All Things Bright And Beautiful...

 ...All Creatures Great and Small

Did you realise that it is fifty years since James Herriot [real name Alf Wight] first began to publish his charming tales of life as a Yorkshire Vet? I loved the books, and then the TV series, with Christopher Timothy, Peter Davidson, and Robert Hardy as the irascible Siegfried.

Channel 5 have remade the series- the filming was done between summer 2019 and early spring 2020 [before covid19 stopped such things]

This new production stars Nicholas Ralph as James, with Callum Woodhouse and Samuel West as Tristan and Siegfried. It is Rakph's screen debut, and you may recognise Woodhouse from 'The Durrells'. I think Samuel West is a superb choice to follow in Hardy's footsteps - son of two great British actors, Timothy West and Prunella Scales, he has already played some brilliant roles on large and small screen. Housekeeper Mrs Hall is played by Anna Madeley [Cold Feet, The Crown, Coldwater Fell etc] and Helen is Rachel Shenton [Hollyoaks] And the filming has all been around the picturesque village of Grassington. The locals there are thrilled- and hope it will bring a much needed tourist boom [their popular Dickensian Festival had to be cancelled this year] Personally I think I could do with some heartwarming nostalgia to brighten up the autumn evenings. Perhaps I should dig out that old knitting pattern and make Bob a Fair Isle pullover!

9pm, Channel 5, tonight. I'm really looking forward to it!