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 remember reading one of James Herriot’s books on a packed train to Edinburgh and losing it completely at the description of his being called out after tasting home made wine. I sobbed uncontrollably (with laughter) which set off others on the train and I could only flap the book at them so they knew I had not gone mad.
There were a few ‘knowing’ nods.

I’m going to read them again. I remember laughing a lot at the artificial insemination scene, too.

There was a hilarious bit in one of the early books where James gets his trousers so messy after dealing with a cow, and has to wear Helen's dad's pants, and they're very short and baggy!

When he was in Sense & Sensibility he extemporised most of his dialogue. Just flawless, 19th century, upper class vernacular, completely off the cuff. Love him.

i always have to think hard between Christopher Timothy and John Nettles.

I like both version (sits on dry stone wall).

I was 14 and on holiday in the Isle of Man. I’d been poorly for months (glandular fever, shingles, etc) and didn’t want to do much apart from lie on the bed in the hotel. DF bought me the first James Herriot book to read. Instantly became the best holiday. I think those books got me through a rough time.

Yes I loved the first series; must have been about 9/10. Had a massive crush on Christopher Timothy (😬😛) We always watched it when my mum had wheeled in a trolley of sandwiches, cake etc. Just as you'd put a sandwich in your mouth James was putting his arm up a cow's arse.

I'd not read the books so I wasn't bothered about authenticity.

They had an episode of The Lively Arts with Melvyn Bragg interviewing James Herriot himself when he was still in practice in 1977 on iPlayer but I think they've takes it down annoyingly. I thought JH came across as lovely and as you would hope

Also hard agree I love Robert Hardy.

However you can see Robert Hardy as General Tilney in Northanger Abbey from 1987 on iPlayer. Which I remember him being good fun in.

I lived in Thirsk for a while, it used to slightly amuse/irk that the Dales locations they used may have been more picturesque but weren’t very accurate - it’s on the flatter land nearer the North York moors. (That area got its turn with Heartbeat!)

I also remember having a crush on Tristan

The episode I remember is Tristan pretending to be the ghost of a monk and scaring James to death!! 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

I keep thinking of French and Saunders mention of 'Timothy Christopher' !!

My sister and `I had a wonderful time over Easter this year, checking out lots of JH related places. I was rather disappointed with Thirsk though, but did love the look of the old cinema and would have loved to be able to see inside it.

Agreed - he's really good. That episode where him and whatshisname were looking for the snake was so funny.

Yes, that was a brilliant episode! Is he called Callum Woodhouse? He was in The Durrells. He's just right, not too silly or laddish, really likable.

I found a one off programme on YouTube called Seasons Greetings that I watched back in the 80s when I was young. The whole family sat and watched it together and one part of it really made us laugh for years afterwards.

I couldn’t remember anything about it except for Geoffrey Palmer being in it so was chuffed when I found it. I watched it on Christmas Eve thinking I’d just watch for a few mins.

Bloody loved it!! Watched it all. Dramas (much like life) seemed so much simpler back then!

My guilty pleasure is watching “As time goes by” I wanted Judi Dench as a mum and to live in that amazing house.

I used to love this on a Sunday night getting ready for school the next day. I remember me snd my sister lying in bed trying to sing the theme tune lol 😂

We are watching the new one, cuddle TV indeed, it’s so warm and unthreatening. And I love the actors, though I’m not sure about the new James, I love Mrs Hall and Helen.

the old one I loved as a teenager and had a massive crush on Tristan. And read all the books, many times. DH reread them when he was going through a bad patch, it got him through it.

I’ll have to look out for this, I love Geoffrey Palmer.

It was great, so nostalgic. It’s really Christmassy though. So not sure how it will
translate in mid June!!

@BlueEyedBogWitch @SillyMillieMops
It was by Alan Ayckourn. There was a production of it at the National Theatre in 2010 with Catherine Tate, Nicola Walker and Oliver Chris. Howlingly, side-splittingly funny.

Tricky Woo... I loved him when I was a kid and I will watch it all over again just to see Tricky

I adore the original version. I've watched it straight through from beginning to end numerous times. I prefer the pre-war episodes, but the later ones are wonderful as well. I don't much care for the second Helen or the young actors who play James' children, but otherwise it's an amazing show. So much warmth and decency, as well as humour and a convincing picture of a dying way of life. The books are lovely too.

I can't get on with the remake at all. In the original version Robert Hardy makes Siegfried so likeable even when he's at his most infuriating. And Peter Davison is so charming. The new actors just fall flat IMO. Don't even get me started on the radical miscasting of Anna Madeley as Mrs. Hall.

I love both versions. It is the ultimate in comfort TV. I read enormously when young and wonder why I never read the books.I think I must start reading them.
The only other series that has been remade that I like as much is Poldark. I have read those books, twice.