All creatures great and small series 1 (Christopher Timothy)

(Amazon UK link)

Although we’ve had some DVD sets of the 1980s TV adaptation of ‘All creatures great and small’ on our shelves for many years, we’ve never sat down and watched them through. So we decided to make that our next ‘light’ DVD watching after finishing the fifth series of Dad’s Army in the middle of April. 

This TV series was based on the books by James Herriot, and produced by the BBC. I watched some of them when they were first broadcast, but don’t think I’ve seen the series since. It looks quite dated in style, with the almost square layout of the screen, and it’s not as sharp as modern shows. Perhaps there are remastered editions of this, but ours must have been bought at least twenty years ago. I understand that another series was made a few years ago, too. 

The theme tune was immediately recognisable to me, but I’d forgotten how the series started: a rather nervous James (Christopher Timothy), smartly suited, is on a bus on his way to a job interview. He arrives, only to find that his prospective boss Seigfried (Robert Hardy) is out, and the housekeeper Mrs Hall (Mary Hignet) is not expecting him. But he gets thrown into local conversation, then goes out with Siegfried when he gets back, and - unsurprisingly - is offered the job. There’s a slightly stressful ending to the first episode as he is threatened with a possible lawsuit..

The second episode introduces Siegfried’s brother Tristan (Peter Davison) who prefers to party than to study, and likes playing practical jokes. In this episode we see Siegfried’s changes of heart, depending on who he is talking to, and also Mrs Pumphrey with her pampered dog Tricki-Woo, whose scenes add to the comedy element.

The second DVD includes episodes Three and Four, which continue the stresses with Tristan, and see more of Siegried being unreasonable. A secretary is employed, but she is rigid and too structured; Siegfried wants to make the practice more efficient, but cannot deal with her requirements. 

Meanwhile James meets a farmer’s daughter called Helen (Carol Drinkwater), and there’s a definite spark between the two. Mrs Pomphrey continues to fuss over her pekingese, and adopts another, unlikely animal…

The third DVD in the first half of Series 1 contains two further episodes, which continue several stories. James learns more about Siegfried, and Tristan tries, in his inimitable fashion, to assist James in his budding romance. When the first date goes wrong, Tristan sets James up for someone else… 

Meanwhile a stray dog is brought in, a struggling family find their situation getting worse, and Siegried adopts a very dated method to attempt to cure a much-loved pony.

The second half of the first season is in a separate DVD box set from the first, but continues the story, as adapted from the books. The vets see more animals, some of whom are cured, and some not. The struggling family has one disaster after another, and it looks as though they may lose all their animals…

James, meanwhile, makes distinct progress in his courtship of Helen, although her father does not seem very keen, and there are other suitors whom she spends time with. But she accepts him, and the ninth episode sees their wedding, which takes place after James worries about money, and some scenes at the races.

The next two episodes see - among other things - some veterinary techniques, Tristan taking more exams, and the temporary introduction of a rather upper-class vet student who thinks he knows everything… although, eventually, he is shown to have a sense of both humour and justice. We then see episodes involving a very concerning case of foot and mouth disease, something which is still a major problem today. 

Although it looks old-fashioned, and is quite slow-moving in places, I like this series very much. I admit to covering my eyes at some of the veterinary procedures; I shudder when I see an arm inside a cow, or a dog being stitched. But most of the story involves character-based interactions and conversations, and they’re all very well done. There's humour that made us chuckle aloud more than once, and some poignancy too.

I’m pleased that we decided to rewatch this, after several decades, and am already looking forward to seeing series two over the next couple of months.

(Note that the image above is of the boxed set of the second part of series 1, while the link goes to the first part. There may be other options of buying them together, or with other later series). 

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