All Creatures Great and Small is one of those television series's I really don't know why I haven't watched sooner. My parents enjoyed the series but I was really too young at the time to really get into it.
It's also another instance where the television series is more remembered than the movie. M.A.S.H is the only other one I can think of.
Syd and I having plowed through Campion, Jeeves and Wooster and currently watching the Cadfael mysteries we decided to give All Creatures Great and Small a try.
I've never seen the film version, but having watched season one, I could not picture anyone other than Christopher Timothy, Robert Hardy and Peter Davison in the roles of James Herriot, Siegfried and Tristan Farnon. And this is saying a lot because I really like Sir Anthony Hopkins (who portrays Siegfried Farnon in the movie) as an actor.
Not to mention, I probably wouldn't believe half the things that happen in the series if my wife didn't work for a veterinary.
I think what adds to the charm of the series is the fact that the stories are loosely based on real cases author James Herriot (which was the pen name for James Alfred Wight)encountered. Which makes scenes like a cow exploding all the funnier.
The series also has a great knack of stirring your emotions with some of the jerks James and his fellow vets have to deal with on the job. I have a feeling if I was in Herriot's place I'd probably lose my job because I would have punched out half of the people in Darrowby and given their horses and cattle lethal inoculations for half the crap they pulled.
But I suppose those sort of trials makes you cheer on James all the more when he succeeds.
Syd and I are already onto season two and we're enjoying it immensely. If you haven't checked out, I highly recommend you give the series a chance.
1 comment:
All Creatures Great and Small is awesome.
If you like that, I'd also recommend the first season of The Irish R.M. Really good TV.
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