All Creatures Great and Small: Soothe Yourselves

I started this blog in 2011 and the ninth post I ever wrote was about how much I enjoyed James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small, a book about his time as a vet in Yorkshire in the 1930s. Following that post, I proceeded to read his other books and love them just as much, and then discovered that PBS would occasionally air episodes of the BBC series that ran from 1978-1990, which was a gentle, wonderful adaptation that brought me much joy. Well now, Channel 5 has created a new adaptation of the series which US viewers can start watching on PBS today. And I can't think of a more soothing way to spend your Sundays than with this delightful series.

Nicholas Ralph stars as James Herriot, a man from Glasgow who has just passed his exams and is now qualified to be a vet, but is struggling to find a job. When an opportunity arises in Yorkshire, he heads down for an interview with Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West), a vet who operates a surgery out of his house and takes care of the many animals owned by the farmers in the surrounding Yorkshire Dales. Siegfried is a...challenging boss, to say the least, but he needs the help and upon the urging of his housekeeper, Mrs. Hall (Anna Madeley), he decides to hire James and show him the ropes. Add to the mix Siegfried's younger brother, Tristan (Callum Woodhouse), who is also studying to be a vet and is meant to help out in the practice, but tends to be far more interest in gadding about with barmaids. The fact that all four characters are so incredibly different and yet are cooped up in the same house together means that much hijinks can ensue. 

This series is beautiful and peaceful and offers some respite to your eyeballs. It's about a bunch of people who love what they do and are fundamentally kind-hearted and decent. Our hero has a slow-burning love story that is sweet and lovely, there are plenty of squabbles and family drama, but in the end, everything gets resolved quietly and calmly and everyone wakes up to a new day where there will be more animals requiring their care and a new set of relationships to forge with the people of Yorkshire. The production design is also wonderful, fully capturing the look and feel of that era and the raw beauty of the Yorkshire landscape that Herriot wrote about with such love in all his books. 

All Creatures Great and Small is my favorite kind of period British drama. It's like a souffle, light and fluffy, not too dense, but absolutely delicious and a welcome treat at the end of a long day. The actors are all perfectly cast, and the writing is delicate and takes its time, not rushing to any major cliffhangers but slowly letting these characters settle in and find their voices. While you can't escape reality entirely, for the next seven weeks you can at least disappear for an hour into this wonderful world. What more could you ask for?