All Creatures Great & Small back on Thursday.

[olderandnonthewiser]

I love this series, one of my all time favourites and a new series starts on Thursday. Lovely feel good tv, and a real sign of Autumn when a new one lands.

Anyone else?

I don't think hevwas pissed off that she went to her son. I think he just cant admit how useless he is at domestic stuff and how much he feels for Mrs Hall and relies on her. Remember she had her relationship with Gerald but ultimately decided to stay . I suspect they might go towards a relationship now.

From the Wikipedia article on Donald Sinclair, who the character of Siegfried is based on:

Sinclair married first wife Evelyn (née Holborow) in 1930. She died of tuberculosis in 1936.

Sinclair married his second wife Audrey (née Adamson) in 1943, and they remained together for 53 years until her death in 1995. They had two children, Audrey Janet (who went by her middle name) and Alan.

Case closed, I reckon!

By the way, I've just found out that the actor who played Richard Carmody (James Anthony-Rose) is 44! I thought he was in his early 20s!

That's why Siegfried/Donald was so keen on the tuberculin testing of cattle, as his wife died of TB. She was very young, I think only 26.

An interesting book I picked up , a biography written by Alf Wights son Jim is very interesting. His father obviously changed things to protect people in his community. The truth was a lot darker at times.

I was also confused. I assumed I'd forgotten a whole series but what some of you have said, about Mrs Hall's son and the ship sinking or whatever, is ringing bells. I don't think it said '3 years later...' did it? Well, I was still able to follow along anyway and enjoyed the episode and I'm glad it's back.

Apparently this season is 6 episodes long (with an additonal xmas special). I'm going to miss Carmody; I liked him after he settled in.

At the start of the episode there was a 'subtitle 'on screen saying 'Late May 1945' .The Christmas episode can be dated to December 1941 because the ship that Edward was on when it sank was HMS Repulse and it sank in real life. There had to be a gap because baby Jimmy was a year old in the Christnas episode and he now has a sister Rosie who looked to be about 2 years old.

I thought James and Helen had bought a rundown farmhouse in the Christmas special (which sadly they do not seem to be showing to finish the afternoon reruns). Or am I getting confused with the original series.

I actually don't remember that from the Christmas special, but I could be wrong.

Just watched it now. A great first episode. I also seem to remember that Helen was moving back to the farm to help her Dad. I’ve been hoping for a declaration of love between Siegfried and Audrey for about 3 seasons, fingers crossed this is the season it happens in!

The animals are not drugged, and their welfare is monitored. Unlike the original tv series, which did not do that.

@FleurDeFleur I've been watching the original series recently and have been convinced at times that at least some of the animals were drugged. It doesn't make for comfortable viewing.

There was a scene where Siegfried was calfing a cow and it looked very realistic so I googled "Did Robert Hardy birth a calf?" and AI responded, in no uncertain terms, "No, Robert Hardy did not give birth to a calf; Robert Hardy was a human male actor, and it is biologically impossible for a human male to give birth to a calf" 😂

I much prefer Callum Woodhouse's Tristan to Peter Davison's.

I am not watching it, as I think some shows are such that there should not be remakes. That is no criticism of those acting in it, I emphasise.

😂
Controversial use of the actor's arm inside the cow was deployed in that series, unfortunately.
I agree with you about Tristan, Callum Woodhouse is excellent.

I’ve just watched it for the second time ( I make no excuses ) and enjoyed it even more the second time. Picked up on bits I’d missed and the more subtle suggestions for future storylines.

Tell us more! I don't think Helen will have a big role, as she was pregnant during filming.

Callum Woodhouse is a very niche actor. If it isn't an animal-themed family drama set in the 1930s-40s, then he isn't interested.

The "Audrey" who became Donald Sinclair's second wife was definitely not his housekeeper. Not sure why they're going down that road.

No, she wasn't. But I get the impression that the programme has a significant US fan base and those fans would love to see Siegfried and Audrey get together.

I think it's been on the cards from the beginning. In the first series, that household soon became a little pseudo-family. Siegfried and Audrey were the parents and James and Tristan were the kids.

In fact she was from a very wealthy shipbuilding family!

I’m not bothering with this series
I’ve not really loved this version as much as I’d hoped. And Siegfried and the help. No wouldn’t happen, lovely as Mrs Hall is.

I had no intention of watching it when it started, I thought there was no way there could even be any comparison to the original let alone it be improved upon. I then thought I'd watch the first episode to prove myself right. I was very quickly smitten! Whether it's better or not, I wouldn't like to say, they're both their own programmes.

I went back to watch an episode from the original series a year or two back and found Siegfried unbearable, my blood pressure couldn't take it. I don't know what was going on in my life at the time but when I went back to it a few months ago I'm utterly charmed by RH's Siegfried, he's my favourite.

Much as we're being guided to want Siegfried and Mrs H to get together I think it would be a mistake.

I’m old enough to have watched the original series when it came out. I watched a couple of episodes recently and just couldn’t warm to any of the characters, Siegfried was annoying, James a bit of a drip, and Helen just simpered her way through it.
It was of its day though, and at the time we enjoyed it.

Yes, I am of that age, too. I loved the books and couldn't wait for the series, but I thought it was woefully miscast and often badly acted.
I wanted a Scottish James, and a Yorkshire Helen. The pair of them looked like they'd never been near a farm in their lives and were already middle aged. James always looked like he'd been run ragged by umpteen kids (he had).
You're right about Helen simpering. Most irritating.

I enjoyed the original series.
I enjoy the new series.

They each have their strengths and were made to fit/reflect the period in which they were produced.

There is always a thread when the new series comes out that complains that it doesnt stick to the books. It hasnt stuck to the books since it started 5-6 years ago.

IMO thats fine. It's relaxing TV with some of the finest landscapes in the country. Call me shallow but I dont need much more than that.

I agree, @Notonthestairs . It's just lovely, escapist tv. Beautiful countryside, great animal and human stories, funny and touching.
Very nicely done.

It happened in between the last series and this one