dobbinman Review of All Creatures Great and Small

All Creatures Great and Small (2020– )

Feelgood factor in period Yorkshire Dales setting.

[9/10 · 2 September 2020]

People like me of a certain age grew up with the wildly popular books and TV series in the 70's so there are some who will never accept a re-filming of this tale of a vet in post WW1 North Yorkshire. I happen to live near there and know people who actually knew Alf Wight who wrote the books in which he renamed himself 'James Herriot'. Channel 5 who made this already produce 'The Yorkshire Vet' reality show which features the same vets practice still working today along with 'The Yorkshire Steam Railway: All Aboard' which features our local preserved steam railway (The North Yorkshire Moors Railway). As such Channel 5 already have a 'track record' (groans) of filming up here and this series has been on the cards for a while. The only question was 'Would this be up to the standard of the original?'. One episode in and I'd have to give it a resounding 'Yes!'. Don't expect complex plots or action chases in this unless you include angry 1 ton+ bulls or roller-coaster local roads traversed in 1930's cars with dodgy brakes. Just instead enjoy the Yorkshire scenery pretty much unchanged since the time it is set populated with little 'feel-good' stories of veterinary life among the very wily Yorkshire folk. It really still is pretty much like this today and the people haven't changed much either...