All Creatures Great And Small (2021) - General Discussion

[Ilovepie]

52 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

Unless she does end up marrying Hugh and they're really straying from the books...

Can you enlighten me - were Helen and Hugh ever engaged in the books? I don't remember. Even if this show does take license with the story vs the books, I would be in utter shock if she actually married him! I truly hope this doesn't go there.

[peacheslatour]

16 minutes ago, Ilovepie said:

Can you enlighten me - were Helen and Hugh ever engaged in the books? I don't remember. Even if this show does take license with the story vs the books, I would be in utter shock if she actually married him! I truly hope this doesn't go there.

Spoiler

No. He met her on the farm, that much is true but he joins the musical society to be closer to her and takes her on on a rather bad date. He doesn't see her again until she brings in her dog to him, specifically. They go on another date and he starts courting her in earnest.

 

Edited February 16, 2021 by peacheslatour

[Blergh]

1 hour ago, dargosmydaddy said:

Siegfried went specifically to try to stop James and Tristan, which seemed very Siegfried-ish to me. Mrs. Hall went because she didn't want Siegfried driving after he'd been drinking (which may also be a bit too modern for some, but I didn't have an issue with it).

I'm OK with the rival love interest, but I was surprised that (based on the previews) they're on the verge of marriage so quickly. An eventual broken engagement is one thing; a she-leaves-him-at-the-altar (or close to it) storyline is super-cliché. Unless she does end up marrying Hugh and they're really straying from the books...

The only thing I could find said "springtime."

Folks who had lost loved ones to drunk driving/drunk drivers DID often do their best to avoid repeats with others- even if the post-Prohibition mindset was to blow off extreme boozing and 'tipsy' driving as jokes so it's possible that Mrs. Hall may have had that happen in her own past. 

I seriously doubt Helen will go through the proposed union with Hugh but whether it's via a HUGE fight in which he'd shown his true colors (again) or if she just gets too antsy to marry him while possibly acknowledging feelings for James, I don't know.

 

'Springtime' is better than never but if that holds true, then that means it won't be seen Stateside until at least the end of this calendar year. 

[PhoneCop]

1 hour ago, Blergh said:

'Springtime' is better than never but if that holds true, then that means it won't be seen Stateside until at least the end of this calendar year. 

As someone who's been waiting three years for Season 3 of Atlanta and hoping for a third season of The Alienist in my lifetime, that doesn't sound so bad, LOL.

[Doublemint]

18 hours ago, dargosmydaddy said:

Siegfried went specifically to try to stop James and Tristan, which seemed very Siegfried-ish to me. Mrs. Hall went because she didn't want Siegfried driving after he'd been drinking (which may also be a bit too modern for some, but I didn't have an issue with it).

I'm OK with the rival love interest, but I was surprised that (based on the previews) they're on the verge of marriage so quickly. An eventual broken engagement is one thing; a she-leaves-him-at-the-altar (or close to it) storyline is super-cliché. Unless she does end up marrying Hugh and they're really straying from the books...

The only thing I could find said "springtime."

I realize that Siegfried went there to try to stop James and Tristan, but it doesn't seem likely to have happened to me.   It seems the writers are determined to have all 4 of the cast together in as many scenes as possible, regardless of the sometimes outlandish situations.  

[sugarbaker design]

On 2/16/2021 at 9:09 PM, PhoneCop said:

As someone who's been waiting three years for Season 3 of Atlanta and hoping for a third season of The Alienist in my lifetime, that doesn't sound so bad, LOL.

Yay, Alienist!  😉

[Wonkabar5]

Finished the series. Do not have worry....mums the word. Shhh.  LoL. It did grow on us overall. My favorite ep was the Tricki Woo gets in the hamper.  A real  and proper Scottish James was one of the most authentic. 

We do enjoy the series for what it is....cozy, heartwarming, feel-good overall. Does it depart from the books at times? Yes, sometimes wildly...  but it is still one of the best series out there for quiet and peaceful, and comforting.  Looking forward to series 2. 
 

 

[Gizkok]

No one has mentioned, at least not that I have seen, the wonderful sweaters, jerseys, cardigans, vest and other knitted things.  They look handmade and are gorgeous!  I don't see things like that in shows from the US but I have frequently noticed if it is from the British Isles, chances are very good for seeing such things.  Even if they aren't handmade they have the look of it. Yet you seldom see anyone knitting.

[Wonkabar5]

Oh, I forgot to mention the theme music in New Creatures is a nice homage to the old. If you listen very carefully, you can hear some slight tweaks in variation. 😉 

I still miss Peter Davison as OT though.   Felt really bad that poor Diana Rigg seemed to be really weak and frail compared to the more robust O Mrs. Pumphrey.

But again, at least it is still comfy-cozy, compared to all the snarky, foul-mouthed, and depressing murder stuff on tv these days. Lolol

When is the earliest I can post tomorrow night regarding the season finale? 

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, Wonkabar5 said:

Oh, I forgot to mention the theme music in New Creatures is a nice homage to the old. If you listen very carefully, you can hear some slight tweaks in variation. 😉 

I still miss Peter Davison as OT though.   Felt really bad that poor Diana Rigg seemed to be really weak and frail compared to the more robust O Mrs. Pumphrey.

But again, at least it is still comfy-cozy, compared to all the snarky, foul-mouthed, and depressing murder stuff on tv these days. Lolol

When is the earliest I can post tomorrow night regarding the season finale? 

I'm guessing 10PM Pacific?

[Blergh]

9 hours ago, Gizkok said:

No one has mentioned, at least not that I have seen, the wonderful sweaters, jerseys, cardigans, vest and other knitted things.  They look handmade and are gorgeous!  I don't see things like that in shows from the US but I have frequently noticed if it is from the British Isles, chances are very good for seeing such things.  Even if they aren't handmade they have the look of it. Yet you seldom see anyone knitting.

But I'll bet  one can find them in the PBS Mail Order Catalog in the not-too-distant future (especially if enough customers email them requesting they do just that)! 

[Leeds]

On 2/16/2021 at 8:15 AM, Doublemint said:

Well, I'm in the minority for sure.   Although I'm watching the series, I'm not thrilled.    It is a pleasant escape in these horrible times.   Did anyone catch that the children and the wife at the farm were saying "James" and not "Mr. Herriot"?   That was a no-no for the times.   Even when I was a child in the 50's you addressed grown-ups as Mr. and Mrs.    

 

 

My children, who are in their late twenties, still address family friends of my generation as "Auntie X" and Uncle Y".

[lucindabelle]

Whoever first “diagnosed” Tristan as having ADHD and possibly dyslexia: well done.

it’s so clear looked at in that lens.

he’s brilliant and creative wirh concrete solutions: getting the bills paid, the little treat on a string for tricky woo, and the whole idea of the surgery for strawberry was his. He was the one who realized the Rottweiler was not scary to the deaf man and therefore not scary and he cleared the surgery treating all different kinds of animals.

today he’d have a 504 in school and be given extra time and other scaffolding and ways to learn. And yes he’ll retain what he DID forever. And glad to see Siegfried recognize that with a shot of the good stuff. 

I love strawberry’s family and glad they had a good outcome!

 

helen did keep trying to tell James the whole time which I appreciated.

(so often that part of it is weirdly half hearted). Hugh is an ice guy, but James is better.

[Quilt Fairy]

This version seems to have none of the charm or the humor of the original. 

[dleighg]

21 minutes ago, Quilt Fairy said:

This version seems to have none of the charm or the humor of the original.

My husband and I have no familiarity with the earlier one (or the books) but are thoroughly enjoying it. It is sweet and funny (at least in our humble opinions). Maybe we're just easy consumers in these difficult times.

[magdalene]

1 hour ago, Quilt Fairy said:

This version seems to have none of the charm or the humor of the original. 

Tastes will differ. Having watched both versions, I find both charming and enjoyable in their own way.

[sugarbaker design]

2 hours ago, dleighg said:

My husband and I have no familiarity with the earlier one (or the books) but are thoroughly enjoying it. It is sweet and funny (at least in our humble opinions). Maybe we're just easy consumers in these difficult times.

I totally agree.  There really should be three threads for ACG&S.  One for fans of the books, one for the fans of the original series, and one for viewers like me, who watch with no comparisons or expectations.

[HoodlumSheep]

Lovely season finale.

Ready to personally fight Mrs. Hall's son.

That old couple...so adorable! 40 years and in that time period! That's the definition of true love.

Tristan was so good with that kid.

The piece of music that played while James was leaving town and helen was heading to her wedding was simply gorgeous.

*and yay! The wedding was called off!

Edited February 22, 2021 by HoodlumSheep

[lucindabelle]

So she ditched him at the altar?

interesting what her dad said- as if he knew that Helen was marrying partly to help her family out.

I think she liked Hugh but did not love him- and had fallen for James and knew it.

thw whole time I was looking at the old couple and wondering if this was retro casting like Bridgetton. So glad it wasn’t. I get so confused about what I’m “really” looking at.

loved that the old man cried when the puppy lived.

So will Tristan just practice without a license now?

[Wonkabar5]

Oh, so I see everyone is here already? Lolol.   Okay, the finale. 

The Good:

Siegfried comforting Mrs. Hall during Christmas service. She was tearing up over son.  He reaches over and takes her hand.  *I* even welled up at that. 

Siegfried letting the exam stuff go and just being there for his brother.

Siegfried overcoming his reticence/shyness  with the woman (sorry, forget her name).  Dorothy? Lol

***The Bad/Ugly***

What in the world was that with the very last second Wedding drama-Rama? Come on ladies (and gents?) you *know* the whole time with James and the car, you were terrified the show was going to pull a Dustin Hoffman and have James burst in screaming, “Heeeeleen!”

And then they all pile into a bus with Helen relieved (in her white dress).

Seriously, hubby just turned to me and said, “This is B———t.” 

But all in all, a very nice episode. 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2021 by Wonkabar5

[possibilities]

My listings had this as a 90 minute episode, but it wasn't at all. Strange.

[dargosmydaddy]

Ugh. I saw the Helen-leaves-Hugh-at-the-altar coming from a million miles away, and though I'm fine with the result, I'm rolling my eyes over the execution. The whole Helen-and-Hugh engagement felt very rushed. I realize months had passed on the show (and also that months passed between this episode and the last when it aired in the UK), but they were still only engaged for one episode! What's up with that? Did Matthew Lewis make a last-minute decision to leave the show? Most shows go in the other direction and draw out their love triangles for too long, so I guess I should be grateful that we've gotten it over with, but the pacing felt very off.

That said, I adored the rest of the episode. Tristan has really grown on me the past couple weeks, the Tristan/ Siegfried stuff was awesome, and I am shipping Siegfried/ Mrs. Hall hard.

8 hours ago, lucindabelle said:

So will Tristan just practice without a license now?

I assume (hope!) that Siegfried will (after the holidays, and without losing his temper) tell Tristan he still has one more class to pass, and presumably he can sit that exam again.

5 hours ago, possibilities said:

My listings had this as a 90 minute episode, but it wasn't at all. Strange.

PBS is notoriously incapable of listing things in non-thirty minute intervals. The episode ran a few minutes over the hour, and therefore necessitated a whole extra half hour slot. Which is really annoying for viewers who were expecting more!

[skipnjump]

On 2/20/2021 at 8:47 AM, Gizkok said:

No one has mentioned, at least not that I have seen, the wonderful sweaters, jerseys, cardigans, vest and other knitted things.  They look handmade and are gorgeous!  I don't see things like that in shows from the US but I have frequently noticed if it is from the British Isles, chances are very good for seeing such things.  Even if they aren't handmade they have the look of it. Yet you seldom see anyone knitting.

I commented to my Mom last night about how James always seems to be in a cozy sweater vest. 

[AZChristian]

19 minutes ago, skipnjump said:

I commented to my Mom last night about how James always seems to be in a cozy sweater vest. 

Given the scarf and hat he got from "Mum" for his birthday, I assume she spends a lot of time knitting.  Sweater vests are great . . . no sleeves!!!!

[Leeds]

Thank you wardrobe for "highlighting" just how tight elves' trousers were in 1930's Yorkshire.

Just now, AZChristian said:

Given the scarf and hat he got from "Mum" for his birthday, I assume she spends a lot of time knitting.  Sweater vests are great . . . no sleeves!!!!

I imagine Mrs. Hall knits for him too, and quite possibly some secret admirers from the village!

 

[Dehumidifier]

I couldn't help chuckling as Helen was heading toward the wedding. Marie Antoinette looked more cheerful going to her execution on Lucy Worsley's 7 PM royals show.

[MrAtoz]

2 hours ago, dargosmydaddy said:

PBS is notoriously incapable of listing things in non-thirty minute intervals. The episode ran a few minutes over the hour, and therefore necessitated a whole extra half hour slot. Which is really annoying for viewers who were expecting more!

I don't know about anyone else's PBS stations, but my local station filled the remainder of that half-hour with "A Special Announcement!" and "Exclusive Interviews With The Cast!"  The special announcement was that there will be a season 2, which most of us already knew.  The exclusive interviews were very brief snippets of Nicholas Ralph and Rachel Shenton saying, essentially, "Yeah, I enjoy working on this show.  It's fun."  Couldn't have been more than a minute each.

The rest of the time was filled with endless repetitions of how, if you donate at this level, you'll get a copy of the book, if you donate at the next level, you'll get the series on DVD, and if you donate at an even higher level you'll get all that plus a coffee mug!

As for the episode itself, I enjoyed Tristan getting through to the shy kid (I'm sure I've seen something on Facebook recently about David Bowie doing that same "magic invisible mask" thing with a shy fan), and Siegfried deciding not to blow his top about Tristan failing, and just letting everyone enjoy Christmas.  I did not really enjoy the James-hurrying-to-the-church and Helen-leaving-Hugh-at-the-altar parts.  That was all just so cliché melodrama, and was such a sharp contrast to the more human and realistic moments.

[laredhead]

I remember watching the original series many years ago, and enjoyed it immensely.  I have loved this new one just as much.  The scenery is spectacular.  One of my favorite lines of the finale was Tristan's "I'm dressed as an elf with a donkey for my date" - so funny.  The casting for the show is so perfect - IMO.  The show also is a reminder that life was very hard for small farmers.  The very small house of the couple with the dog was probably typical of many at the time.  The small tree with the real candles made me think how simple pleasures were such highlights of an otherwise pretty mundane and many times, grim, way of life.  

All in all, I thought it was a great series season ending, and I look forward to the 2nd season maybe in 2022.

 

[Blergh]

Well, it looks as though I called it re Helen not going through with the marriage to Hugh but I was a bit surprised that she called it off evidently at the altar itself in front of their entire community. 

Still, I like that this did NOT get depicted with everyone's reactions being at a fever pitch but the viewers were given a more 'after the fact' with Tristan giving the first hint about James missing it. I somehow doubt that many if not most of the congregants wouldn't have been gossiping a storm leaving the church instead of just quietly leaving it as though they had just slept through another sermon  and hoped no one would ask them what the topic had been.  Well, at least she may possibly use the wedding dress when she actually DOES get married. I somehow doubt Mr. Alderson or Jenny had truly been looking forward to her marrying Hugh- even though that marriage would have put them on an easier street than they were but I can't help but feel sorry for Mr. Alderson for likely having to somehow eat a HUGE part of the family income for the wedding that never was (and having to deal with flak over Helen's turning down Hugh). I guess Hugh stormed off as soon as Helen said 'I DON'T'. 

Speaking of gossip, I know that Mrs. Hall was the only one who actually saw Helen leave with James to attend to Burt and Anne Chapman's dog Susie's birth but how long before the other townsfolk wouldn't have noticed that Helen had gone missing on her wedding eve and was Hugh truly so distracted by his bachelor party at the Drovers that he didn't wonder where she was?  Of course, I thought the Chapmans' backstory of them having gotten (and stayed married) despite him being a local and her being evidently biracial and an 'outsider' was interesting to have been touched upon- though I imagine in that time and place Mrs. Chapman likely had a smaller number of friends than other older wives. Still, it was interesting to see her encourage the spark between James and Helen even if they both were trying to deny it to each other and themselves. Also, I have to say that the Chapmans must have put a great deal of trust to leave James and Helen all alone in their cottage's main room- and, especially, that the two would have extinguished all live candles on the Christmas tree. Well, I doubt that their time at the Chapmans will stay unknown and even more so that folks will believe that the two slept in the same room and NOTHING more. 

BTW, check out Anne Chapman's performer Cleo Sylvestre's  work and bio. It's quite intriguing and she was born in 1945 in a small English town but has had a performing career in the UK from childhood onwards- even being the lead singer of a successful rendition of 'To Know Him is to Love Him' in 1964- being backed by (of all people) The Rolling Stones! 

Quite the pageant they had going for Christmas. I couldn't believe that Mrs. Hall would serve what appeared to be fresh cranberries at the table. This was England not New England in the late 1930's- and I seriously doubt many would have heard of cranberries much less serve them at that time. Poor Mrs. Hall having her no-good son Edward blow her off like that and still hold a grudge against her for not turning a blind eye to his thievery against her then-employer (and infuriating that even after she DID do the right thing, she still got canned for his actions).

Siegfried and Dorothy seem to have a shot as do Tristan and the Drovers server who got impressed with him encouraging her shy kid brother (are their parents living?).

Although James will likely not see Glasgow until the wee hours of Boxing Day, it was good that he got to have Christmas dinner with everyone else at Skeldale House which was a fitting end to the episode and this season.

I ALREADY miss it and can hardly wait for the next season's broadcast! 

 

[Wonkabar5]

@dargosmydaddy: yes Helen would have to call it off, but sheesh we just could not believe the whole scenario went up until the very last minute.  “The Graduate” without the mournful pleas. Lol

Oh, forgot to mention last night that we do not get to see Hugh’s reaction to any of this business at the altar. 

[Dehumidifier]

21 minutes ago, MrAtoz said:

I don't know about anyone else's PBS stations, but my local station filled the remainder of that half-hour with "A Special Announcement!" and "Exclusive Interviews With The Cast!"  The special announcement was that there will be a season 2, which most of us already knew.  The exclusive interviews were very brief snippets of Nicholas Ralph and Rachel Shenton saying, essentially, "Yeah, I enjoy working on this show.  It's fun."  Couldn't have been more than a minute each.

Channel 13 in NYC ran a short documentary about Selfridges Department Store. When it started I thought it was an announcement that they were going to rebroadcast the Selfridges drama from a few years ago!

[AZChristian]

While googling around about the show this morning, I learned that there was a Hallmark movie that PREDATED the original series . . . starring Anthony Hopkins as Siegfried.

Sadly, I haven't found anywhere to view it.  Yet.

[Wonkabar5]

Yes,  it’s a Region 2 dvd. I have seen it on amazon. Do you have a multi region player? 

[humbleopinion]

I imagined James’ mum being as almost disappointed as Mrs. Hall that her son was not coming home for Christmas.

All his favorite foods prepared and on the set table.

James’ gift sitting under the family tree..a new sweater vest, mittens, socks will need to be parceled to him.

The holiday foods were beautiful and I need to go back and freeze frame the spreads from the party and Christmas.

Food Dept... well done.

Edited February 22, 2021 by humbleopinion

[lovesnark]

I watched the original when it aired and have been doing a rewatch on Prime TV. It's very hard not to compare the two! But, I've been able to just enjoy this one on it's own. The scenery is spectacular and makes me want to go to England for an extended vacation even more. My best friend and I are planning to go when the world gets back to some semblance of normal and the Yorkshire Dales will be a large part of our visit.

The only complaint I have about this version is I wish they spent more time on the veterinary aspect of the show and less time on interpersonal drama. I'm also having a hard time getting used to Mrs. Hall being so young. 

The sweaters, vests and other knitted items are such a treat to see. I'm a spinner and knitter and the women of the Yorkshire Dales during that era are famous for their knitting of color work garments and the speed in which they knit them. I just watched an old video of women in the Dales knitting and it was amazing. If they kept sheep on their farm, there was usually a spinning wheel in the house and the wives would take the fleece from shearing all the way to yarn and knitted garments. It was a way for them to earn income as well as keep their families warm. And, I bet some of the vests we see the Farnons and James wear were gifts from farmers or were purchased from them. For a fiber geek like me, the knitwear is a highlight of the show! 

All in all, I've really enjoyed it and will be happy to see another season........or two.......or three.

Edited February 22, 2021 by lovesnark

[magdalene]

I love Tristan, it was so endearing how he dealt with the shy little boy.  I liked how we didn't even see the soap opera drama of Helen jilting Hugh at the altar.

I can't see Dorothy as Siegfried's wife, so for me she is just a detour on the Siegfried/Mrs.Hall train.   Well, I loathe Mrs.Hall's son without ever having clapped eyes on him. What a toad.

[AZChristian]

27 minutes ago, Wonkabar5 said:

Yes,  it’s a Region 2 dvd. I have seen it on amazon. Do you have a multi region player? 

No.  Grrrr.

18 minutes ago, lovesnark said:

I watched the original when it aired and have been doing a rewatch on Prime TV. It's very hard not to compare the two! But, I've been able to just enjoy this one on it's own. The scenery is spectacular and makes me want to go to England for an extended vacation even more. My best friend and I are planning to go when the world gets back to some semblance of normal and the Yorkshire Dales will be a large part of our visit.

I'm with you!

I found out this morning that the original veterinary building has been modernized and is now a Bed and Breakfast.  I'm adding that to the list for if we ever get back to England.

[BooksRule]

33 minutes ago, lovesnark said:

The only complaint I have about this version is I wish they spent more time on the veterinary aspect of the show and less time on interpersonal drama.

If you haven't read the books, there's lots of detailed descriptions of the veterinary part of the stories.  Speaking of the books, just last night I read the chapter where Suzie has her puppies. I won't say much, but I will say that Helen was there but that's about the only thing the books/show have in common.

I know that there are probably limits on filming winter scenes when it was probably not winter at the time, but I was disappointed that it was so green and that we only saw snow at the end.  There were so many great descriptions in the books about making house calls in freezing, wintery, snowy weather.

That Christmas spread did look good (although I've never had goose, so I don't know if I would like it or not).  I personally love Brussel sprouts, as long as they are cut in half, tossed with a little oil and a little salt and oven-roasted until brown around the edges. Yum!

[peacheslatour]

Quote

There were so many great descriptions in the books about making house calls in freezing, wintery, snowy weather.

In the middle of the night, more often than not.

[AstaCharles]

57 minutes ago, lovesnark said:

 The scenery is spectacular and makes me want to go to England for an extended vacation even more. My best friend and I are planning to go when the world gets back to some semblance of normal and the Yorkshire Dales will be a large part of our visit.

 

I want to tour the Dales and see Sutton Hoo (after watching The Dig on Netflix)

 

[fishcakes]

On 2/16/2021 at 3:09 PM, Ilovepie said:

Can you enlighten me - were Helen and Hugh ever engaged in the books? I don't remember. Even if this show does take license with the story vs the books, I would be in utter shock if she actually married him! I truly hope this doesn't go there.

In the books and the original series, James's rival for Helen's affections was Richard Edmundson, who was wealthy and a little bit of a snob, but not her landlord. (The Aldersons owned their farm.) They had been friends since childhood and Helen's dad hoped they would get married, but it never seemed particularly serious on Helen's part. She went to dances and things with him, but it wasn't a serious romance. The original didn't have a Hugh Hulton, but there was a Lord Hulton, who was a wealthy aristocrat but very unpretentious and he worked his own farm. He was probably in his 50s or 60s. In general, the original series was very faithful to the books, and the new series makes a ton of changes. I much prefer the original, but I can enjoy this one as long as I don't compare the two.

[DonnaMae]

4 hours ago, dargosmydaddy said:

I am shipping Siegfried/ Mrs. Hall hard.

Me too.  I thought I was the only one.  I know she's a younger and a more attractive Mrs. Hall than was in the books, but this is a new version and I like this Mrs. Hall so much more than the older one.  She's like a member of the family, and I think she and Siegfried would make a great couple.  But I suppose he's going to end up marrying Dorothy. Then what will happen to Mrs. Hall?

[lovesnark]

1 hour ago, BooksRule said:

If you haven't read the books, there's lots of detailed descriptions of the veterinary part of the stories.  Speaking of the books, just last night I read the chapter where Suzie has her puppies. I won't say much, but I will say that Helen was there but that's about the only thing the books/show have in common.

I know that there are probably limits on filming winter scenes when it was probably not winter at the time, but I was disappointed that it was so green and that we only saw snow at the end.  There were so many great descriptions in the books about making house calls in freezing, wintery, snowy weather.

That Christmas spread did look good (although I've never had goose, so I don't know if I would like it or not).  I personally love Brussel sprouts, as long as they are cut in half, tossed with a little oil and a little salt and oven-roasted until brown around the edges. Yum!

I read all the books years ago and am going to order new copies and read them again. When my daughter was little, my mom gave her a copy of 'Only One Woof', one of Herriot's children books.  When I watch my grandson, he picks a book to read before his nap and we sit in the rocking chair while we read the story. A couple weeks ago, he wanted a book on a shelf and it was the James Herriot book my mom gave my daughter. When I opened it, I saw my mom had written on the inside cover and it made me cry. It was pretty wonderful to explain to him that this book was a gift from his mama's grammie and now he was sitting in Nana's lap reading the story just like his mama did when she was little. 

Roast goose is delicious! 

Edited February 22, 2021 by lovesnark

[sugarbaker design]

8 minutes ago, DonnaMae said:

But I suppose he's going to end up marrying Dorothy. Then what will happen to Mrs. Hall?

You don't really expect Dorothy to do the washing, cleaning and cooking, do you?

[lovesnark]

1 hour ago, AZChristian said:

No.  Grrrr.

I'm with you!

I found out this morning that the original veterinary building has been modernized and is now a Bed and Breakfast.  I'm adding that to the list for if we ever get back to England.

Skeldale House is a bed and breakfast now! The original surgery is in the James Herriot museum in Thirsk.

Edited February 22, 2021 by lovesnark

[AZChristian]

15 minutes ago, DonnaMae said:

Me too.  I thought I was the only one.  I know she's a younger and a more attractive Mrs. Hall than was in the books, but this is a new version and I like this Mrs. Hall so much more than the older one.  She's like a member of the family, and I think she and Siegfried would make a great couple.  But I suppose he's going to end up marrying Dorothy. Then what will happen to Mrs. Hall?

Spoiler

In real life, "Siegfried's" second wife was named Audrey.  In the show, her friend (Dorothy) called Mrs. Hall "Audrey."  I hope that's a hint of things to come!!!!

 

5 minutes ago, lovesnark said:

Skeldale House is a bed and breakfast now! The original surgery is in the James Herriot museum in Thirsk.

I wanna go!!!!!

[Driad]

James stopping the car at the crossroads to make a decision: how deeply symbolic or something. I half expected to hear Robert Johnson playing guitar. (Right time, wrong place.)

[DonnaMae]

I'm not sure that Helen cancelled her wedding because she's in love with James.  I think at this point she thinks of him as just a good friend.  I think she realized she didn't love Hugh and didn't want to leave her father and sister and the farm to live in the city.  She's a country girl.

 

[Wonkabar5]

Yes, on the whole I do so far prefer Orig All Creatures for its more whimsical humor. BUT...even with the many liberties taken here as we have all cited, things could have been a heck of a lot worse.

Please just scurry over to the Anne with an E forum here.😱   Talk about messing about with the original text and childhood/young adult memories of both book and Meghan Follows series!  Cancelled after 3 seasons.

 The new Poldark 2015 also springs to mind. First season even with liberties taken was good, but went severely downhill after that. Season 5 was completely off-books. Lolol.   Andrew (author’s son) signed off on the travesty.

Let’s just hope Alf Wight’s son keeps things on track. 

 

 

[Megan]

Whenever James does any veterinary work, the actor plays it like he's so delightfully surprised that it actually worked.

It was a charming series and was very pleasant to spend time with, instead of some gritty anti-hero show or retelling that everything seems to be nowadays.

Edited February 23, 2021 by Megan