All Creatures Great And Small (TV Serial)

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''All Creatures Great and Small'' is a British television series made by the

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...

and based on the books of the British

veterinary surgeon Veterinary surgery is surgery performed on animals by veterinarians, whereby the procedures fall into three broad categories: orthopaedics (bones, joints, muscles), soft tissue surgery (skin, body cavities, cardiovascular system, GI/urogenital/ ...

Alf Wight, who wrote under the pseudonym

James Herriot James Alfred Wight (3 October 1916 – 23 February 1995), better known by his pen name James Herriot, was a British veterinary surgeon and author. Born in Sunderland, Wight graduated from Glasgow Veterinary College in 1939, returning to Eng ...

. The title aired over seven series, totalling 90 episodes, from 1978 to 1990. A remake premiered in 2020. Set in the

Yorkshire Dales The Yorkshire Dales is an upland area of the Pennines in the historic county of Yorkshire, England, most of it in the Yorkshire Dales National Park created in 1954. The Dales comprise river valleys and the hills rising from the Vale of York w ...

and beginning in the mid-1930s, it stars

Christopher Timothy Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρει� ...

as Herriot,

Robert Hardy Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy (29 October 1925 – 3 August 2017) was an English actor who had a long career in theatre, film and television. He began his career as a classical actor and later earned widespread recognition for roles such as Sieg ...

as Siegfried Farnon (based on Donald Sinclair), the proprietor of the Skeldale House surgery, and Peter Davison as Siegfried's "little brother", Tristan (based on Brian Sinclair). Herriot's wife, Helen (based on Joan Wight), was initially played by

Carol Drinkwater Carol Drinkwater (born 22 April 1948) is a British actress, writer and filmmaker residing in France. She portrayed Helen Herriot (née Alderson) in the television adaptation of the James Herriot books '' All Creatures Great and Small'', which l ...

and in the latter series by

Lynda Bellingham Lynda Bellingham, OBE ( ; 31 May 194819 October 2014) was an English actress, broadcaster and author. She acted in television series such as '' All Creatures Great and Small'', '' Doctor Who'', '' Second Thoughts'' and '' Faith in the Future''. S ...

. The series was produced throughout its run by Bill Sellars. In early 1977, the BBC tasked him with the creation of a television series from Herriot's first two novels, ''If Only They Could Talk'' (1970) and ''It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet'' (1972), using the title of the 1975 film adaptation. It is part of a series of movies and television series based on Herriot's novels. The Herriot novels were written in an episodic style, with each chapter generally containing a short story within the ongoing narrative of Herriot's life. This format greatly facilitated their adaptation for a television series. The series had two runs: the original (1978 to 1980, based directly on Herriot's books) was for three series; the second (1988 to 1990, filmed with original scripts but generally regarded as a continuation of the 1978 series) for four. A total of ninety episodes was broadcast. The supporting cast, both recurring and one-offs, numbers over 600, most of whom appear as farmers or clients of the surgery. In 2020, a remake, also titled '' All Creatures Great and Small'', was produced by

Playground Entertainment Playground Entertainment is a television, film and theatre production company with offices in New York and London, founded in 2012 by Sir Colin Callender, former President of HBO Films. Television The company has produced over 90 hours of televis ...

for Channel 5 in the United Kingdom and

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

in the United States.

Cast

Central characters

*James Herriot –

(series 1–7, 90 episodes) *

Siegfried Farnon Donald Vaughan Sinclair (22 April 1911 – 28 June 1995) was a British veterinary surgeon who graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in 1933. He was made famous as the inspiration for the eccentric character Siegfried ...

–

(series 1–7, 90 episodes) *Tristan Farnon – Peter Davison (series 1–7, 65 episodes) *Helen Herriot (née Alderson) –

(series 1–3) and

(series 4–7) (86 episodes) *Mrs. (Edna) Hall -

Mary Hignett Mary Hignett (31 March 1916 – 6 July 1980) was a British actress. In the television series '' All Creatures Great and Small'', she played the role of the cook and housekeeper Edna Hall in the first three series, which ran from 1978 to 1980. O ...

(series 1–3)

James Herriot

The leading role is played by

. Bill Sellars had wanted to give the role to Timothy from the outset, but the powers that be wanted to cast the role.''All Memories Great & Small'', Oliver Crocker (2016; MIWK) Sellars, instead, asked Timothy if he would accept the role of Tristan Farnon. "I had a wife, I had children, I had a mortgage to pay, and I wasn't working. So I said, 'No. It's Herriot or nothing.'" Timothy put everything on the line. "I got home one night, at about 9 o'clock. My wife was washing up in the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen and she said, without turning round, 'You've got the Herriot part.'" Timothy also stated that, after all of the roles had been cast except that of Herriot, one of the directors said, "Why don't we give he Herriot partto Christopher Timothy and ''make'' him a name?" In 2003, Timothy said that Alf Wight wrote him a letter after the series started, saying "You are the Herriot I wrote about". Timothy played the lead role for the full 90 episodes. He later recalled meeting the author, Alf Wight, who had "a soft, lilting Scottish accent – though I was told to keep my speech neutral to retain the universality of the part. Which I thought was complete bollocks".

Siegfried Farnon

Siegfried Farnon, based on Wight's real-life partner Donald Sinclair, is played by

. Writer Michael Russell sums up the character's composition thus: "He is capricious, cantankerous, whimsical, arbitrary, unreasonable, unpredictable, ill-tempered, extravagant, effusive, contradictory, etc., yet in the midst of all that, the most loyal and caring of friends." According to Wight's son, James, the Siegfried character in the novels and TV series was considerably toned down, and that Sinclair was even more eccentric than the Herriot books portrayed. The ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' also confirmed Sinclair's eccentric real-life behaviour: he once fired a shotgun during a dinner party, informing his guests that it was time to leave. The cast met for the first time in June 1977. "We all had a meeting together in London," recalled Hardy, "and Bill Sellars said, 'Now, these characters are all based on real people. None of you are to meet these people until we have made at least three episodes.' So I immediately got into my car and fled up to Yorkshire to meet my man, Donald Sinclair. I was intrigued beyond measure by him. He was a true eccentric and, like all true eccentrics, he had no idea himself how odd he was! He absolutely hated what I did, because he had no idea he was at all like that, but when we'd really got into it and were producing them at high speed, his friends used to come to me and say, 'You've got him, that's him.'" A

bachelor A bachelor is a man who is not and has never been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". (). Etymo ...

at the time, Siegfried took over Skeldale House from another vet, named Grant. In the 1983 Christmas Special, Siegfried meets an old flame, Caroline Fisher, who has returned after living in America. They later marry and have children, as mentioned in the series 7 episode "Hampered". "Some writers considered iegfriedan explosion, and all they needed to do was light the fuse and—''bang''—he would lose his temper, which was a great bore," explained Hardy. "So I ended up occasionally writing my own scenes. I did make a nuisance of myself, and I'm afraid I made enemies amongst some of the younger writers. But that's necessary. Out of these battles come, if you're lucky, quality. It needs steel and a stone to make a spark." As with Christopher Timothy, Robert Hardy's character appeared in all 90 episodes of the series.

Tristan Farnon

"He would simply say, 'This is nonsense, I'm not doing it,'" laughed Peter Davison, who plays Siegfried's boyish younger brother, Tristan (affectionately called "Mister Tristan" by housekeeper Edna Hall), whose character was based on Brian Sinclair. "I was to be what was described as a semi-regular," recalled Davison. "Tristan didn't appear in the opening show, and I was only booked for five episodes out of the thirteen, as the character was away at veterinary college." "I ended up in more of the series because Robert Hardy really liked the way the two brothers worked," continued Davison. "It gave him more scope for what he wanted to do. I've never learned so much from anyone as I learned from Robert, because I've just never worked with anyone else like him. He is an extraordinary actor. He would never do the same thing twice. In two takes he would give an entirely different performance—he would bark where he had whispered before. I had to keep on my toes, but I managed to keep up with him, I think, though obviously I'm not on his level." Tristan likes nothing more than slipping out to the Drovers Arms for a pint or two of Best Yorkshire Bitter whenever the opportunity presents itself, one of several "intensely irritating habits" that annoy his brother. Others include his penchant for sleeping late, failing his exams, and spending too much time chasing women. In the episode "The Prodigal Returns", when Siegfried mistakenly thinks "little brother" is impersonating a client on the other end of the telephone line, a few home truths come out: "Mr Biggins, if you've got it into your head that young Mr Farnon is a veterinary surgeon of any quality whatsoever, let me disabuse you of that idea immediately. He is nothing more than a slothful, drunken, incompetent lecher who will soon be seeking employment elsewhere." Tristan's party piece is a rendition of " The Mad Conductor" ( Benito Mussolini conducting the

Neurasthenic Neurasthenia (from the Ancient Greek νεῦρον ''neuron'' "nerve" and ἀσθενής ''asthenés'' "weak") is a term that was first used at least as early as 1829 for a mechanical weakness of the nerves and became a major diagnosis in North A ...

Strings), which he performs in "Out of Practice" and "...The Healing Touch". In the former episode, he downs a pint of beer. "That was real beer!" Davison said. "I don't think coloured water would have worked for some reason, and I don't know if they had the alcohol-free beer then?" As for "The Mad Conductor", Davison continued: "I have no idea what I was doing! I just went a bit nuts really." "Meeting rian Sinclairwas useful because I'd been worried about how to make my Tristan endearing, even though he behaved appallingly, and now, shaking his hand, I could see how Brian could have managed it." "Peter was so good. We worked well together, " said Hardy of his on-screen sibling. "In the early filming days, I realised he was watching me. He watched and watched, and I said, 'Why are you looking at me all the time?' and he said, 'Because we're brothers, and I want to catch some sort of family thing that I can use so that it's obvious we are of the same family.' I was very impressed by that. He was very, ''very'' good."

Helen Herriot

Helen Herriot (née Alderson) is played by

in the first three series and two specials, then by

in the final four series. (Bellingham became pregnant with her youngest son, Robert, during series 5, so she was confined to bed scenes for several episodes, with a hole cut out of the mattress to hide her bump.)

plays housekeeper Edna Hall in the first three series, with Mrs Hubbard (Marjorie Suddell, 1983 Christmas Special), Mrs Greenlaw ( Judy Wilson, 1985 special and series 4, episodes 1–5) and Mrs Alton (

Jean Heywood Jean Heywood (born Jean Murray; 15 July 1921 – 14 September 2019) was a British actress. Born in Blyth, Northumberland, in July 1921, Heywood appeared in films such as ''Billy Elliot'' and ''Our Day Out''. Her TV work included roles in ''Whe ...

) (series 7) inheriting the roles. (A housekeeper by the name of Mary preceded Mrs Hall, who is a widow after the death of her husband, Arthur.)

Timothy accident

With the amount of screen time to fill, the series quickly became much more of an ensemble show, developing all the characters considerably. In particular, the role of Tristan was significantly increased. This was partly because Christopher Timothy was injured in a car accident on Boxing Day 1977 during a fortnight break between the recording of "Out of Practice" and "Nothing Like Experience" in the first series. As a result, the actor was largely restricted to studio scenes, which meant that all the scenes involving location filming be rewritten and include Davison. "I remember Christopher's accident vividly," recalled Robert Hardy. "It was a ghastly shock, and one thought, 'Well, that's the end of that. We shan't be going on.'" Timothy remembers: "The news from the hierarchy was: 'Tragic news about Christopher. Glad he's okay. Send his wife some flowers and re-cast.'"''The Cult Of...'', ''All Creatures Great and Small'' documentary, 2003 "One of the plans was to make ''me'' James Herriot," said Peter Davison, "and then re-cast Tristan." Bill Sellars refused this option: "I said, 'I'm not doing that. It's an awful waste. We'll find another way around it.' We took the rest of the series apart, scene by scene, and all the scenes that eter Davisonwas involved in, I extracted and took them down to the hospital, threw them on the hospital bed, and said, 'Learn those.'" This accounts for the three-week break in transmission dates between episodes 11 ("Bulldog Breed") and 12 ("Practice Makes Perfect") of the first series. "I was plated and screwed instead of plastered," recalled Timothy, "and I was back at work in nine weeks—which was insane, in retrospect: I could barely walk, I was terrified, I'd lost a lot of weight and everybody worked round me." "They would prop him up against a surgery table," said Peter Davison. "Then he'd start having a conversation with me. And then, at some point in the scene, I would have to move my eyes slowly across the room while two people would come in and literally carry him across to the next position." "As

eries 2 The Erie people (also Eriechronon, Riquéronon, Erielhonan, Eriez, Nation du Chat) were Indigenous people historically living on the south shore of Lake Erie. An Iroquoian group, they lived in what is now western New York, northwestern Pennsylvani ...

started filming, Chris had managed to find a way of walking that concealed his limp, as long as he affected a kind of John Wayne swagger, something he grew more attached to over the next couple of years," added Davison.

Recurring characters

Margaretta Scott Margaretta Mary Winifred ScottBrian McFarlane, "Scott, Margaretta Mary Winifred (1912–2005)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 201available online Retrieved 30 August 2020. (13 February 1912 – 15 Apri ...

appears as the rich dog-owner Mrs Pumphrey. One of her staff, irked at having to look after his employer's pampered

Pekingese The Pekingese (also spelled Pekinese) is a breed of toy dog, originating in China. The breed was favored by royalty of the Chinese Imperial court as a companion dog, and its name refers to the city of Peking (Beijing) where the Forbidden City i ...

, Tricki Woo, is William Hodgekin ( Teddy Turner). He longs for it to "have its chips" and succumb to illness, which is why he grumbles whenever the vets pay a visit. In series 4, new vet Calum Buchanan (

John McGlynn John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

), based on Herriot's real-life assistant Brian Nettleton, is introduced. He and Tristan know each other from veterinary school in Edinburgh. He marries fellow Scot Deirdre McEwan (

Andrea Gibb Andrea Gibb is a Scottish screenwriter and actress. Early life and education Andrea Gibb was born in Greenock, Scotland. She studied drama and sociology at Glasgow University and then did a post-graduate teaching degree at Manchester Polytechn ...

) early in series 6, and the pair

emigrate Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...

to Nova Scotia. The Herriot children, Jimmy and Rosie, are played by several actors in their various stints. Jimmy is portrayed by Harry Brayne in the 1983 special. Oliver Wilson takes over the role from the 1985 special until the end of series 5. Paul Lyon plays him in the final series. Rosie, meanwhile, is played by Rebecca Smith from the 1985 special until the end of series 5. Alison Lewis takes over for the final series. James's early rival for Helen's affections, the well-off Richard Edmundson, was played by Norman Mann. Several farmers make recurring appearances throughout the series. Mr Biggins ( John Sharp) is a notorious payment-dodger who regularly attempts to procure free service out of the practice, as well as decrying the cost of the vets' visits. In one episode he calls Herriot out to question a bill charge from 18 months earlier. On another occasion, in exchange for Herriot's assistance with a puncture on his car, Biggins agrees to settle his account. Little does Herriot know that Biggins post-dated the cheque. Biggins' first name is revealed to be Ezra in the series 7 episode "If Music Be the Food of Love". "John Sharp was just like you see him," recalled Peter Davison. "He was a wonderful

raconteur A humorist (American) or humourist ( British spelling) is an intellectual who uses humor, or wit, in writing or public speaking, but is not an artist who seeks only to elicit laughs. Humorists are distinct from comedians, who are show business ...

and would tell you these long stories." Christopher Timothy added: "I found myself getting quite moved when I watched an episode recently, not because of what we were doing, but because all those lovely people are no longer with us. John Sharp was a lovely, lovely man." Bill Hartley ( Peter Martin, who also plays Arthur Handshaw in series 1 and 2), meanwhile, is a relatively good-natured client, compared to the perpetually disgruntled Ted Grimsdale (

Bryan Pringle Bryan Pringle (19 January 1935 – 15 May 2002) was an English character actor who appeared for several decades in television, film and theatre productions. Life and career Born in Glascote, Tamworth, Staffordshire, he was brought up in the ...

). "Peter Martin was fantastic," remembered Peter Davison. "He was mainly known then for the

Jewson Jewson is one of the largest chains of British general builders' merchants, selling to small and medium building contractors. The chain comprises around 600 branches located all across Great Britain. Jewson is part of Denmark's STARK Group. H ...

commercials. He was just very funny. He played two parts for us over the years."

Knacker A knacker (), knackerman or knacker man is a person who removes and clears animal carcasses (dead, dying, injured) from private farms or public highways and renders the collected carcasses into by-products such as fats, tallow (yellow grea ...

man Jeff Mallock (Frank Birch from series 1 to 3 and

Fred Feast Frederick Feast (5 October 1929 – 25 June 1999) was a British television actor, best remembered for playing the role of Fred Gee in '' Coronation Street''. Early life He attended the Scarborough High School for Boys, Scarborough, North Rid ...

from series 4 to 7) is regularly waiting in the wings to take ailing livestock to his knacker's yard. Whatever the vets' diagnosis, Mallock always thinks the real reason is "stagnation o' t'lung". Fellow vet Granville Bennett (

James Grout James David Grout (22 October 1927 – 24 June 2012) was an English actor of radio and television. Early life Grout was born in London, the son of Beatrice Anne and William Grout. He trained to be an actor at RADA. Career His BBC Radio 4 appear ...

), a cat and dog specialist, is often on hand to help out with the more severe small animal cases. His enjoyment of alcohol is always of a concern for James, however, who regularly ends up inebriated and making a fool of himself in front of Bennett's wife, Zoe (

Pamela Salem Pamela Fortunee Salem (born 22 January 1944) is a British film and television actress of Anglo-Indian descent. She was born in Bombay, India, and educated at Heidelberg University in Germany and later at the Central School of Speech and Drama i ...

), whom he always thought considered him a

dipsomaniac Dipsomania is a historical term describing a medical condition involving an uncontrollable craving for alcohol or drugs. In the 19th century, the term dipsomania was used to refer to a variety of alcohol-related problems, most of which are known ...

. "One of the guest characters we both adored was Granville Bennett, from whom James never escaped without being utterly plastered," recalled Sandy Byrne, the widow of writer Johnny Byrne. "He was played by James Grout, who was wonderful! He very much enjoyed writing for Mrs Pumphrey and Hodgekin too." As evidenced by Peter Martin above, several actors played more than one character throughout the course of the series; none more so than Bill Lund, who played four people: Mr Sykes in "Fair Means and Fowl", a farmhand in "Pups, Pigs and Pickle", Mr Edgeworth in the 1985 Christmas Special and Mr Bushell in "Hail Caesar!".

Geoffrey Bayldon Albert Geoffrey Bayldon (7 January 1924 – 10 May 2017) was an English actor. After playing roles in many stage productions, including the works of William Shakespeare, he became known for portraying the title role of the children's series '' ...

played three characters: Roland Partridge in "Pride of Possession", Mr Mason in the 1983 Christmas Special and confectioner Geoff Hatfield in "Where Sheep May Safely Graze". Anna Turner also played three characters: Miss Thompson in "Big Steps and Little 'Uns", a stall holder in the 1983 Christmas Special and Mrs Pettinger in "A Cat in Hull's Chance". Jack Watson played two cantankerous characters: farmer Isaac Cranford in "Nothing Like Experience" and vet Hilary Mottram in "One of Nature's Little Miracles". He reprised the role of Cranford in the 1990 Christmas Special. "They used some genuine Yorkshire characters to play the farmers," recalled Sandy Byrne, "so ohnnyrelished writing for them because they were so quirky and funny." Robert Hardy concurs: "What I think made the thing a success was those Yorkshire and Lancashire actors we had playing the farmers. They were wonderful. They lent a real authenticity to their stuff, farmers complaining about their bills and all that."

Ted Moult Edward Walker Moult (11 February 1926 – 3 September 1986) was a British farmer at Scaddows Farm near Ticknall, Derbyshire, who became a radio and television personality. Early life Moult was born in Derby. He left Derby School at 17 in ...

, who played Harold Carter, was a real farmer in the 1940s but became a radio and television personality in the mid-1960s. He committed suicide in 1986, aged 60, after a period of depression after several weeks of wet weather that worried arable farmers. Aside from the human characters, Siegfried's four dogs make regular appearances at Skeldale House. One of them—a

whippet The Whippet is a dog breed of medium size. It is a sighthound breed that originated in England, descended from the Greyhound. Whippets today still strongly resemble a smaller Greyhound. Part of the hound group, Whippets have relatively few ...

named Christie—was Robert Hardy's own. "A lovely dog whose only failing was the inability to remain in the same room as Robert once he'd started acting," explained Peter Davison. Two dogs belonged to Bill Sellars and a mutt belonged to production unit manager

John Nathan-Turner John Nathan-Turner (''né'' Turner; 12 August 1947 – 1 May 2002) was an English television producer. He was the ninth producer of the long-running BBC science fiction series ''Doctor Who''. He was also the final producer of the series' firs ...

.''Is There Life Outside The Box?: An Actor Despairs'', Peter Davison (John Blake; 2017)

Production

After a meet-and-greet for the cast in June 1977, filming began the following month. "The first thing we did was a filming block on location in

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

," explained Peter Davison. "I just remember driving up and seeing this beautiful countryside that I'd never seen before. It was untouched. Initially we stayed in a little place called

West Witton West Witton is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. Located in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales it lies on the A684 (the main road between Leyburn and Hawes). The civil parish also includ ...

Wensleydale Wensleydale is the dale or upper valley of the River Ure on the east side of the Pennines, one of the Yorkshire Dales in North Yorkshire, England. It is one of only a few Yorkshire Dales not currently named after its principal river, but th ...

, in between

Leyburn Leyburn is a market town and civil parish in the district of Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, England, sitting above the northern bank of the River Ure in Wensleydale. Historically in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the name was derived from 'L ...

and

Askrigg Askrigg is a small village and civil parish in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is part of the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. The village and its parish are located in Upper Wensleydale, west of Leybur ...

." Robert Hardy, meanwhile, stayed fifteen miles by road to the northeast, at the Punch Bowl Inn in

Low Row Low Row is a village in Swaledale, in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. It lies about 3 miles west of Reeth and is between Healaugh and Gunnerside. It is part of the Richmondshire parish Melbecks. It is a linear village running ...

, near

Reeth Reeth is a village west of Richmond in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England, in the civil parish of Reeth, Fremington and Healaugh. Historically part of the North Riding of Yorkshire, it is the principal settlement of upp ...

. "He'd found this rather grand little

bed and breakfast Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...

place," confirmed Davison. "He would invite us around for dinner and would normally be sat there working on the script and would go in the next day, bang it on the table and say, 'I've rewritten this, here it is!' It was usually better." Norman Mann, who played Richard Edmundson, recalled: "When we were up in Yorkshire, most of us stayed at the Heifer Hotel in Wensleydale, whilst Robert Hardy stayed in a different hotel. But he used to send a car over to pick us all up and we'd have dinner with him. He was the established name and he always made everybody feel so welcome." "The filming block lasted about five weeks and was a social whirlwind. I drank too much and stayed up too late," continued Davison. There were no rehearsals for location filming. "I had to learn my lines in the make-up chair the following morning." "Looking back at those early episodes, it's interesting to see what was accepted—or, rather, what ''isn't'' now. Every living-room scene involved glass after glass of whisky being poured and knocked back, and I was barely ever without a cigarette. Of course, the whisky was really only water with drops of burnt sugar, and I never inhaled the Woodbines. The beer, for some reason, was real, which in the drunken pub scenes caused problems." "Our routine in the beginning was that we would rehearse for a week t BBC Park Westernin

North Acton North Acton is a part of Acton in west London, and is within the London Borough of Ealing. It runs adjacent to the industrial district of Park Royal. Historically part of the Municipal Borough of Acton in the county of Middlesex, it has formed p ...

," explained Carol Drinkwater. "Then we would have Saturday off. Then we would have to be in Birmingham on the Sunday night and

Pebble Mill Pebble Mill Studios was the BBC's television studio complex located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, which served as the headquarters for BBC Birmingham from 1971 until 2004. The nine-acre site was opened by Princess Anne o ...

on Monday morning to do the interior studio scenes there. If there was filming, we would do a six-week block where we would all go north. That's how it started, until eventually Robert Hardy said he wanted it all to be on film, so for the specials we shot the interiors in Yorkshire on a sound stage on film and made it pretty much identical to the studios that we had at Pebble Mill." BBC Pebble Mill, Birmingham

Peter Davison's memories of the recording process: "We had this weird process where we would rehearse for ten days in London, and you'd go up for two or three days to the studio at Pebble Mill. In those days they weren't done in the rehearse-record system. We did it in the old-style way that they used to do when they were doing live television. So we would rehearse all day, and then from 7:30pm you would record, theoretically, as if it were live: sequentially and with no gaps. It never used to work out like that, but that was the idea behind it! But there was no recording in the day, which meant there was always this blind panic at night." "Normally after the seventh and final day of rehearsal, the cast and production team would travel to Birmingham to check into their hotel and digs," recalled assistant floor manager David Tilley. "The production team would meet in the studio that evening to see what state the studio was in. We'd need to check that the set building had been completed and if the sets were dressed ready for camera rehearsals to start the next day. The good thing about using the Birmingham studio was that they were excellent in design and set building. I liked working there, and they had terrific pride in ''All Creatures''. The first day—in this case the Sunday—the cameras, sound, lighting, designers, scenery changes and action properties, costume and makeup rehearsed all the scenes technically. On the second day, camera rehearsal continued in the morning. After lunch, all five cameras were synchronised and the recording commenced on scenes that had already been rehearsed. We also allowed for discontinuous recording with breaks between scenes. Earlier in the 1970s, programmes were recorded continuously with very few breaks, but by this time two-machine editing had been established using two-inch-wide tapes. All the

16mm film 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, edu ...

inserts had also been transferred to videotape. The sequences could be seen on monitors in the studio during breaks in recording, which allowed the cast, designers and production team to check for continuity from scenes filmed months before so that they could match the studio scenes." "Continuity pictures became so important," explained make-up artist Maggie Thomas. "For instance, we would always see the vets leaving and arriving at keldale House although we never ever went inside the real house on location and the costume and make-up had to match up exactly several weeks later when we saw them arrive back in the studio set of keldale Househall." "Continuity is one of the greatest challenges for a costume designer," added June Hudson. "It is one of the hardest things to get right. I would take Polaroids and stick them in my script, next to the scenes, so that when you came to do the studio, you just look at that photograph. It was the only way to do it, otherwise you were never, ever going to get it right. The smallest details, whether a top button was done up, if they wore rings on a different hand, if they had a watch on... the viewer notices, so it is a very tough job." BBC TV Centre

The series 5 episode "Two of a Kind" was the last episode to be filmed at Television Centre. "We moved ''All Creatures'' back to Pebble Mill for the sixth series because we found Pebble Mill a bit more flexible and amenable, whereas Television Centre was quite hard lined in terms of union regulations, so trying to just squeeze that extra bit of time out, or change the lunch hours, and get people to agree to that was a lot more achievable in Birmingham," explained production associate Tony Redston. "We also moved from film to 'lightweight' video cameras for the location filming of the sixth series, so for the first time we'd have monitors for instant playback on location. This was double-sided, because whilst it meant you could immediately check what you'd been shooting, the downside was everyone then wanted to stand around the monitor and check every take." Peter Davison concurred about the feel of Pebble Mill. "Unlike Television Centre, Pebble Mill had an intimate family atmosphere. Everyone was on first-name terms, and even though I had a dressing room, I would still spend most of my time loitering in the make-up department." "The studio recording took place between 2:30 and 6:00pm, and then again in the evening, 7:30 to 10:00," continued David Tilley. "The recording had to end at precisely 10:00 and all scenes had to be completed. No overruns were allowed as the cost of overtime with such a large cast, technicians, designers and production staff would have been tremendous, so it was very disciplined. At the end of the studio ecording the recording and film inserts were then laid onto a master videotape." NAGRA--TYPE3---PL-GR

Soundman Alex Christison reminisced about getting the sound right on the show: "The main problem with ''All Creatures'' was that we are talking about the days before multi-mic radio microphones were available, so you couldn't just scatter personal mics around each actor and mix accordingly. We were also recording in mono audio, so I didn't even have another track to play with like the dramas do these days with split track. Basically I relied on my

boom Boom may refer to: Objects * Boom (containment), a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill * Boom (navigational barrier), an obstacle used to control or block marine navigation * Boom (sailing), a sailboat part * Boom (windsurfi ...

swinger to get my sound. We'd done away with the old sync lead by then, thank God, which meant I wasn't joined up to the camera; the boom mic would be connected to my

Nagra Nagra is a brand of portable audio recorders produced from 1951 in Switzerland. Beginning in 1997 a range of high-end equipment aimed at the audiophile community was introduced, and Nagra expanded the company’s product lines into new markets. ...

mixer and would be recorded separately to picture. The

clapperboard A clapperboard (also known by various other names including dumb slate) is a device used in filmmaking and video production to assist in synchronizing of picture and sound, and to designate and mark the various scenes and takes as they are ...

really did concentrate the minds in those days because it was quite a costly process if you got it wrong. Because the cast were so good, they would see the boom in the corner of their eye and know when it was going to be over their head—then they would start speaking." Separate crews were used for studio recording and exteriors. In early 1978, news came from London: "The BBC, planning all their schedules and choosing their programmes, were pestering me after the first series," remembered Bill Sellars. "'We want thirteen more episodes now!' I'd say, 'Where are we going to get all this from, Ted?'" "They commissioned a second series," explained Peter Davison. "This time they wanted the show to go out in the autumn slot, which meant we would barely finish the first series before starting the next. Chris's leg was improving all the time, but we had lost six or seven weeks, and so had a three-week break in transmission in March to allow post-production to catch up." The programme initially ran for three series, with each episode adapting one or two of the Herriot stories—usually a story thread centred on James, and a second centred on Siegfried or Tristan. The continuity of the show followed the general arc of the books: James's arrival at

Darrowby Darrowby is a fictional village in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England, which was created by author Alf Wight under the pen name of James Herriot James Alfred Wight (3 October 1916 – 23 February 1995), better known by his pen name J ...

in 1937, his growing experience as a vet, his humorous attempts at romance with Helen, and their eventual marriage. The programme ended in 1980 at the stage where the characters were drawn into the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, the final exterior shots broadcast filmed during the winter of 1979. This completed the adaptation of all the novels which Alf Wight had written up to that point. Two 90-minute Christmas Specials were subsequently made, in 1983 and 1985, set after the war and based on his 1981 book ''The Lord God Made Them All''. At the end of the filming of the 1985 special, Christopher Timothy and Carol Drinkwater were asked if they thought that was the end of the series. "I'm fairly certain it is, yes," said Timothy. "There's very, very little material left." But surely there is another animal story every day? "It's a case of what James Herriot has written, though," replied Drinkwater. "He will, indeed, only allow us to use what is written. Which, I think, is fair." "By the end of 1986, it was agreed that the original cast, minus Carol Drinkwater, would re-assemble to film another series," said Davison. Three years later, the programme was, indeed, revived, after Sellars was able to persuade Alf Wight to allow new scripts to be written around the existing characters, but not directly based on the Herriot books, with some story lines repeated from the first run. The revived series was a co-production with the BBC in partnership with A&E and the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

. Robert Hardy, though, had one stipulation about his returning to his role: he wanted Roger Davenport to write some of the scripts. The revival, set beginning in 1949, ran for four more series, taking the characters up to Christmas 1953. Peter Davison was busy with other projects and was seen far less frequently in these newer series, with the character of Tristan leaving for Ireland at one point before returning after several episodes. He left again after that (he is only seen in one episode of the sixth series), before returning for the majority of the final series. Regarding Carol Drinkwater's decision not to return to the series: "Bill Sellars was very, very cross with me for leaving. I think he thought I had been ungrateful. I'd given everything I could and I couldn't think where else I could take the role, because there was no more material. I wasn't leaving in any kind of spiteful thing; it had nothing to do with Chris and I, which is, of course, what everyone thought. Our split was all very amicable. Chris and I, and his wife Annie, are still good friends—there is no problem there. The BBC was so angry with me, they put a ban on using me. So they re-cast and another actress got the role. I was terribly upset because it was a wonderful role and would have been very good for me. I must say now, looking back on my career, it's one of the few things in my life I would do differently, and I wouldn't have left." The revived series gradually became more based around the development of the central characters—particularly after the introduction of Calum and Deirdre, with their romance and subsequent marriage—and it mainly focused on the activities inside Skeldale House, rather than being a series about a veterinary practice. For the final series, all of the new characters were dropped (including Calum and Deirdre), and the series returned to its 1970s roots, focusing once more on the animals. The final broadcast was another Christmas Special, in 1990. "I was glad when we stopped," said Robert Hardy. "I'd had enough. But I did love playing the character. There was some wonderful writing in the early stories, but later there was some which I always tried to change and, in the end, I made up a lot of my own stuff. I had been longing to leave because the filming conditions were so bad, but each time I eventually made up my mind to carry on. I don't know whether I was right or wrong." The script editor for 42 of the 90 episodes was Ted Rhodes. Rhodes was killed during a confrontation with a cyclist in Wimbledon in 2003. He was 69. "I couldn't have done any of it without Ted Rhodes. He was marvellous," said Bill Sellars. "He was a brilliant script editor. He spent his lifetime as a script editor and he had so many ideas. He knew how to put a script together. He knew what the beginning was, he knew the middle and he knew the end, and he could really weave those together to create one whole. They were never disjointed." In 2007, an unfilmed script by the show's script editor Johnny Byrne was recovered and presented to the BBC as a possible Christmas reunion episode, but the BBC did not commission it. Peter Davison joked, "Maybe they just thought we were too decrepit, I don't know!" Over 18–20 December 2011, the BBC screened a three-episode prequel, '' Young James Herriot'', about Herriot's time at university, with Iain De Caestecker in the title role. Co-stars included

Amy Manson Amy Manson (born 9 September 1985) is a Scottish actress. She has portrayed Alice Guppy in ''Torchwood'', Abby Evans in '' Casualty'', Lizzie Siddal in ''Desperate Romantics'', Daisy Hannigan-Spiteri in '' Being Human'', Medea in ''Atlantis'' ...

and

Tony Curran Tony Curran is a Scottish actor who has appeared in '' Underworld: Evolution'', ''Doctor Who'', ''Roots'', and the Netflix historical epic '' Outlaw King''. He appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film '' Thor: The Dark World'' (2013) as Bo ...

Locations

All exterior scenes were filmed in North Yorkshire, mostly in the village of Askrigg, which doubled for the fictional

, and Bainbridge. Addlebrough, a

fell A fell (from Old Norse ''fell'', ''fjall'', "mountain"Falk and Torp (2006:161).) is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain or moor-covered hill. The term is most often employed in Fennoscandia, Iceland, the Isle of Man, pa ...

to the south of both villages, is seen prominently in several scenes. Other locations included Swaledale, Arkengarthdale and Wensleydale, as well as Langthwaite; "the Red Lion pub was used for some scenes". "We would take over Askrigg and drive the very few motorists crazy by stopping the traffic," remembered Peter Davison. Indeed, three quarters of the way through the second run the crew was banned from filming in the village due to the disruption it was causing to the lives of the residents. Filming also took place at some of the Dales' countless farmsteads—the same ones that Alf Wight visited in the 1960s and 1970s, although the names of villages, farms and people were changed. Exterior shots were originally to be filmed in Derbyshire's

Peak District The Peak District is an upland area in England at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. It includes the Dark Peak, where moorla ...

, but Robert Hardy took offence to the plan and threatened to walk out of the producer's office. Some indoor scenes (including all those of the interior of Skeldale House) were shot at the BBC's Pebble Mill studios in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

, a few months after the on-location portions. This is demonstrated in the first series, when Christopher Timothy is seen walking normally during the scenes filmed in Yorkshire during the latter part of 1977, but by the time the studio shots take place, after his accident, his immobility is quite obvious. "Most of the locations were around

, where the unit had been based at the Golden Lion Hotel and Eastfield Lodge Hotel, respectively," recalled assistant floor manager David Tilley. "All the timings have to be scheduled in advance. It would be a blank sheet of paper when you started. The only thing that was pre-scheduled was the studio recording dates, which were organised by the BBC's Planning department, in conjunction with all the other series using the studios. We would then have to work out everything for each individual episode. We would always do the location filming first, so we assembled in Yorkshire to record the film inserts for 'Pig in the Middle' in the same block as 'Every Dog His Day...' I would have to make sure everyone arrived on time, either by car or bus, and that we had everything we needed to complete the scenes in time." For the first three series, up until the two Christmas specials of 1983 and 1985, most interior scenes were recorded on video at Pebble Mill and edited together with exterior shots. This provided hardships in December 1977, when filming briefly returned to the Dales, after a block of studio recording, to capture the look of winter. The temperatures dropped well below freezing. "The snow was high and the ice was solid," explained Robert Hardy in 2003.''Stars Reunited'' All Creatures cast reunion, July 2003 "I remember two occasions when we were so cold, from the wind on the /nowiki>moorland.html" ;"title="moorland.html" ;"title="/nowiki>moorland">/nowiki>moorland">moorland.html" ;"title="/nowiki>moorland">/nowiki>moorland/nowiki> tops, that we couldn't speak. We had to stop." Peter Davison recalled: "People would hand me a cup of tea and I would stick my hand in it, rather than drink it, because my fingers were so cold." For the final four series, much of the filming other than at Skeldale House was done wholly on location at the farms. "Studios aren't really like cow byres or horse stables or country farm houses," explained Hardy, "so one had to make believe a great deal in those early episodes. I mean, they made good sets, but it was better later when we stopped using the studio and did all the filming in real locations in Yorkshire. That was when it really started coming alive, because the cameras were in real situations." Askrigg 2019

"In the first series, we had large animals in the studio, with sets for farm barns and cow sheds, which were later filmed on location," explains designer David Crozier. "There were all sorts of things you had to take into consideration, not least of which was how you are going to dispose of the animal's waste, so we were effectively building these stables and cow sheds in the studio for real." "I was first scheduled to ''All Creatures'' in 1989," explained wardrobe member Helen Scarsbrook. "An average day's filming would often start around 6am at the unit base in Leyburn, which was an old empty school where we kept all the costumes and equipment. The actors would arrive and we would dress everybody. Then we would load up the unit cars—which in Yorkshire were a couple of Ford Sierra Station wagon, estates—so we could pile up the costumes for all the changes. Then we would drive out to location, which was quite often Bainbridge, North Yorkshire, Bainbridge, so quite a long journey." (Bainbridge is thirteen miles directly west of Leyburn by car.) Maggie Thomas was one of the three make-up personnel in the original run. She recalled: "The actual make-up job seemed pretty minimal, until we realised that every storyline had an injured animal in it, and that my designer and I would, as far as possible, be doing them! What we didn't know was that every animal injury in the storyline would require a lot of attention from the make-up department. It soon became very clear that we were going to have our work cut out to achieve some believable-looking animal injuries. Mostly we always knew in advance what would be needed from reading the script; otherwise, we wouldn't be ready when it came to that part of the day's shoot. We always had a gallon of artificial blood with us, but there were occasions when we couldn't foresee an event that would require our 'expertise'.""''Dishing the Dirt: 30 Years Behind The Scenes in Television Make-Up'', Maggie Thomas (2009, Authors OnLine) ''James Herriot's Yorkshire'', written by the vet and published in 1979, mentions several of his favourite locations in "his" Yorkshire, many of which were used in the television series but with different names. These include Bedale, Keld,

Gunnerside Gunnerside is a village in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the B6270 road, east of Muker and west of Grinton. The village lies between the River Swale and its tributary, Gunnerside Beck, in the Swale ...

, West Burton,

Muker Muker is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish at the western end of Swaledale in North Yorkshire, England, within the district of Richmondshire. The parish includes the hamlets and villages of Angram, Richmondshire, Angram, Kel ...

Semerwater Semerwater is the second largest natural lake in North Yorkshire, England, after Malham Tarn. It is half a mile (800 m) long, covers and lies in Raydale, opposite the River Bain. A private pay and display parking area is at the foot of the l ...

Countersett Countersett is the largest of the three settlements in Raydale, around Semerwater in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is in the Yorkshire Dales to the north of the lake. The Boar East and West were once one farm, and ...

, Coverdale,

West Scrafton West Scrafton is a village and civil parish in Coverdale in the Yorkshire Dales, England. It is located south west of Leyburn. It falls within the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire. The population was estimated at 70 in 2013. The v ...

(where the Herriots holidayed),

Middleham Middleham is an English market town and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire. It lies in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, on the south side of the valley, upstream from the junction of the River Ure and River Cover. ...

Sutton Bank Sutton Bank is a hill in the Hambleton District of the North York Moors National Park, North Yorkshire in England. It is a high point on the Hambleton Hills with extensive views over the Vale of York and the Vale of Mowbray. At the foot of Su ...

and

Oughtershaw Oughtershaw is a hamlet in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. It lies on a road it shares with other small villages; Deepdale, Yockenthwaite and Hubberholme, which traverses the watershed between Upper Wharfedale\Langstrothdale and ...

, which is "some of Yorkshire's bleakest country".''James Herriot's Yorkshire'' (1979), James Herriot, St. Martin's Kings Arms Hotel, Askrigg - geograph

When it came to the oft-joked-about insertion of an arm into a cow's rear end, Davison said: "People think we cheated, or something. I tell them that the BBC are not going to pay for a stunt cow that I can put my arm up." Robert Hardy added: "It's enchanting, because once you've got your hand inside you can understand how the interior works." Davison first had to perform this examination in the series-one closer "Breath of Life", which was filmed in November 1977. "I had not etbeen called upon. Now here in black and white: ''Interior Barn: Tristan is stripped to the waist with his arm up a cow.'' I spent so many days worrying about it, I didn't even give much thought to the cold weather. The series was set in 1937, when vets didn't have the luxury of modern 1977 rubber gloves, so therefore neither did the actors portraying them. All we had was a bar of soap, a bucket of warm water, and Jack Watkinson, our veterinary adviser, to show us what to do. 'It's very simple,' he said. 'A quick up and down the arm with the bar of soap, and in you go.' So on a cold November day with the wind whistling through the cracks in the walls of the wooden barn, in I went. Of course, when I got on with it, it wasn't so bad, and even the cow seemed to quite enjoy it. All I remember is thinking the only warm part of my body was my arm. Afterwards, with a real sense of achievement, I made my way back to get cleaned up, and even the sparks seemed to look at me with new respect, although I felt sorry for them, having to clean the cow shit off the cables after filming." What is now Skeldale Guest House, a

named for obvious reasons, provided the exterior shots of the surgery building. "It was actually called

Cringley House Cringley House (also known as Skeldale House)

," explained Peter Davison, "and owned by Olive Turner and her husband Charles, who welcomed us with open arms from the first day of filming. Although we never shot any interior scenes there, it was often used for make-up and costume and, while relaxing between takes, they would make us tea and coffee and show us pictures of their children. The couple even appeared as extras in a couple of scenes." The

Kings Arms Hotel The Kings Arms Hotel is a public house and inn in the English village of Askrigg, North Yorkshire. A Grade II listed building, standing on the northern side of Main Street, it dates to 1767. The inn was built by John Pratt, a local man who ...

, which became the Drovers Arms during filming of the later series, features photographs on its interior walls of the cast drinking at the establishment during downtime. The Drovers was made out to be located beside the church in the early series, as evidenced in the episode "The Name of the Game". "It was fun to design the Drovers, which later on they did on location in Askrigg," explained designer David Crozier. "But in the early days these scenes were all done at Pebble Mill." Just up Main Street, past the pub, Lodge Yard was featured in the episode "Against the Odds". A house directly across the street from the front exterior of Cringley House was used for location for the back garden of Skeldale in several episodes, including both 1983 and 1985 Christmas specials and in scenes in the series' second run. For the 1985 Christmas Special, filming was based in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

. The gymnasium of the barracks of the

Green Howards The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), frequently known as the Yorkshire Regiment until the 1920s, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division. Raised in 1688, it served under vario ...

regiment became Skeldale's surgery. The King's Head Hotel, meanwhile, was the scene of James and Helen's anniversary dinner. It was in Richmond that Peter Davison decided to leave the role of ''Doctor Who''. "I made the decision to leave the series after sitting on my bed in a hotel room in Richmond. John Nathan-Turner had been pushing me to do a fourth year (I was yet to start my third), and my agent had called me for the second time that day. It would have meant better money (within reason—this was the BBC, after all), and a chance to have more say in story development, but it also broke my unwritten 'three series and out' rule, and the similar advice

Patrick Troughton Patrick George Troughton (; 25 March 1920 – 28 March 1987) was an English actor who was classically trained for the stage but became known for his roles in television and film. His work included appearances in several fantasy, science fiction ...

had given me. We were in the middle of filming the first ''All Creatures Great and Small'' Christmas Special, and the previous night, over a thick gammon steak and eggs, in a pub in

, I'd discussed my future choices with Chris Timothy. I'd already had a similar talk with Robert Hardy, and both agreed it was time for me to move on. That's what I told my agent. So I burned my bridges and tried to imagine life after ''Doctor Who'', never imagining that there wouldn't really be one." Parts of the beginning title sequence—in particular, the car passing through the

ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

—were shot on a road called Peat Gate between

Feetham Feetham is a hamlet opposite Low Row in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. The origin of the place-name is from Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects bef ...

Swaledale Swaledale is one of the northernmost dales (valleys) in Yorkshire Dales National Park, located in northern England. It is the dale of the River Swale on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire. Geographical overview Swaledale runs ...

and

Langthwaite Langthwaite is one of the few villages in Arkengarthdale, North Yorkshire, England. It is north of Reeth and sits above sea level. It is the main settlement in the dale and is one of the most northerly settlements in the whole of Yorkshire D ...

in Arkengarthdale. "I used to love the old cars," explained Robert Hardy. "Except when they gave up. They were always giving up. We had a permanent mechanic up there and he was always deep inside the bonnet of this or that car. But I had some nice cars to drive, and when they worked they were great fun. And, of course, I was old enough to remember how to double declutch and all that sort of thing, so they weren't a shock to me." Other locations used include: Langthwaite (geograph 5959109)

*Swaledale, near

Crackpot Crackpot may refer to: * Crackpot, North Yorkshire, a village in the United Kingdom and home of Crackpot Cave * Crackpot Hall, a landmark ruin near Keld, North Yorkshire * a DC comics character, see Blasters (comics) * Crackpot (band), an Austral ...

(Heston Grange) * Ellerton Abbey House, (Barlby Grange, the home of Mrs Pumphrey) *

Coverham Abbey Coverham Abbey, North Yorkshire, England, was a Premonstratensian monastery that was founded at Swainby in 1190 by Helewisia, daughter of the Chief Justiciar Ranulf de Glanville. It was refounded at Coverham in about 1212 by her son Ranulf fit ...

(the home of Mrs Bond) *Oxnop Scar (where James finds Siegfried's car before their heart-to-heart about the war) *Great Gill,

(in the episodes "A New Chapter" and "Alarms and Excursions") *West Scrafton (Scarburn, home of Ewan Ross, in the episode "Fair Means and Fowl") *Village Shop,

East Witton East Witton is a village and civil parish in Wensleydale in North Yorkshire, England. It lies south of Leyburn, in the Richmondshire district. Richard Whiteley is buried there; he and his partner, Kathryn Apanowicz, lived in the village. ...

(the Altons' cottage in the episode "The Prodigal Returns") *Langthwaite (J. R. Stubbs's store) *High Row, Reeth (Bob Howell's Music Shop in the episode "Charity Begins at Home") *Market Place, Leyburn (Darrowby Market) *The Red Lion, Langthwaite (as the Red Lion, Briston, in the episode "Every Dog His Day") *The Bolton Arms,

Redmire Redmire is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is about west of Leyburn in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales. Transport Redmire is the terminus of the Wensleydale Railway. The Ministry of ...

(in the episode "Beauty of the Beast") *North Road, Middleham (Geoff Hatfield's confectioners in the episode "Where Sheep May Safely Graze") *Hardraw Beck,

Hardraw Hardraw is a hamlet near Hawes within the Yorkshire Dales in North Yorkshire, England. It takes its name from the nearby Hardraw Force waterfall. The old school house, built in 1875, can be seen in the centre of the photograph of the village, ...

(in the episode "The Course of True Love") *

Goathland railway station Goathland railway station is a station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and serves the village of Goathland in the North York Moors National Park, North Yorkshire, England. It has also been used in numerous television and film productions ( ...

(in the episode "City Slicker") *Braithwaite Lane, East Witton (in the episodes "Salt of the Earth", "A Dying Breed", and the bus stop in "Against the Odds") *

Spennithorne Spennithorne is a village and civil parish in lower Wensleydale in North Yorkshire, England. The village is situated 2 miles (3.2 km) south-east of the market town Leyburn, on a slight elevation above the River Ure, which forms the ...

and

Harmby Harmby is a village and civil parish in Lower Wensleydale very near to Leyburn, in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is closely connected with Spennithorne Spennithorne is a village and civil parish in lower ...

Cricket Club (in the episode "Big Fish, Little Fish"). The pavilion built for the summer 1988 recording of the episode remained standing until 2015. *

Finghall railway station Finghall railway station is on the Wensleydale Railway and serves the village of Finghall in North Yorkshire, England. Adjacent to the station is a manually operated gated crossing on the single-track Wensleydale Railway. The station was opene ...

(which doubled as Rainby Halt in the episode "The Playing Field") *Redmire Village Green (Darrowby bus stop in the episodes "Puppy Love" and "Ways and Means") Several churches were used during filming: HolyTrinity back 8812

* St Oswald's, Askrigg (exterior shots of Darrowby Church) *Church of St Mary & St John,

(interior shots of Darrowby Church) * Holy Trinity Church, Wensley (James and Helen's wedding in the episode "The Last Furlong". This sequence was recorded in December 1977, before the first episode aired) * Holy Trinity Church, Coverham (its gate in the episode "Mending Fences" and in the 1985 Christmas Special) *Old Chapel,

Thoralby Thoralby is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies south of Aysgarth, is within a mile of both Newbiggin and West Burton and is in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is south-west of t ...

(Hargrove Church in the episode "If Music Be the Food of Love")

Episodes

Ninety episodes (including the three Christmas Specials) were broadcast over seven series. Each episode is 48 minutes in length.

Theme tune

What became the eponymous

theme tune Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at som ...

for ''All Creatures Great and Small'' was written as KPM

library music Production music (also known as stock music or library music) is recorded music that can be licensed to customers for use in film, television, radio and other media. Often, the music is produced and owned by production music libraries. Backgroun ...

in 1968 by

Johnny Pearson John Valmore Pearson (18 June 1925 – 20 March 2011) was a British composer, orchestra leader and pianist. He led the ''Top of the Pops'' orchestra for sixteen years, wrote a catalogue of library music, and had many of his pieces used as the ...

.Johnny Pearson obituary
in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'', viewed 26 July 2013 Titled "Piano Parchment", it was chosen by producer Bill Sellars, who had earlier selected Pearson's "Sleepy Shores" as the theme for the TV programme '' Owen MD''. Two versions of the theme were re-recorded for the opening titles of ''All Creatures'': that of the first run was flute-oriented; meanwhile, the version used for the second was more in line with the

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

-based original. Almost all of the incidental music used in the show was written by Pearson and performed by him and his orchestra. The exceptions are the two "gypsy songs" "Ditchling Beacon" and "English Pasture", written by John Leach, which appear in the episode "Out of Practice".

1978 soundtrack

The LP, entitled ''All Creatures Great and Small: The Original Music from the TV Series and Other Favourite Themes'' and released on Rampage Records in 1978, was produced by

Larry Page Lawrence Edward Page (born March 26, 1973) is an American business magnate, computer scientist and internet entrepreneur. He is best known for co-founding Google with Sergey Brin. Page was the chief executive officer of Google from 1997 unti ...

and Adrian Kerridge. ("Autumn Reverie", also known as "Heather", although featured several times throughout the series, is not on the soundtrack. It was originally featured on Pearson's 1968 ''Gentle Sounds'' album.) All tracks written by Johnny Pearson except where stated. ;Side One ("A") #"All Creatures Great and Small" (2:10) #"First Love" (2:39) #"Love Dream" (2:46) #"Misty Sunset" (3:28) #"Lover's Guitar" (4:36) #"Today I Met My Love" (2:49) ;Side Two ("B") #"Sleepy Shores" (3:06) #"Over the Hedge Rows" (3:22) (in a shortened version that appears in the episode "Faint Hearts", its ending is slowed down) #"Sublime Country" (1:52) #"Helena" (2:30) #"Sunshine" (3:18) #" Love Story" (

Francis Lai Francis Albert Lai (; 26 April 19327 November 2018) was a French composer, noted for his film scores. He won the 1970 Oscar for Best Music, Original Score and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for the film ''Love Story''. The so ...

) (4:56) New pieces written after the first run of the series appeared in the second run, but these have not been released as a soundtrack. A few of them appear on Pearson's 1988 two-part release, ''KPM 1000 Series: Johnny Pearson Piano and Orchestra'', including the notable trumpet piece "Country Fayre", the flute-driven "Fields and Hedgerows", the piano-based "A Ride in the Sun" and the orchestral "Thames Rhapsody", "Crystal Breeze", "Odd Moments", "Camelia Dance", "Lovers and Friends" and "Village Green". Also, on the first of the two editions, are two alternate versions of "Piano Parchment" (a 60-second edit and a 30-second edit).

Home media

All seven series and three Christmas Specials have been released on DVD in Region 1, Region 2 and Region 4. The 1990 Christmas Special (entitled "Brotherly Love") is regarded as being part of Series 7.

Skeldale House

Although he has not always stayed there, instead living with Caroline later in the series, Siegfried owns Skeldale House, and while he is happy—within reason—to pay for its upkeep and renovation, he is rarely seen getting his hands dirty outside the surgery. Tristan, on the other hand, takes over the household duties from Mrs Hall in "Hair of the Dog" and "Home and Away", and James has to pick up the slack when Helen is out of action, on account of a

slipped disc Spinal disc herniation is an injury to the cushioning and connective tissue between vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine. It may result in back pain, pain or sensation in different parts of the body, and physic ...

, in the first few episodes of series 5. The Pebble Mill set was laid out to match Skeldale House as it appeared in exterior shots. A door on the right side of the building, for example, was used to represent the entrance to the waiting room. On a couple of occasions, the cast had to go inside the Askrigg building to accommodate exterior shots on its windows but, other than a view out of the surgery window in the 1990 Christmas Special, the camera never followed them inside. In the series 3 finalé "Big Steps and Little 'Uns", Helen is shown waving James off to war from an opened second-floor window. AllCreaturesGreatAndSmallSet-1-GCR 7908

On the

ground floor A storey (British English) or story (American English) is any level part of a building with a floor that could be used by people (for living, work, storage, recreation, etc.). Plurals for the word are ''storeys'' (UK) and ''stories'' (US). T ...

there are four rooms (clockwise from front to back): unused dining room (see below), the sitting room (the front half being the sitting area; the rear half being the dining area), the kitchen, and the surgery. Aside from the back door, another door in the kitchen leads to the surgery's waiting room. The house's only phone is in the hallway, in a nook by the stairs which also contains a

grandfather clock A grandfather clock (also a longcase clock, tall-case clock, grandfather's clock, or floor clock) is a tall, freestanding, weight-driven pendulum clock with the pendulum held inside the tower or waist of the case. Clocks of this style are common ...

and, later in the series, the door to the basement, where

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

and

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

are kept. A

coat rack A hatstand (UK), hatrack (US), coat rack, coat stand, or hall tree is a device used to store hats and often coats on, and umbrellas within. Some upscale European catalogues market it as a portmanteau from the French ('carry') and ('cloak' ...

originally also appeared here, but was later moved to the foyer. The window above the front door announces that you are at "Skeldale House", a feature that remains today. Regarding the clock: "That clock should have been taken out and burnt," joked director Roderick Graham. "When you are doing retakes, how do you sync the ''tick-tock'' from the previous take? It was a nightmare and would drown out the dialogue." "The staircase went nowhere," revealed Peter Davison. "If you had to run downstairs to answer the phone, it meant perching yourself on a small platform just out of shot and launching yourself into the scene." Health and efficiency 1925 03 cover

"For the studio, we changed the colours of the surgery in the second series to give it a bit of time progression," explained David Crozier, the designer. "I'd used the whitewashed look in the first series, because I'd found hundreds and hundreds of photos from that period in Yorkshire of house interiors painted in whitewash. But as we moved closer to wartime, we went with a darker look, which became the fashion at the time." "The surgery was full of a wonderful selection of genuine veterinary implements from the thirties as well as shelves of dodgy-looking medicines," recalled Peter Davison. "For my own character of Tristan, I decided it would be fun if all I ever did in the surgery was clutch a

mortar and pestle Mortar and pestle is a set of two simple tools used from the Stone Age to the present day to prepare ingredients or substances by crushing and grinding them into a fine paste or powder in the kitchen, laboratory, and pharmacy. The ''mortar'' ( ...

in case Siegfried appeared, aside from the usual smoking and reading 1937 copies of '' Health and Efficiency''." The first floor contains the bedrooms, while the second floor contains a small suite which Siegfried offers to James and Helen in the first episode of series 2. When the couple move to Rowangarth, Calum takes over the suite. In "Merry Gentlemen", the final episode of the second series, we see behind the door immediately on the left as one enters the front door of Skeldale. The original, now-unused dining room, Siegfried uses it as overflow for storage of his reserve wine collection. Covered in dust, the room is brought back to life by Helen and Mrs Hall. The fire is lit, and the Christmas tree is put up in one of the corners. In the early series, the back door opens into a narrow

alley An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in the older parts of towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road (back lane ...

; later, the back garden becomes an expansive area of grass, shrubbery and stone walls. An

aviary An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds, although bats may also be considered for display. Unlike birdcages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages. Avi ...

is seen in the episodes "Fair Means and Fowl" and, twelve years later, "A Cat in Hull's Chance". The original set of the interior of the Skeldale House surgery is now located at the Richmondshire Museum in Richmond and is open to the public. Other extensive parts, including the living room and the dispensary, are on display at The World of James Herriot museum in

Thirsk Thirsk is a market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England known for its racecourse; quirky yarnbomber displays, and depiction as local author James Herriot's fictional Darrowby. History Archeological ...

, which is also open to the public.

Legacy

"There was something about the series. It had the right content," recalled producer Bill Sellars. "It became a world favourite, and at its height was actually watched by twenty million viewers." The series occupied a slot in the TV week that helped solidify it as Sunday-evening fare. Robert Hardy remarked that: "It hit the right moment. There was a feeling still in the towns that the country was a glorious place inhabited by amazing people." TV historian Chris Diamond commented, "It's the perfect post-dinner, pre-bath time slot. You're going to be either hanging about in the living room trying to avoid dishes, or waiting to have a bath." Hardy was also concerned that the series would be a brief affair. His worry was that it would "bore the townspeople and irritate the countryfolk". He put its success down to the fact that it featured "real people". Christopher Timothy, on the other hand, thought it had an excellent chance due to the popularity of Wight's books. The cast became household names around the world. "I've had letters from vets, both male and female, who say they became vets because of the series," said Robert Hardy. Christopher Timothy became the most famous vet on the planet, which became a mixed blessing. "After I did ''All Creatures'', it was eight years before I acted on television again," he recalled. "I remember once going to see my agent and, going up the stairs to his office, hearing him screaming down the phone: 'He's not a vet, he's a bloody actor!'" "I asked Pete

avison Avison is a name. Notable people with that name include: ; As a surname * Al Avison (192084), American comic book artist *Charles Avison (170970), English composer during the Baroque and Classical periods * David Avison (19372004), American photogr ...

once, 'How is it that you go from one role to the other and I can't get arrested on television?' He said, 'Because I didn't play James Herriot...' I think there's an element of truth in that." "It was a big slice of my career, for which I am very, very grateful," added Robert Hardy. "The series means a great deal to me as it took up such a large span of my life."

Reunions and interviews

When Peter Davison was made the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' in 1982, Christopher Timothy, Robert Hardy and Carol Drinkwater all appeared as guests. Timothy, Davison and Jean Heywood attended Lynda Bellingham's appearance on the show in 1993. Timothy's time came in 2000, for which Hardy, Davison, Drinkwater and Bellingham were in attendance. Christopher Timothy and Robert Hardy attended a service of thanksgiving for Alf Wight at

York Minster The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, North Yorkshire, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Arch ...

on 20 October 1995, eight months after the author's death. In 2003, Timothy, Hardy, Carol Drinkwater and Lynda Bellingham appeared together on ''Stars Reunited''. Due to having other commitments, Peter Davison could not be present. Also briefly joining them, and host

Dale Winton Dale Jonathan Winton (22 May 1955 – 18 April 2018) was an English radio DJ and television presenter. He presented the shows ''Dale's Supermarket Sweep'' from 1993 until 2001 and again in 2007, the National Lottery game show '' In It to W ...

, on the couch was Jack Watkinson,

MRCVS The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is the regulatory body for veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom, established in 1844 by royal charter. It is responsible for monitoring the educational, ethical and clinical standards of the v ...

, the Yorkshire vet with whom Timothy lived and worked for a week prior to the filming of the series. Timothy has stated that, for him, it was the best week of the whole series. "I did seriously feel, with all humility, that when I turned up to start filming: 'I'm sort of equipped for this.'" Carol Drinkwater later said of this appearance: " aledid an interview with each of us on our own, and he asked if I had known what a sex symbol I was? I was completely stunned, I had no idea. I mean, I used to get boxes of marriage proposals... I used to bin them, I never read them. I was very naughty. Now I answer all my mail, though there is much less of it now, of course." "None of us ever did anything that could harm an animal," explained Timothy in another interview. "The injections were all faked and arms up a cow's bum is not difficult to do—and the cows don't mind too much... in fact, some cows quite like it! Jack Watkinson wouldn't tolerate anything that he deemed as unethical. The directors at one point sent out a note about how animals should be treated in the furtherance of entertainment, but it was always left to the attending vet's discretion. If it had gone against any of his ethical code, Jack would have refused us to do it." Watkinson died in May 2013 after suffering a stroke. He was 84. Watkinson was the ''on-location'' technical advisor; his studio-based counterpart was

Eddie Straiton Edward Cornock Straiton OBE (27 March 1917 – 30 October 2004), known as "the TV vet", was a Scottish veterinarian, author, and television host. He was the studio-based technical advisor for the BBC television series '' All Creatures Great and ...

. "He was an incredible character, an absolutely astonishing man," remembered Robert Hardy. Along with Donald and Brian Sinclair, Alf Wight dedicated his 1972 book ''All Creatures Great and Small'' to Straiton. As the 1983 Christmas Special had done, the interview included a tribute to Mary Hignett (Mrs Hall), who died shortly after the series' first run: "She was the warmest-hearted, most genial, most enchanting companion," said Hardy. "She was a total dear; I absolutely adored her, and it was tragic that she died far too soon and left us bereft." Timothy added: "A fabulous lady, and greatly, greatly missed." Timothy, Hardy and Drinkwater reunited again in 2006 at

The World of James Herriot World of James Herriot Ltd is a visitor attraction in the former Thirsk writer's home, home and veterinary surgery of author James Herriot. Displays include recreations of James Herriots 1940s Apartment, flat; depictions of rural life and veter ...

museum in

. In October 2016, all four main actors from the original run reunited to mark the centenary of Alf Wight's birth."Joy as TV stars reunite for James Herriot centenary event and author's legacy cemented"
- ''The Northern Echo'', 3 October 2016

References

;Specific ;General #

Official James Herriot Website
# #

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:All Creatures Great and Small 1978 British television series debuts 1990 British television series endings 1970s British drama television series 1980s British drama television series 1990s British drama television series BBC Birmingham productions BBC television dramas Peabody Award-winning television programs Television shows based on British novels Television series about animals Television series set in the 1930s Television series set in the 1940s Television series set in the 1950s Television shows set in Yorkshire English-language television shows Television series by BBC Studios British television series revived after cancellation