All Creatures Great & Small

Furret

As someone who used to be involved in the horse world, I had to laugh at James and the measuring stick. It’s straight out of real life, even today!

I was waiting for him to hit the officious official with it.
But he's too polite.

I love it all! (DH wasn't fussed about watching this series, but became hooked.) Great cast and production, with fabulous scenery - what's not to love? For me it's a "comfort break" providing a real respite from all the worries of the present time. (Talk about timing!) I look forward to another series.

And I agree Tristan is so annoying - but then he was as Lesley in "The Durrells"

Knew I'd seen him somewhere before. But then I found all the Durrells intensely annoying...

The real Tricky Woo was called Bambi .

The original series is on Drama every day; we record it and watch it when, as often happens, we need something to lighten our day.
When we watch the Channel 5 series, I'm not keen on the new Tristan, either, but I think Sam West does a marvellous job.
The housekeeper has far more to do than in the original books, she even eats with the family - and seems to share all the details of their private lives. Unheard of in the 1930's, I feel! And I never knew Mrs Pumphrey lived in such a palace!

Stumbled across the first episode while searching for another programme on Catch Up. Decided to try it and was pleasantly surprised. So poignant to see Diana Rigg.

Oh I'm so sorry the series has ended. It was just great. Such pleasant viewing. There's to be a Christmas special. I'm really disappointed that I'll have to wait so long to catch up with them all.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thought the casting of Siegfried and Tristram was spot on. I thought James came across as a bit of a wimp ?

I liked the portrayal of James.
He came across as an observer, someone who wouldn't make a scene or show his emotions easily but who didn't suffer fools gladly.

Did the BBC really turn this down?

I think it's very good and like that the housekeeper gets more of a look in.

The cast was great but the stories were so rushed, there was a lot more depth and detail in the books.

I did try again! but for me it was just awful in every way possible. It was so unauthentic in every respect from Mrs Hall to Mrs Pumpfrey bearing in mind these early episodes were set in 1938 in rural Yorkshire!! It was sadly completely unlike the books and the era it was set in, particularly Mrs Hall who simply wouldn't have been, and wasnt so intimate with her employer, and Tristan who was completely charmless, when in fact he was the exact opposite. I won't be watching again!

Sam West is lush !!

He is very good in the role grannylyn. I think its a great mistake to compare it with the previous TV version. James and Tristan feel just right for me. Peter Davidson was lovely in the old programme but was clearly too old to be a student. The new Tristan looks like the lazy student he's meant to be!
Its a drama not a story set in concrete!

It's an account of the real life of real people in the Yorkshire Dales in 1938 nothing to do with comparasons, and should reflect this as accurately as possible! Veterinary taining takes 5 years making Tristan about 24 in his final year or perhaps a bit older, making the original Tristan about spot on age wise, and in real life, if the books are to be believed, wasn't even remotely morose!

I have also read all the James Herriot books. I have not found the new Tristan to be morose at all! Callum Woodhouse the actor playing Tristan is 26.

Well, he doesn't exactly ooze charm!!

Sam West ?

It's all in the eye of the beholder Jabberwok!

Yes, it should be on at Sunday tea time! I don’t remember Helen being engaged (Neville Longbottom!) before marrying James.

They did say they'd changed the storyline.

Isn't Neville Longbottom doing well? Popping up all over the place - Ripper Street for one. Who would have thought poor little Neville with his toad would do so well

Ladyleftfieldlover I don't remember that either.

And if Helen had been engaged (sure she wasn't) it wouldn't have been to that character. As far as I remember we only heard about him when James had to shoot his horse and a farmer's daughter wouldn't have been his idea of a suitable wife.

It's all a lovely story though. Fine by me.