All Creatures Great and Small - the 1970s version.

[BlueEyedBogWitch]

I’m obsessed.

I started watching it out of nostalgia for simpler times, and the childhood memories of being allowed to stay up to watch it in my nightie and dressing gown.

But I’ve stayed for the straightforward storytelling, the cute animals, the fabulous accents, the beautiful landscapes, and the sheer joy of watching a drama without a deluge of intrusive music drowning out the dialogue.

I’ve also developed quite a crush on…Siegfried, of all people. If that’s not a sign of encroaching old age, I don’t know what is 😳

Has anyone else found themselves lured into watching nostalgic telly and ended up loving it? I’ve been through similar with To The Manor Born, but All Creatures is the ultimate comfort watch.

I have a crush on Seigfried in the new version!
The original series helped me through lockdown.
Tristan great in both versions. I don’t like the James actor in the new one though.

I only watched the first one of the new series. It just isn’t the same.

I can’t get over how beautiful Carol Drinkwater is as Helen. She’s like a Hollywood siren in galoshes!

Where can you watch it? I loved that

I watched the whole thing when I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and depressed. Retreated to my bed and watched it as a rest cure, it helped!
I've done similar before with nostalgic comfort reads but I didn't have the energy for reading this time.

Absolutely! Then she suddenly morphs into Lynda Bellingham.................

I also preferred it to the modern one, although I do enjoy that too and having read about the real James Heriot, I do like the authentic accent and air of vulnerability of James in the new one but prefer all the other characters in the old one.

Ah, Robert Hardy. I loved Siegfried in the original series, RH did a fantastic job.

@reversegear On iPlayer.

Apparently Robert Hardy wrote a lot of Siegfried’s dialogue, and was very much a country chap, so rode his own horse when filming. The little whippet he has was his own dog too. He was very careful about high animal welfare - it was pretty much his show.

Not that I’ve been googling him. The very idea.

I like the accent, but think he’s a terrible actor.

Oh its enormously comforting TV and Robert Hardy is excellent in it. Great stories and characters too.

I also loved To the Manor Born at the time and enjoyed rewatching it. I think because it was dealing with a way of life that was dated at the time, it feels as though the programme itself hasn't dated.

I met Peter Davison when he was filming this. Lovely, lovely man. I loved Tristan, still do.

I think if anyone else had played Tristan, he’d have driven me mad. Peter Davison manages to make an infuriating character likeable.

I loved it as a child - snd my best friend's dad was a vet who knew Janes Wight so it was good to watch his books on TV. It was very comforting telly, with more focus on the animals than the current series, which has too much relationship stuff. I now prefer Sam West as Siegfried and the new James as he's Scottish, but prefer the old Tristan. I don't think any of the Helen's have been right, sadly.

I loved it as a child. I’ll revisit. Thanks for the reminder OP.
I do remember finding the actor who played James rather creepy.

I used to teach a relative of Jim Wight’s! I think he was her great uncle.

We had the books knocking around the house when I was a child. Such good writing. Some of the stories really stuck in my mind, and I love seeing them depicted onscreen. It was Clancy and his “womitin’” last night, and it was so comforting to be reminded of those cosy stories.

I'd love to know where to find this. You might find Tales of the Unexpected a similar comfort watch. Not always such a gentle subject matter but very retro and great quality.

And @reversegear

iplayer!

I just started re-reading ACG&S! I read all JH's books obsessively as a child.
I used to watch the programme with my ancient grandmother, who - I now realise - fancied the pants off Robert Hardy. She used to chuckle considerably at Tristan.

Ahhh brilliant series. We've been watching it again from the beginning, and found it really funny. I love how Siegfried is always such a hypocrite but comes up smelling of roses 😃.

Also enjoyed all the books as an 11 or 12 year old.

The new series is okay - had watched a few of them, but still prefer the original.

What service are you watching the new series on, please? We tried it some time ago, gave up after one episode because DH couldn’t stand the frequency of adverts.

I always liked Siegfried, he always seemed so kind with his twinkling eyes. Can't get into the current one, it seems way too modern and deviates from the books too much.

If Robert Hardy ever gave a duff performance, I never saw it!

It’s on BBC Iplayer so no adverts to worry about.

When I watched it I complained about the ways it was needlessly different from the book. James's accent, Siegfried's appearance etc. The daft changes in dialogue. Bugged me a lot. I was one of those obnoxious twats who keeps pointing out how it was different from the book. In my defence I was a kid 😁

Now I prefer it to the new one. I think because I remember watching it with my late dad.

There's no pleasing me!

The original, and new version, are what I call 'cuddle tele'. Whilst you watch it, you get a sense of calm and feeling the world's OK.