism, rugged individuality and, determination in sometimes very difficult circumstances is heartwarming. As a small piece of trivia, Christopher Timothy, who plays James Herriot has a limp in the later series, as he (for real) broke his leg during the filming of series two. Hardy, who played S. Farnon, is now even better known for his role as the Minister For Magic, in the Harry Potter films!

Set in the ruggedly beautiful Yorkshire Dales during the years leading up to WW2, All Creatures Great & Small follows the adventures of a veterinary practice supporting the local farming community in 1930s Northern England. This wonderful adaptation of the books by James Herriot has timeless appeal for the whole family. I've watched the series in its entirety three or four times since it was made and it still remains fresh and very enjoyable. In addition to an abundance of charm and humor, the quality that makes this TV series so exceptional is believability. After watching a few episodes, the viewer becomes convinced that James Herriot, Sigfried Farnon, and his brother Tristan Farnon are really qualified vets...just watch one or two of the many scenes involving surgery or calfing and you will see my point. Real proceedures, which the actors actually perform, are conducted under the expert guidance of qualified vets on the set, including the author James Herriot himself. The many and varied supporting actors are also convincing as real people involved in real situations. The leading cast led by Christopher Timothy as James Herriot, Robert Hardy as Siegfried Farnon, Peter Davidson as his brother Tristan, and Carol Drinkwater as James' wife Helen, are all fabulous. The powerful presence of Robert Hardy as Siegfried is particularly compelling, and its easy to see why he's considered by many to be the finest actor in Britain. When compared to other programs of its genre and indeed other TV series in general, this adaptation of the classic All Creatures Great & Small is simply outstanding. Eleven out of ten.

I'll make it unanimous (so far). When All Creatures first aired in the States, I had already enjoyed the books immensely and doubted that a television production could do author James Herriot's work justice.(A pen name, I believe his real name is Alfred White.) I was delighted to be wrong in that assumption, brilliantly adapted and endearingly performed. It quickly became and remains to this day one of my favorite programs. I particularly recommend the earlier seasons for a number of reasons, not the least of which is Carol Drinkwater as Helen Herriot. I only wish that like Holly the computer on Red Dwarf, who had Lister wipe his memory banks of the collected works of Agatha Christie so that he would have something interesting to read. That I could experience All Creatures Great and Small again, for the first time.