2020 continues to be the year that gets weirder and weirder.
Who had “a classic BBC show from the 70s/80s gets a remake and is actually improved?” on their bingo card? Or, “Channel 5 shows a genuinely excellent drama?” Not us.
Both would have seemed extremely unlikely at the start of this strange year. But, with the new series of All Creatures Great and Small kicking off on Five this week, this is where we now find ourselves.
The original series, which starred Christopher Timothy, Peter Davison and Robert Hardy, ran for 90 episodes between 1978 and 1990, and was the epitome of cosy Sunday night drama.
It might be airing on Tuesdays this time around, but it’s just as comforting and restoring as the original, and as other fave recent-ish period dramas such as Call The Midwife, Heartbeat and The Durrells.
Again, this series is based on the best-selling books of country vet James Herriot, first published 50 years ago. James, brought up and trained in Glasgow, is played as a Scot, by Nicholas Ralph.
Desperate to escape the Depression-hit city, he applies for a position as vet’s assistant in the village of Darrowby, in the Yorkshire Dales, with swathes of stunning scenery for us all to gawp at.
It also lends itself to plenty of hostile moments, as he tries to ingratiate himself with some less-than-friendly locals.
But the person he must impress most is resident vet and potential boss Siegfried Farnon, played by Samuel West, whose grumpiness is matched by his eccentricity, and the housekeeper Mrs Hall, played by Anna Madeley, who really runs things.
Yes, there’s lots about this that is predictable – James gets lost, muddies his best clothes, gets kicked by a horse, is tricked by the locals and becomes instantly smitten with a foxy farmer’s daughter, played by Rachel Shelton, but then he gets sacked, before proving himself with some “arm up the back-end of a cow” action.
It has genuine heart and humour though, as well as great performances, high production values and a beautiful backdrop – and this is all before we’ve even met the rest of the brilliant cast.
There’s The Durrells’ Callum Woodhouse as Siegfried’s wayward younger brother Tristan.
And big names Dame Diana Rigg, as snooty widow Mrs Pumphreys with an even snootier Pekinese pooch, Harry Potter geek turned hottie Matthew Lewis as Helen’s (current) love interest Hugh, and the ever-charming Nigel Havers as racecourse manager General Ransom.
It’s a celebration of community, a light-hearted cinematic escape – and
the perfect antidote to everything else happening in 2020.
