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All Creatures Great and Small Christmas Special

47 replies

Ginger1982 · 22/12/2020 21:12

Anyone else watching?

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Notonthestairs · 22/12/2020 21:36

Me! I love it. Their house reminds me of my grandparents house.

SirGawain · 22/12/2020 21:38

Rubbish plot and over dramatic!

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Ginger1982 · 22/12/2020 21:39

Dorothy can bugger off back to Scarborough as far as I'm concerned!

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Notonthestairs · 22/12/2020 22:04

Yes I'm not keen on Dorothy. I do like Helen though.

SirGawain · 22/12/2020 22:08

It’s getting worse if that’s possible.

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Ginger1982 · 22/12/2020 22:09

Dorothy's too 'sexy' for Siegfried.

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Ginger1982 · 22/12/2020 22:10

@SirGawain

It’s getting worse if that’s possible.
I suppose it's a bit predictable!
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Notonthestairs · 22/12/2020 22:14

If you can't have predictable and melodrama at Christmas when can you? Xmas Grin

CaptainMyCaptain · 22/12/2020 22:18

I'm watching but it bears no relation to the original stories. All the melodrama with Helen jilting her fiance at the altar - the real Helen wasn't engaged to anyone else.

Holothane · 22/12/2020 22:20

Agreed she wasn’t engaged I’m wondering how they’ll write this.

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Ginger1982 · 22/12/2020 22:45

@CaptainMyCaptain

I'm watching but it bears no relation to the original stories. All the melodrama with Helen jilting her fiance at the altar - the real Helen wasn't engaged to anyone else.
Does it need to, though?
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CaptainMyCaptain · 23/12/2020 07:13

I still watched. Its just a completely different story. In some ways just as well because the books (I have read them all recently) consisted largely of them getting blind drunk and careering around the countryside in clapped out cars which wouldn't be allowed on the road these days. With a little vetting thrown in.

funtimefrank · 23/12/2020 07:48

Ah my kids love this. I love Sam west (throw back to Prince caspian in the 90s). There were puppies and Tris as an elf. What's not to love.

We are going to watch the film on ch 5 this afternoon though with Anthony Hopkins. I've told the kids it's a bit different and will have a spoiler

Maireas · 23/12/2020 08:38

Anthony Hopkins is a good Siegfried, but the woman playing Helen in both films is woefully miscast, imo. She's supposed to be a Yorkshire farmer!

latedecember1963 · 23/12/2020 09:59

I remember the original BBC series with Christopher Timothy and Carol Drinkwater and Lynda Bellingham and I agree some of the story details have changed.
I suppose they want to modernise it to make it not just a carbon copy of the original. I've really warmed to the new actors now. I wasn't sure about Tristen at first, but I thought last night's episode showed him to have more depth than his usual demeanour.

I'm probably being soppy, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for James's parents that he didn't drive home to see them as planned.
This was in the days before mobile phones and also many homes still didn't have a phone. His parents must have been worried that something had happened to him en route.

Rosehip10 · 23/12/2020 10:00

Liked the scene with Tristan and the boy and donkey. But if Tristan had failed an exam then surely he isn't qualified to practise hence he has to be told.....

latedecember1963 · 23/12/2020 10:06

I wondered about that too. Perhaps the fact that he is going to work for his brother means they can gloss over that little detail!

Rosehip10 · 23/12/2020 10:09

I think even in the 1930s vets were a protected profession, had to be in the RCVS which would only be possible with the degree pass! Maybe will be resolved in series 2.

Holothane · 23/12/2020 11:22

He passed at a later date, it says in the books.

CaptainMyCaptain · 23/12/2020 12:48

I do like the new series I just think introducing the Helen being engaged to the posh bloke story was unnecessary. The original was just a sweet, romantic but down to Earth boy-meets-girl story, falling for each other as they washed up in the Village Hall. They deliberately introduced a false jeopardy because we all know he'll end up with her.

As regards Tristan, I think he did work at the surgery before he was completely qualified in the books, presumably nominally under supervision.

Kazzyhoward · 24/12/2020 16:25

@Holothane

He passed at a later date, it says in the books.
Yes, but in the books, Siegfried didn't lie to Tristran that he'd passed when he hadn't!
Randomrebel · 24/12/2020 18:39

Enjoyed it yes its predictable but heart warming and feel good telly. Is their any more episodes of it on over the Christmas period?

TonTonMacoute · 24/12/2020 19:32

I really like it, although I do agree with many of the critical comments. I don't know why they had to crowbar in the whole jilting thing.

I think the main characters are very cast and they have written up the Mrs Whateverhernameis the housekeeper role convincingly.

Interestingly DS, who is 21, loves it which is a bit of a surprise.

Rosehip10 · 24/12/2020 20:05

Bet the BBC are kicking themselves they turned it down, or maybe not if it is to "traditional" for them....

Cherrypi · 24/12/2020 20:10

I loved it. Perfect Christmas viewing.

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