All Creatures Great And Small (2021) - General Discussion

[Wonkabar5]

Heck, I’m tired of the shows/movies where ALL the characters are so severely flawed that they are not liked, nor even redeemable in some cases.  And this is considered to be “edgy” and “hip.”  Pfft. 

 

[possibilities]

My PBS station (which comes from Boston) also played the documentary about the department store. 

In the car on the way to the wedding with Helen looking like she was going off to her own execution, Helen's father told her that she didn't have to do anything for him, that they would manage and she shouldn't worry. I think that was meant to show us that her family knew she didn't want to marry Hugh (and his money) and he was giving her permission to end it. 

I do feel a bit bad for Hugh, as he seemed to be a decent person with genuine affection for Helen, and getting jilted at the altar is rather humiliating. I just hope this doesn't lead to him causing them trouble as their landlord.

I can't picture Dorothy living at Skeldale. She seems like someone who lives a totally different lifestyle than we see from Siegfried.

 

[BetyBee]

I read all the books many years ago and recently rewatched the original series. I love this version and am happy to love each rendition separately. I really like this version of Tristan. He's so caring. In the old series, I never felt that Tristan enjoyed veterinary until near the end. Most of his time was spent avoiding work and playing tricks. James was a bit silly in the old series, the way he was so often getting drunk against his better judgement. But in that series, I loved that he came right out and told Helen he loved her (when he was smashed, of course!) and she replied "I know." I was kind of hoping that would happen here, but they played it more subtly, which was lovely. The old couple could see it and perhaps gave them a push. I look forward to the next season, but it will likely be a long wait!

[sugarbaker design]

2 hours ago, Driad said:

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.)

Wasn't that the intersection where the bus dropped him off in the first episode?

[monakane]

I lost my mind when I saw the border collie.  I had one many years ago and she was my doggie soul mate.  I was relieved that she and the pups made it.

 

[JudyObscure]

5 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

and if you donate at an even higher level you'll get all that plus a coffee mug!

 

Our station had all that after 10 o'clock,  too, plus some of the pledge drive stuff before the show. I told my husband, for $500 we could get a coffee mug!

I kind of like Hugh, so I hated to think he was turned down at the altar.  On the other hand, if something that dramatic happens, like Edith in Downton Abbey,  I want to see it!  I would like to know how she worded it to Hugh. What do you suppose she said to the guests?  "Sorry, I changed my mind. Please help yourselves to the sandwiches and punch in the fellowship hall. I'll be returning your gifts, so save the receipts!" 

I'm looking forward to the next season.  I've already fallen in love with  Siegfried, Tristan, James, Mrs. Hall, and all the animals.  That honking donkey is just the sweetest thing.

 

 

[buttersister]

Quote

we do not get to see Hugh’s reaction to any of this business at the altar. 

Yes! And thank you, Show! Although the jilted-at-the-altar trope would have been well replaced by an honest Helen-->Hugh chat, I get why the scriptwriters did what they did.

Original series on Prime? May use if I get twitchy before season 2. 

[BetyBee]

1 minute ago, buttersister said:

Yes! And thank you, Show! Although the jilted-at-the-altar trope would have been well replaced by an honest Helen-->Hugh chat, I get why the scriptwriters did what they did.

Original series on Prime? May use if I get twitchy before season 2. 

I had to get BritBox to see it. 

[humbleopinion]

For Mrs. Hall fans of actress Anna Madeley you can see her in The Child in Time a movie being shown on PBS stations as Benedict Cumberbatch's  friend.

Anna Madeley's wiki says she's 44 years old and age appropriate to be Edward's mother but her beautiful skin makes her look so very much younger.

[magdalene]

5 hours 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?

Have hope!  I think Dorothy is a rebound woman for widower Siegfried.  I don't dislike her but I don't see her as being a vet's wife. I may be wearing a tin foil hat but I think the show has given certain indications who could be  the ideal woman for Siegfried - and that is Mrs. Hall.

[AZChristian]

8 hours ago, Dehumidifier said:

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!

Loved the Selfridge's drama . . . with "Siegfried" as Mr. Edwards, the newspaperman.  

We were in London in 2015, and this was one of my favorite snapshots of places we visited.  I'm on the left.  I was holding my breath, hoping that the young woman on the right wouldn't move before my husband had a chance to snap the picture.  Isn't she striking????  (In a good way.)

 

Edited February 22, 2021 by AZChristian
Picture placement

[peacheslatour]

I cried twice last night. Once when the pup was okay and again when Mrs. Hall was crying while singing Joy To The World.

[BooksRule]

As a librarian, I want to put in a commercial for your local public library.  Look there for the DVDs of the original series.  I just checked, and it looks like my local library system has the series available for checkout (they seem to be scattered throughout the various branches, but that's okay).  A lot of libraries have pretty good collections of PBS shows on DVD--and not just the newer series.  End commercial. 🙂 

[AZChristian]

Just now, BooksRule said:

As a librarian, I want to put in a commercial for your local public library.  Look there for the DVDs of the original series.  I just checked, and it looks like my local library system has the series available for checkout (they seem to be scattered throughout the various branches, but that's okay).  A lot of libraries have pretty good collections of PBS shows on DVD--and not just the newer series.  End commercial. 🙂 

Libraries have kept us from going insane during the pandemic.  Rarely a week goes by that we're not either picking up books or DVDs.  We do some electronic borrowing, but sometimes you just crave the feel of a book in your hands.  Curbside pickup of bliss . . . that's what we consider our stops at local libraries.

You folks are - to our household - every bit as essential to our health as first responders.

Thank you!!!!

[dargosmydaddy]

I am convinced Siegfried/ Mrs. Hall is end game, and no one can tell me otherwise.

14 minutes ago, BooksRule said:

As a librarian, I want to put in a commercial for your local public library. 

In addition to having physical DVDs, I've just discovered that my library subscribes to Hoopla, which provides free streaming of a lot of British and Australian PBS-type shows (as well as other things). Yay, libraries!

[libgirl2]

55 minutes ago, BooksRule said:

As a librarian, I want to put in a commercial for your local public library.  Look there for the DVDs of the original series.  I just checked, and it looks like my local library system has the series available for checkout (they seem to be scattered throughout the various branches, but that's okay).  A lot of libraries have pretty good collections of PBS shows on DVD--and not just the newer series.  End commercial. 🙂 

My library (and consortium) doesn't own it. I mentioned it to my supervisor who is the collection development librarian but she didn't show much interest in purchasing it for our collection. We do have the current one on order.  I'm currently trying to get the original through Interlibrary Loan. Not having much luck though. 

[Doublemint]

I just saw the Christmas episode and enjoyed it - despite the fact that nothing in it happened in the books except (the dog had puppies and Helen was with James)

  I always thought if a bride jilted someone in the church, she would turn around and leave.   How could she have sat there all alone?  Did all the people and groom just walk out and leave her there, as well as her family & attendants?  How about James driving to Scotland on Christmas Day with the top down?   Would Mrs. Hall really have gone to church and leave all the food out on the table?   

I've always heard British people say, "Happy Christmas", never "Merry Christmas"  everyone was wishing "Merry" (except once Seigfried did say "Happy".   There was a sign hanging up that said 'Merry Christmas".

I think the overnight with James had Helen thinking how nice it would be to be with him every night.   You could feel that she was thinking this.  It was very well done.

Overall - it's too modern and I am 100% aware that it's a show, but there's nothing charming to see except this, so I'm glad it will be back.

[tennisgurl]

Helen looked so miserable before her wedding, I am not surprised at all that she called it off. That sucks for Hugh, he seems like a decent enough guy and he seems to love Helen, but at least this love triangle wont be drawn out for too long. This is higher drama than this show tends to go in for, so I did kind of groan at that whole bit. 

However, I cant be mad at this show, its too delightful. I love the characters, I love the scenery, I love the animals, and even if it has no basis in cannon, real or from the books, I am totally down for Siegfried and Mrs. Hall getting together. My heart absolutely melted when he held her hand when she was crying in church, it was right up there with saving the cute puppies as far as moments in this episode that got my eyes watering. I have no familiarity with the other versions of this story so I have nothing to compare it to, but I adore this show and I am so happy that I found it. Its so warm and sweet, its like a nice big cup of hot chocolate wrapped up in a big scarf. 

[possibilities]

In my mind, Helen went to Hugh in private and told him, rather than doing it literally at the altar in front of all the guests. And then after everyone left, she sat there trying to collect herself and maybe get right inside. 

[Blergh]

18 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

Wasn't that the intersection where the bus dropped him off in the first episode?

Excellent catch! And just think how far James had come from that spot- having gotten soaked to the skin walking to Skeldale House and seeming to almost certainly be doomed to have to return to Glasgow to work with his father! Now he was driving that cool touring car,  knew he had a home in Skeldale AND had become a pillar of the Darrowby community in a very short time  and on his way back to Glasgow to celebrate Christmas with his parents but even with ALL that achievement, he was utterly miserable at thinking that he'd blown his chance to be with Helen and decided he HAD to see if he could try to stop that from happening before that became a permanent state! Well, it turned out that Helen decided she couldn't go through with it but James couldn't have timed his consolation any better had he been at that church the entire time (in fact, it's likely his presence beforehand would have just made things tense with added needless speculation). 

[Wonkabar5]

I’m glad upthread mentions libraries and their importance.  Might I also interject the importance of *IN person* visitation?   Lolol.  THIS is what has been my salvation!   Internet searches cannot compare to the joy of self-browsing and/or a carefully and festively placed display of books, cds, dvds.  Internet searches are not always fully competent, either.  😉 

There are also materials for sale to the public (mags/books, cd/dvd/puzzles) in the library store and friendly people to *talk* to. Many materials in excellent condition. Very inexpensive as well.

The libraries are *Clean* so clean that I have been in them all the way up until the first shutdown and again, when they re-opened.   Also, a plug for Half-Price Books,  which can be found in several states.   No, I do not work there,  lol. 

[Shanna Marie]

On 2/22/2021 at 9:00 AM, laredhead said:

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.  

I went through the power outages in Texas last week, so I guess that was my mindset, so I found myself focused on the fact that they didn't seem to have electricity or indoor plumbing. They had candles on the tree and it looked like a wood stove and fire, with them having to go to a pump to get water. But after my experience last week, I was a little envious of that stove, so they were able to make tea and stay warm.

I really hate the "rush to the wedding of the person you love" trope because it's such a jerk move. He had months to say something and didn't, and she had months to say or do something and didn't, so the odds are that showing up at the wedding is just going to ruin her wedding. He doesn't know he's the main character in a TV show and she's probably not going to go through with marrying the other guy, so what does he expect to happen? Was he going to object during the ceremony on the grounds that he loved her? Did he expect her to not go through with it just because of that? And if she did dump the other guy and run off with him at her wedding, it would pretty much ruin their standing in the community because it would look like they'd been cheating. The way it worked out was for the best, where she made the decision independently without anything James did being a factor. About the only decent reason for him turning back and showing up at the church would be if he decided to get over his own hurt feelings to be there for his friend on her big day rather than going back to try to talk her out of getting married.

And what's up with the Christmas Day wedding? Does anyone actually do that in the real world, or is that just a TV show/Hallmark movie thing? Because that's also kind of a jerk move to make other people give up their holiday to come to your wedding or to work for your wedding. Maybe it's not so bad in a small town like that, where it might be part of the church service they were already going to anyway (was that still a thing at that time, where a wedding ceremony was part of an existing church service rather than a separate event?), but the staff at the pub putting together the reception would have had to work on Christmas.

What year is this taking place? It sounded like George VI on the radio, so all I could think was that the war is just around the corner for these people.

The actor playing Tristan really has a winning way about him. Both in The Durrells in Corfu and this show, he plays a character type I usually don't like, and I start out finding him annoying, but then he ends up totally winning me over. When Tristan first showed up, I resented him, and now I want to hug him.

[sugarbaker design]

2 minutes ago, Shanna Marie said:

The actor playing Tristan really has a winning way about him. Both in The Durrells in Corfu and this show, he plays a character type I usually don't like, and I start out finding him annoying, but then he ends up totally winning me over. When Tristan first showed up, I resented him, and now I want to hug him.

That's something they can't teach at RADA:  charm.

[peacheslatour]

19 minutes ago, Shanna Marie said:

I went through the power outages in Texas last week, so I guess that was my mindset, so I found myself focused on the fact that they didn't seem to have electricity or indoor plumbing. They had candles on the tree and it looked like a wood stove and fire, with them having to go to a pump to get water. But after my experience last week, I was a little envious of that stove, so they were able to make tea and stay warm.

I really hate the "rush to the wedding of the person you love" trope because it's such a jerk move. He had months to say something and didn't, and she had months to say or do something and didn't, so the odds are that showing up at the wedding is just going to ruin her wedding. He doesn't know he's the main character in a TV show and she's probably not going to go through with marrying the other guy, so what does he expect to happen? Was he going to object during the ceremony on the grounds that he loved her? Did he expect her to not go through with it just because of that? And if she did dump the other guy and run off with him at her wedding, it would pretty much ruin their standing in the community because it would look like they'd been cheating. The way it worked out was for the best, where she made the decision independently without anything James did being a factor. About the only decent reason for him turning back and showing up at the church would be if he decided to get over his own hurt feelings to be there for his friend on her big day rather than going back to try to talk her out of getting married.

And what's up with the Christmas Day wedding? Does anyone actually do that in the real world, or is that just a TV show/Hallmark movie thing? Because that's also kind of a jerk move to make other people give up their holiday to come to your wedding or to work for your wedding. Maybe it's not so bad in a small town like that, where it might be part of the church service they were already going to anyway (was that still a thing at that time, where a wedding ceremony was part of an existing church service rather than a separate event?), but the staff at the pub putting together the reception would have had to work on Christmas.

What year is this taking place? It sounded like George VI on the radio, so all I could think was that the war is just around the corner for these people.

The actor playing Tristan really has a winning way about him. Both in The Durrells in Corfu and this show, he plays a character type I usually don't like, and I start out finding him annoying, but then he ends up totally winning me over. When Tristan first showed up, I resented him, and now I want to hug him.

I agree. I would never expect my friends and relatives to forego their family holiday traditions to drag their asses to my wedding on Christmas.

[AZChristian]

15 minutes ago, Shanna Marie said:

. . . where it might be part of the church service they were already going to anyway (was that still a thing at that time, where a wedding ceremony was part of an existing church service rather than a separate event?)

Not just in small towns.  We live in the fourth-largest city in Arizona.  One Sunday, a middle-aged couple who were an active part of our church scheduled their wedding following the regular Sunday evening service.  After church was dismissed, the pastor said, "As many of you already know, _____ and ______ are going to be married this evening.  All who wish to witness the ceremony are cordially invited to stay and celebrate this occasion.  All others may feel free to go ahead with their normal Sunday evening after-church plans."

Unique, but practical . . . and a lot less stress than most weddings seem to be.

[cinsays]

On 2/22/2021 at 7:24 AM, dargosmydaddy said:

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.

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.

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!

and then it is a few minutes of talk with the cast mixed in with the same pitch for people to join over and over and over.  we got it, you need money and want us to join, but really....

[peacheslatour]

37 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

Not just in small towns.  We live in the fourth-largest city in Arizona.  One Sunday, a middle-aged couple who were an active part of our church scheduled their wedding following the regular Sunday evening service.  After church was dismissed, the pastor said, "As many of you already know, _____ and ______ are going to be married this evening.  All who wish to witness the ceremony are cordially invited to stay and celebrate this occasion.  All others may feel free to go ahead with their normal Sunday evening after-church plans."

Unique, but practical . . . and a lot less stress than most weddings seem to be.

Very sensible as long as they didn't expect people to give up their day. 

[Ilovepie]

14 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

However, I cant be mad at this show, its too delightful. I love the characters, I love the scenery, I love the animals, and even if it has no basis in cannon, real or from the books, I am totally down for Siegfried and Mrs. Hall getting together. My heart absolutely melted when he held her hand when she was crying in church, it was right up there with saving the cute puppies as far as moments in this episode that got my eyes watering. I have no familiarity with the other versions of this story so I have nothing to compare it to, but I adore this show and I am so happy that I found it. Its so warm and sweet, its like a nice big cup of hot chocolate wrapped up in a big scarf. 

Agreed! I am not a Siegfried/Mrs. Hall shipper, but that moment in the church was perfect. This show is so delightful, I can't be mad at any liberties taken. My beloved Leslie/Tristan continues to charm, I love this version of James, Mrs. Hall and Helen, and new Siegfried grows on me even though it still drives me a little nuts that both show versions chose to veer so far from book Siegfried. The scenery is beautiful. I just like shows like this - I can't wait for season 2!

I hope the new season includes the rich townie small animal doctor that always got James stuffed with food and completely drunk when he visited. Those stories were always my favorites. Also, still waiting for Cedric the Farting Boxer 😛

[MrAtoz]

1 hour ago, Shanna Marie said:

What year is this taking place? It sounded like George VI on the radio, so all I could think was that the war is just around the corner for these people.

I believe that the first episode said "1937" at the beginning.  It's true, the war is coming.  Historically, "James" and "Siegfried" both served in the RAF, while "Tristan" served in the Army Veterinary Corps, during World War II.  I wonder if the series will deal with that at all, assuming it lasts a few more years.

[peacheslatour]

25 minutes ago, Ilovepie said:

Agreed! I am not a Siegfried/Mrs. Hall shipper, but that moment in the church was perfect. This show is so delightful, I can't be mad at any liberties taken. My beloved Leslie/Tristan continues to charm, I love this version of James, Mrs. Hall and Helen, and new Siegfried grows on me even though it still drives me a little nuts that both show versions chose to veer so far from book Siegfried. The scenery is beautiful. I just like shows like this - I can't wait for season 2!

I hope the new season includes the rich townie small animal doctor that always got James stuffed with food and completely drunk when he visited. Those stories were always my favorites. Also, still waiting for Cedric the Farting Boxer 😛

Spoiler

That part with the kitten with the broken jaw just about killed me. The small animal vet (I forget his name too) was an absolute wizard.

 

[Shanna Marie]

1 hour ago, AZChristian said:

Not just in small towns.  We live in the fourth-largest city in Arizona.  One Sunday, a middle-aged couple who were an active part of our church scheduled their wedding following the regular Sunday evening service.  After church was dismissed, the pastor said, "As many of you already know, _____ and ______ are going to be married this evening.  All who wish to witness the ceremony are cordially invited to stay and celebrate this occasion.  All others may feel free to go ahead with their normal Sunday evening after-church plans."

Unique, but practical . . . and a lot less stress than most weddings seem to be.

I think that's a brilliant idea, no fuss, less stress. I seem to recall that during at least part of the 1800s, that was standard in England. A wedding would just be part of the regular church service, with the whole congregation attending, and then invited guests would come to the wedding breakfast. But what I meant specific to small towns was that people weren't likely having to travel to attend. Everyone who would have attended the wedding would have been at church anyway, and they probably all went to the same church, so maybe it wasn't a huge inconvenience (well, other from the people having to work for the reception). And it did give James a handy excuse for skipping the wedding, with it being on a holiday he was planning to spend with his parents. If it hadn't been on Christmas and it had been just part of the church service, he'd have had no excuse for not being there (unless there was a conveniently timed animal emergency).

[Doublemint]

42 minutes ago, Shanna Marie said:

I think that's a brilliant idea, no fuss, less stress. I seem to recall that during at least part of the 1800s, that was standard in England. A wedding would just be part of the regular church service, with the whole congregation attending, and then invited guests would come to the wedding breakfast. But what I meant specific to small towns was that people weren't likely having to travel to attend. Everyone who would have attended the wedding would have been at church anyway, and they probably all went to the same church, so maybe it wasn't a huge inconvenience (well, other from the people having to work for the reception). And it did give James a handy excuse for skipping the wedding, with it being on a holiday he was planning to spend with his parents. If it hadn't been on Christmas and it had been just part of the church service, he'd have had no excuse for not being there (unless there was a conveniently timed animal emergency).

No, most of the people were at the midnight mass on Christmas Eve.    I never heard of a wedding on Christmas.   The church would have been otherwise engaged.

[momo]

20 hours ago, BooksRule said:

As a librarian, I want to put in a commercial for your local public library.  Look there for the DVDs of the original series.  I just checked, and it looks like my local library system has the series available for checkout (they seem to be scattered throughout the various branches, but that's okay).  A lot of libraries have pretty good collections of PBS shows on DVD--and not just the newer series.  End commercial. 🙂 

This is true!  I ALWAYS find DVDs of shows you have to rent or buy on a streaming service.  Don't forget Kanopy, too.

[limecoke]

Ok, having seen all of season one, I finally know how I feel about this update of the much-loved books and original series.  I feel like I have to view it much like I did the Hamish MacBeth series that BBC Scotland did back in the 90’s: good stand-alone TV, excellent on its own but bearing absolutely ZERO resemblance to the original MC Beaton books.

High marks for casting an actual Scot as James and, of course, current production values leave the original series in the dust, but I truly believe I prefer the original. Other than recognizable names and the gorgeous Yorkshire countryside, the silly changes made to the characters made no sense. Helen jilting the guy at the altar? Never...not the Helen James wrote about in the books. Besides, in the books, Hulton was an old guy. Siegfried a widower? He married Caroline and never emotionally recovered from her death much later in life. Mrs. Hall’s transformation from a stolid woman of Yorkshire who could say more with a look than with words to the young, buddy-buddy Mrs. Hall of the new series? Nope. Even the dog situation bugged me. The dog in the new version is a sweetie but Siegfried was known for the 5 dogs that lived at Skeldale and literally went everywhere with him. We needed more dogs!

So, all things considered, it was a good effort with great acting and beautiful scenery but I wasn’t a big fan of all the changes. Like the Hamish TV series, this one was way too different from James Wight’s books and while it was fine, I like the old one better.

[Doublemint]

55 minutes ago, limecoke said:

Ok, having seen all of season one, I finally know how I feel about this update of the much-loved books and original series.  I feel like I have to view it much like I did the Hamish MacBeth series that BBC Scotland did back in the 90’s: good stand-alone TV, excellent on its own but bearing absolutely ZERO resemblance to the original MC Beaton books.

High marks for casting an actual Scot as James and, of course, current production values leave the original series in the dust, but I truly believe I prefer the original. Other than recognizable names and the gorgeous Yorkshire countryside, the silly changes made to the characters made no sense. Helen jilting the guy at the altar? Never...not the Helen James wrote about in the books. Besides, in the books, Hulton was an old guy. Siegfried a widower? He married Caroline and never emotionally recovered from her death much later in life. Mrs. Hall’s transformation from a stolid woman of Yorkshire who could say more with a look than with words to the young, buddy-buddy Mrs. Hall of the new series? Nope. Even the dog situation bugged me. The dog in the new version is a sweetie but Siegfried was known for the 5 dogs that lived at Skeldale and literally went everywhere with him. We needed more dogs!

So, all things considered, it was a good effort with great acting and beautiful scenery but I wasn’t a big fan of all the changes. Like the Hamish TV series, this one was way too different from James Wight’s books and while it was fine, I like the old one better.

THIS!!!!!!

[Penman61]

What exactly happened with Helen and Hugh on their wedding day? Who jilted whom? How do we know? 

Edited February 24, 2021 by Penman61

[limecoke]

She jilted him based on the line, “Hugh didn’t deserve this.” 

[AstaCharles]

8 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

Agreed! I am not a Siegfried/Mrs. Hall shipper, but that moment in the church was perfect. This show is so delightful, I can't be mad at any liberties taken. 

I'm not into shipping on shows (exception:Miss Fisher and Jack Robinson on Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries) but I did look forward to Siegfried and Mrs. Hall's scenes more than Miss Scarlett and the Duke on my Sunday evenings. 

[statsgirl]

I really liked Siegfried's snark that Father Christmas' suit was green and no American company was going to make him change it.

I felt badly for Mrs. Hall that her son didn't show up but as she told Siegfried, he spent six months in Borstal because she turned him in so I understand his position too.

I was wondering that James would drive all the way to Scotland in a car with the top down but then he had it up by the time he got to the crossroads.

My local newspaper had an interview (which I can't find on line) with the actor playing James who said that under the new animal protection ruled, no one is allowed to do anything to an animal that they are not trained and authorized to do so they shoot a lot with prosthetics. I wonder if that contributes to fewer veterinary procedures on this version.

On 2/22/2021 at 1:11 PM, DonnaMae said:

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.

As they were talking during the fog night, Helen told James that she wanted to go to the city and train to be a secretary but her mother died and she had to stay at the farm for Jenny.

They also said that Hugh paid gor the wedding feast in advance so at least Hrlen's father didn't have to cover that.

[Leeds]

7 hours ago, statsgirl said:

 

My local newspaper had an interview (which I can't find on line) with the actor playing James who said that under the new animal protection ruled, no one is allowed to do anything to an animal that they are not trained and authorized to do so they shoot a lot with prosthetics. I wonder if that contributes to fewer veterinary procedures on this version.

 

Who else remembers Christopher Timothy (Original James) literally up to his armpit up a cow's bum?

[TVForever]

38 minutes ago, Leeds said:

Who else remembers Christopher Timothy (Original James) literally up to his armpit up a cow's bum?

I remember that (and too many other scenes like it) well, lol!

[MrAtoz]

I also remember Peter Davison being asked about whether those were real cow's bums, or some kind of special effect.  He replied, "Do you think the BBC has the budget to pay for a prosthetic cow anus?" 🤣

[Blergh]

BTW, it's a bit funny how Siegfried ( Samuel West) speaks with an upper class British accent while Tristan (Callum Woodhouse) speaks with a working class if not rural British accent - despite the two of them having been born and raised in London!

[sugarbaker design]

1 hour ago, Blergh said:

BTW, it's a bit funny how Siegfried ( Samuel West) speaks with an upper class British accent while Tristan (Callum Woodhouse) speaks with a working class if not rural British accent - despite the two of them having been born and raised in London!

I have a feeling Tristan may have adopted a more working-class way of speaking when he was at school.

 

[John Potts]

23 hours ago, Shanna Marie said:

And what's up with the Christmas Day wedding? Does anyone actually do that in the real world, or is that just a TV show/Hallmark movie thing? Because that's also kind of a jerk move to make other people give up their holiday to come to your wedding or to work for your wedding. Maybe it's not so bad in a small town like that, where it might be part of the church service they were already going to anyway (was that still a thing at that time, where a wedding ceremony was part of an existing church service rather than a separate event?), but the staff at the pub putting together the reception would have had to work on Christmas.

Traditionally, getting married during Lent (run up to Easter) or Advent (run up to Christmas) was discouraged, as it's a time of penance. So Christmas Day would be the first date you could get married for weeks. There were exceptions (and being local lord of the manor would probably make it easy to get an exception). OTOH, asking the local priest/vicar to schedule a wedding one of their busiest days of the year is a bit of a dick move! Unless there was some urgent medical reason or you were about to head off to war, you could always wait a couple of weeks.

Also, as a veteran of hundreds of weddings (I was a choirboy... many years ago), I can say they're almost invariably held on Saturday. Though maybe in a community where people have to work their farm seven days a week (and in the 30s) that wasn't so much the case.

Having just caught the first episode of the original series, I was amazed how similar the two Pilots were (I assume they were pretty faithful to the Books on that point) - except for the fact that while James Herriot did come down from Glasgow to interview with Siegfried, Nicholas Ralph actually sounds Scottish (since he is!) while Christopher Timothy sounded like he'd never lived outside the Home Counties (although he was actually born in Wales).

[Shanna Marie]

1 hour ago, sugarbaker design said:

I have a feeling Tristan may have adopted a more working-class way of speaking when he was at school.

That's what I was thinking. Also, given their very different academic abilities, it's possible they went to different schools, with Tristan going to a slightly lower-market kind of school than Siegfried did, and he might have code-switched to fit in with the other guys, sort of the equivalent of the middle-class suburban white boys who attempt to sound like they come from the 'hood (or the way they think that sounds, based on TV). And now he does it because it annoys Siegfried.

4 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

I also remember Peter Davison being asked about whether those were real cow's bums, or some kind of special effect.  He replied, "Do you think the BBC has the budget to pay for a prosthetic cow anus?"

I saw Peter Davison at a convention, and boy, did he have some gross stories about stuff he had to do on that show. They had a veterinarian supervising, but they had to do a lot of stuff themselves. It's probably a good thing they aren't letting the actors actually play veterinarian now.

[AZChristian]

For those who really like to see what vets do on a daily basis, check out Dr. Pol's show.  He does not use prostheses for animal backsides that he's reaching into.

[Doublemint]

5 hours ago, John Potts said:

Traditionally, getting married during Lent (run up to Easter) or Advent (run up to Christmas) was discouraged, as it's a time of penance. So Christmas Day would be the first date you could get married for weeks. There were exceptions (and being local lord of the manor would probably make it easy to get an exception). OTOH, asking the local priest/vicar to schedule a wedding one of their busiest days of the year is a bit of a dick move! Unless there was some urgent medical reason or you were about to head off to war, you could always wait a couple of weeks.

Also, as a veteran of hundreds of weddings (I was a choirboy... many years ago), I can say they're almost invariably held on Saturday. Though maybe in a community where people have to work their farm seven days a week (and in the 30s) that wasn't so much the case.

Having just caught the first episode of the original series, I was amazed how similar the two Pilots were (I assume they were pretty faithful to the Books on that point) - except for the fact that while James Herriot did come down from Glasgow to interview with Siegfried, Nicholas Ralph actually sounds Scottish (since he is!) while Christopher Timothy sounded like he'd never lived outside the Home Counties (although he was actually born in Wales).

Yes, correct no lent or advent weddings.   Christmas week, fine.

[dargosmydaddy]

Interviews (not video) with the cast on season 2 (no real spoilers, just what they hope for their characters upcoming, etc. ... I thought the bit at the end where they're all super excited that they'll see each other again was adorable). Apparently filming is supposed to take place from March through June.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/specialfeatures/all-creatures-great-and-small-the-cast-on-season-2/?subscriber=true&list_list_id=all-creatures-great-and-small

[Leeds]

6 hours ago, John Potts said:

Traditionally, getting married during Lent (run up to Easter) or Advent (run up to Christmas) was discouraged, as it's a time of penance. So Christmas Day would be the first date you could get married for weeks. There were exceptions (and being local lord of the manor would probably make it easy to get an exception). OTOH, asking the local priest/vicar to schedule a wedding one of their busiest days of the year is a bit of a dick move! Unless there was some urgent medical reason or you were about to head off to war, you could always wait a couple of weeks.

 

Like a bun in the oven that was about to be burnt?