All Creatures Great & Small
Drama, Comedy • 2020 • 50m
You've Got to Dream
Fresh out of veterinary college in 1937, James Herriot struggles to find work in his Depression-struck home town of Glasgow. Seeking new opportunities, he pursues a position in the remote village of Darrowby working for eccentric local vet Siegfried Farnon, who is less than impressed by his early efforts. However, a difficult calving gives James a chance to prove his worth.
Another Farnon?
Skeldale House descends into chaos with the arrival of Siegfried's wayward brother Tristan. Helen provides James with a reason to stay in the Dales.
Andante
Tristan sets about collecting debts owed to the surgery and takes a shine to Maggie, the new barmaid at The Drovers. Siegfried hopes to bag the job of Attending Vet at Darrowby Racecourse, by buttering up the head of the race course, General Ransom. When the favourite to win on the race day is diagnosed with a inoperable condition, James has his first painful experience.
A Tricki Case
James is forced to take in Mrs Pumphrey's pampered Pekingese. Tristan prepares to return to university, but needs Siegfried's help to pay for his accommodation, but Siegfried insists he must first prove he is serious about being a vet. James treats the Aldersons' prize bull, and Helen rewards his efforts with some unusual home baking.
All's Fair
It's the Darrowby Show and James is pleased as punch that he has been given the honour of Attending Vet. But Siegfried and Tristan know the job is a poisoned chalice and reckon James won't last the day without throwing in the towel.
A Cure for All Ills
James' workload doubles when Siegfried takes ill during a harsh winter. Mrs Hall discovers it is James' birthday, and Tristan tries his best to cheer him up by arranging a double date. Season finale.
The Night Before Christmas
James is trying to bury his pain over Helen and has invited his new girlfriend Connie to the annual Skeldale Christmas party. As the house fills with locals, James receives a call from a man who wants help with his dog who is giving birth.
Cast
Reviews
This show of course is a reboot of the beloved show based on the beloved books from decades ago. Sometimes remakes of good productions seem doomed to failure, but I think this one is right on the mark: still a bit hokey, but smart, thoughtful and updated. In fact, I actually like it better than the original series. Not because of the characters or the acting, for the cast from the original series was superb from top to bottom. The improvement for me is in the plotting and the writing in the new version. You expect the writers to make small changes from the original, just as the original series made changes from the books. I wouldn’t like it if I found myself watching the exact same show with different actors. The difference to me is how they made the changes. I will only use one example so as to not give anything away. The incident with Tristan collecting client payments on market day is handled differently from the original series, and it is done in a way to tie the subplot in with James’s treatment of the prize racehorse. It made the plot tighter. And other changes seem to veer away from straight comedic, almost slapstick scenes, into something more dramatic but not without humor. So I salute the production team for staying true to the soul of the books while making quality changes to keep the story fresh and entertaining. *** Just adding a note after viewing the Christmas special they showed close to the holiday. The episode pretty much confirms everything I said about the show in the above review. The changes from the original series continued with more of the new subplot with Mrs. Hall, and advancing the romance of James Herriot in the strikingly different way they had begun. But the way they handled the climax of the show was not overdramatized as some show would have done it. The Siegfried and Tristan characters are allowed more depth as well. This show isn’t played for laughs as much as the original, though there is humor, and it continues to impress me.
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