crankcase

Why do you think they 1. dramatically lowered the age of the housekeeper to about that of Siegfried’s? 2. cast her with an actor capable of suddenly appearing remarkably beautiful, with a body most middle-age women would kill for? 3. have her compete with Siegfried in strength of character, wit, and practical sense and competence? 4. go out of their way to show her reading books, which Siegfried is never seen to? Marriage will require for the likes of Siegfried intellectual equality and psychological balance outside of his profession. That’s what’s being set up for season 3 or 4. Audrey will wipe the floor all right, but it will be with Dorothy or her stand-ins.

Her “job” is to eventually marry Siegfried. To facilitate this, the audience is being groomed to accept her as a reasonably plausible partner, in physical attractiveness, intellect and (as yet unknown) social background. (As has been noted before, “Audrey” was also the uncommon name of the wife of Wight’s boss/partner.) Wait until she lets her hair down. https://images.app.goo.gl/uZmoPoYRk82MC89P9

Even the most cursory investigation reveals that the ACGAS book series is fiction. It’s “based on” people and events, no more. The biggest obstacle to Wight’s marriage was not another suitor, but his own mother, who seemed to view the “Helen” as a rival for his affections. The person on whom Siegfried was based threatened to sue Wight for defamation. A great number of the animal stories came from other vets. And what about what isn’t described? Does anyone seriously believe that if he’d had pre-marital sex he’d have written about it? The point of this is that it’s a complete waste of time to be concerned about the fidelity of an adaptation to the original books. We’re not dealing with a Lincoln biography here. If it has animals, the Dales, vets, and normal human interactions, that’s good enough and true enough. The newest TV version differs in two important aspects from that of 1978, both involving women. Mrs. Hall’s age-appropriateness for Siegfried has been noted everywhere. Much more important is Helen, and not just because she eventually becomes Mrs. Herriot. This Helen had ambitions to get out, get trained, and become an independent woman. She oversees the mating of huge animals. She is earthy and sensual, teasing James about his sexual experience and having fun with him when she catches him skinny-dipping. She has to take on serious familial responsibilities due to the loss of her mother, in addition to which said family is in a somewhat precarious financial situation. In each of these respects she is utterly different from Helen78, and that doesn’t even include the entire engagement/altar-jilting story arc. This latest Helen Alderson is the only character of interest to me because she is the only one still trying to figure out how to live her life. Everyone else has already found their niche, their only question being whom to marry. The only thing I’m curious about in the story to come is how they keep those two crazy kids apart to sustain the romantic/prurient interest of the audience and whether they’re allowed to have unsanctified sex. One can only hope. Prurience, after all, is the vice of which I’m most proud.

Skinny-dipping https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8706255/Romance-James-Herriot-Rachel-Shendons-character-heats-tonight-Creatures.html

1. Ok, so what on earth did happen? 2. ”What?..................What might you have told me?” What, what might Rachel Shenton have been trying to tell us?

Season 1 of the 1978 series can be viewed free (but with ads) at dailymotion.com. Ep 1: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5rtx21 The romantic climax, for those interested in such things, occurs at the end of Ep 7: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5rtx2h It also contains James’s tea with the Aldersons, a scene which illustrates the profound circumstantial differences between the two Helens and the basis for the huge change in the romantic story arc. The ‘78 series, along with tons of other Brit shows, can be viewed for $7/mo. (but with the usual 7-day free trial) at: https://www.britbox.com/us/