|
All Creatures Great and Small
The enormous popularity of James Herriot’s
books led to 2 movie adaptations, then to
this beloved TV version initially aired in
41 episodes by the BBC from January 1978
to April 1980. These 41 shows are in 3 DVD
box sets, for “series” 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
In British usage, a “series” is a set of
episodes, akin to what Americans call a “season.”
These first 3 “series” are reasonably
faithful
adaptations, with each 50-minute
installment
skillfully interweaving several
of Herriot’s
short stories. The acting is
uniformly excellent,
from the lead performers to a
multitude of
accomplished bit players. The
only “name”
actor in the bunch is Robert
Hardy, whose
portrayal of the manic Siegfried
Farnon,
the senior vet in Herriot’s practice
group,
is truly memorable. Indeed, Siegfried
is
unquestionably the lead character
in the
program, rather than Herriot.
Wherever it aired (including PBS in the U.S.),
this show appealed to prior readers of Herriot’s
books and encouraged many more millions to
read him for the first time. After the initial
run, there was a long hiatus, with specials
in 1983 and 1985 (they are in a DVD set of
their own). A revival ran from January 1988
through December 1990, with 47 new episodes.
These relied heavily on new material by Herriot
and other writers, with relatively little
drawn from his existing books. His final
book, “Every Living Thing,” would be published
after the show ended its run. The first 22
of these final 47 shows are available in
the series 4 and 5 box sets.
While someone who has never read
Herriot
can delight in the TV adaptations,
even when
seen out of sequence, for maximum
enjoyment
read the books first, then view
the shows
in order. |
|
|
