Are you a James Herriot fan? I am! His collection of books were among the first fiction I ever chose on my own to read outside of school, and one of the few possessions I’ve managed to carry with me from ever since I was a high school student. You can see they’re well-read and…well, dog-eared!
So I was excited to hear positive reviews of the PBS Masterpiece seven part series, All Creatures Great and Small. Did you watch it too? I enjoyed the familiar stories, the acting, the animals and most of all the beautiful Yorkshire countryside. Now that the series has wrapped up, let’s WOOF about it. What did you like most? Least? Did you find it lived up to the books or were you disappointed? Which character did you like best?
The best part for me was watching the transformation of the characters. I loved watching James go from being the unsure new guy, being tested by Farnum and kicked by horses, to a more confident and comfortable James. I also enjoyed watching Tristan arrive and admit his faults and failures, and grow.
At first I felt I was missing the Yorkshire dialect, because as much as it was there, it was, surprisingly, easier for me to take in when reading the books than listening to the spoken word. That’s because it is a bit difficult to understand when it goes by so fast. I love the phrases and accents so I was slightly disappointed that I didn’t catch them as easily as I wanted to.
Which animals were your favorites? I especially loved Skeldale House’s golden retriever, but I was also in awe of Helen’s bull, Clive. What a huge and beautiful creature! Which animal do you love the most? Is it the pampered Tricky Woo? The tragic racehorse Andante? One of the farm animals?
Share your comments here!
I watched the whole series with my teenagers during COVID quarantine, and we all loved it. I’d read the James Herriot books myself repeatedly as a kid, so when I first saw the series advertised I was thrilled. At the risk of sounding old (!), I was just so happy that my teenagers were as taken and engaged with this wholesome, historic, earthy, moral, farm-life, Yorkshire story and all its characters as I was. No superheroes, magic, or special effects. Just the amazing relationships between God’s creatures — 2-legged, 4-legged, winged, etc. — and their dependence on the land and each other. To see my kids engage in real discussions about the human relationships — Siegfried and Tristan, Mrs. Hall, James, etc. — complete hilarity over Tricky Woo, heartbreak over Andante, utter respect for Strawberry’s surgery by lanternlight, compassion for the situations each character found themselves in, was just fantastic. I hope there’s a Season 2! We’ll be there for it.
I agree! I’m glad your teens enjoyed it too. (I just had to close my eyes at Strawberry’s surgery!) There is so much need for wholesome shows (I STILL love Little House on the Prairie) for our kids and grandkids. The character’s grew and developed over time and gave us all much to think about. The Christmas ender was great!