DVD Review!

“Masterpiece: All Creatures Great And Small – Season One” Review by Suzanne 2/1/21

I loved this series when it aired, so I was happy to get the DVD as well. I can’t wait for season 2!

The series is based on autobiographical books written by a British veterinarian, Alf Wright (who went by the pen name James Herriot), in the 1930’s. He started practicing in a rural area called Yorkshire Downs. They made a film of his books, and then a TV series in the late 70’s, which lasted, off and on, for a decade.  That was a successful series, and this is a version for modern audiences (yet still based on the books and set in the same world).

Nicholas Ralph plays the main character, a shy young vet (named James here), who goes to work for an odd fellow, a vet named Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West). Siegfried has a younger brother who’s also studying to be a vet. Callum Woodhouse plays the younger brother, Tristan, who seems more interested, at first, in chasing girls and drinking than in work. Anna Madeley plays Mrs. Hall, the housekeeper. She’s a mother figure to all of them, but there’s definitely some sexual tension between her and Siegfried. The late Diana Rigg plays an eccentric old rich lady with a fat dog. Her scenes are great.

James develops a huge crush on a woman named Helen (Rachel Shenton), who has a boyfriend that doesn’t seem worthy of her.  Most of the stories are about how James learns to be a good vet and prove himself to Siegfried and the local farmers, and then Tristan has to do the same thing (as well as redeem himself in his brother’s eyes). It’s a gentle but entertaining sort of story. It really seems to capture the pace of rural life well, and it gives us beautiful film of the English countryside as well.  This is definitely a show the whole family can watch.

Buy this DVD!

MORE INFORMATION:

Arlington, VA – January 19, 2021 – This January, four new MASTERPIECE programs are streaming on the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel including an all-new adaptation of “All Creatures Great and Small,” starring Dame Diana Rigg in one of her last appearances, the newest MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! installment “Miss Scarlet & the Duke,” “Elizabeth Is Missing” based on the acclaimed novel starring Oscar winning Glenda Jackson, and “The Long Song” based on the award-winning novel by Andrea Levy about the end of slavery in Jamaica. The subscription rate for the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel is $5.99/month with an Amazon Prime or Prime Video subscription. Every purchase helps support public television for all. MASTERPIECE: All Creatures Great and Small Premiere Date: January 10, 2021 Episodes: 7 Genre: Drama Language: English Based on the beloved autobiographical books by James Herriot, “All Creatures Great and Small” tells the exciting adventures of a veterinarian in 1930s Yorkshire. The series takes place in 1937, when James Herriot, fresh out of Glasgow Veterinary College, follows his dream to become a vet in the magnificent Yorkshire Dales, one of England’s most beloved and beautiful landscapes. He soon discovers that treating the animals is as much about treating their owners, and the Dales’ farmers are a tough crowd to please. At Skeldale House, James gets to know his newly formed dysfunctional family: his chaotic and erratic boss Siegfried Farnon, his wayward brother Tristan and the shrewd Mrs. Hall, who is endlessly steering the ship. When local beauty Helen Alderson attracts James’s attention, he finds another, more enduring reason to stay in the Dales. Exciting newcomer Nicholas Ralph will make his television debut as the iconic vet who became renowned for his inspiring humor, compassion and love of life. Samuel West (Mr. Selfridge, On Chesil Beach) plays Siegfried Farnon, the wonderfully eccentric veterinary surgeon and proprietor of Skeldale House, who reluctantly hires the recently qualified Herriot into his rural practice. Mrs. Hall, the resident housekeeper and matriarch of Skeldale House, is played by Anna Madeley (The Child in Time, Patrick Melrose). Siegfried’s errant and charismatic younger brother, Tristan, is played by Callum Woodhouse (The Durrells in Corfu). Rachel Shenton (Switched at Birth, White Gold) takes the role of Helen Alderson, an independent local farmer’s daughter who helps her father manage the family farm and care for her younger sister. Dame Diana Rigg (Victoria, Game of Thrones) plays Mrs. Pumphrey, the delightfully eccentric owner of the overly indulged Pekingese Tricki Woo, while Matthew Lewis (Harry Potter, Ripper Street) plays Hugh Hulton, a wealthy landowner and rival to James for Helen’s affections.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.