All Creatures Great And Small - Series 1 - Part 1 (Box Set) (DVD)

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Standard
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	Good, solid family entertainment
Disadvantages:	Seeing animals sick or dying

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Introduction
As a child, I always dreamed of being a vet, predominantly because of watching All Creatures Great and Small. Those not yet in their 30s will probably not have heard of this series, which was broadcast in the early 1980s and is based on the books by James Herriot about his own life as a vet in the 1930s and 1940s. I was thrilled to get hold of the first series recently - unfortunately this show doesn't seem to have been rebroadcast recently, at least not on the main channels.

The author
James Herriot, real name Alf White, has written a series of books about his life as a vet in Yorkshire beginning in the 1930s and taking us up to his old age. The popularity of the books led to the filming of the TV series.

The TV series
There have also been films made of the books, before the TV series, starring John Alderton as James Herriot. I personally much prefer the TV series. The TV series was adapted from Herriot's novels by Brian Clark, Brian Finch, Johnny Byrne and Anthony Steven; produced by Bill Sellars; and directed by Terence Dudley, Peter Moffatt and Christopher Baker.

The actors/characters
Christopher Timothy plays the main character, James Herriot, who is a vet just starting out his career in Darrowby in the Yorkshire Dales. Timothy is best known nowadays for his role in Doctors on daytime TV. I've always been surprised that Christopher Timothy didn't have more acting jobs between All Creatures and Doctors, because I always thought he did a superb job in All Creatures. Watching it again now though, I thought his acting was a little wooden, at least to begin with, although his acting does improve towards the end of this series. His character is young and energetic, with a passion for his job.

His boss is Siegfried Farnon, played by Robert Hardy. Hardy has had a variety of acting jobs in the past, often playing well-heeled aristocrats, such as Sir John Middleton in Sense and Sensibility. Siegfried is an easily irascible character, with a tendency to say one thing and then change his mind very shortly later. But at the same time, he is a caring boss and brother to James and Tristan. He is a bachelor, but has an eye for the ladies and often 'goes to visit his mother' when he is going out with a girlfriend. Superb acting on the part of Robert Hardy.

Siegfried's brother Tristan is at university studying veterinary science, but works for his brother during the holidays. He is also very fond of women and is very successful at getting them. He's a particularly colourful character, fond of drink and good times. Peter Davison, the actor who plays Tristan, is of course well-known for his roles as Doctor Who, Albert Campion and The Last Detective.

Other important characters include Helen Alderson, played by Carol Drinkwater, who catches James' eye at their first meeting; Mrs Pomphrey (Margaretta Stone), whose dog, Tricki Woo frequently suffers from minor ailments and adopts James as his 'Uncle Herriot' and Mrs Hall, the Farnon's dour housekeeper, who licks the three men of the household into shape.

The story
I won't go through each episode, but will rather give a brief account of the entire series, trying not to give too much away. James begins his veterinary career at Siegfried's practice and settles into his job easily, although struggling at times to understand the language and culture of the Yorkshire people with whom he has to deal. Along with Siegfried and Tristan, he works on a variety of cases, including a Pekinese with 'flop bot'; a pig with a sore ear, which refuses to let anyone near it; a bull with sun stroke and an anaesthetised dog who howls relentlessly until he comes round. Many of the stories are funny; but there are also some that are sad, so be prepared if seeing animals suffer affects you. The animals are, of course, acting and the medical procedures are fake (except when you see one of the vets' arms inside a cow - those bits are apparently real!), and the producers have claimed that no animals were harmed during filming. Real vets were constantly on hand in case of any mishaps. James also falls in love with Helen, who seems to play hot and cold with his feelings, in between numerous outings with Tristan to the local pub.

Technical bits
Those of you who base buying decisions on the special features that accompany the main part of the DVD will be disappointed - there are none. There is the usual episode selection option and there are subtitles in English if needed, but that is all.

Each episode is approximately 50 minutes long and there are six episodes in all, two on each disc. The classification is PG.

Conclusion
I was delighted to find this, having fond childhood memories, and I was not disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute, even the sad bits. It is rare that a film/series based on a book is as good as the book, but in this case, although I love the books as well, the series is equally as good and the choice of actors brilliant. Highly recommended to anyone who appreciates animals, the countryside and an enjoyable storyline.

I was thrilled to find the set of DVDs for just £9.99 in my local Post Office of all places. However, it is also available on Amazon for £7.97, reduced from £24.99.