Entertainment NOW

Entertainment Now | January 9 - 15, 2021 By Rachel Jones TV Media H ot on the heels of hits such as "Downton Ab- bey" and "Grantches- ter," PBS has done it again! There's a new bingeable British drama ready to warm your heart — "All Creatures Great and Small" is coming to the network on Sunday, Jan. 10, and is slated to follow the ad - ventures and misadventures of a well-meaning veterinarian's as- sistant in Northern England dur- ing the 1930s. The show is based on a series of semi-autobiographical books by James Alfred Wight (who wrote under the pen name James Herriot), which delved into his own life as a country veterinarian in Yorkshire during the '30s and '40s. In a fairly unusual move, the lead role, James Herriot, named so for the author himself, will be played by newcomer Nicholas Ralph. Despite not having any previous on-screen credentials, it appears from the trailers that Ralph, who graduated from the highly respected Royal Conser - vatoire of Scotland (formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Mu- sic and Drama), is the perfect fit. As the story goes, Herriot is re- luctantly taken on by the quirky Dr. Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West, "Mr Selfridge") to help with a rural veterinary practice's day-to-day responsibilities and gain some valuable new experi- ence. Rounding out the cast of main characters is Mrs. Hall (Anna Madeley, "The Royal"), the resi- dent housekeeper of Skeldale House, and the lovely and lik- able — albeit moderately less integral — Helen Alderson (Ra- chel Shenton, "Hollyoaks"). But on a sadder note with regard to character news, the current re- make is one of the last shows to feature actress Diana Rigg ("The Avengers"), who played the ec- centric Mrs. Pumphrey in just two episodes before her death this past September. All the action takes place in the breathtaking English coun- tryside, which has become a character in its own right, but it looks like Herriot will be falling in love with more than just the pleasant farmland and attrac- tive waterfalls in this series re- make. It's pretty clear from the trailer that Helen has captured his attention, though her current boyfriend, Hugh Hulton (Mat- thew Lewis, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," 2011), might have something to say about that. In a bit of exciting news for PBS, this year marks the 50th an- niversary of Masterpiece, the re- nowned series responsible for the new show. As Masterpiece fans continue to tune in as they have done for half a century now, "All Creatures Great and Small" is sure to draw many new viewers to the program as well, each of them eager to dive into the lives of its newest show's unique characters. Others tuning in to Masterpiece for the reboot may have fond memories of the original British television series, but rest assured that while the storyline remains more or less the same as its predecessor, no one should expect to see an ex- act replica of it. "It's a completely new adap- tation," Ralph said in a recent interview with The Irish News. "The storyline will not be the ex- act same." And although many longtime fans loved how the earlier version played out, the writers of the reboot decided to branch out in a new direction and generate some new antici- pation and excitement. That be- ing said, fans of the original se- ries or the books will find no rea- son to stress as the producers have taken a great deal of care to handle the new material with the same empathy and sensitivi- ty as always. The original series, which ran sporadically between 1978 and 1990, featured Christopher Tim- othy ("EastEnders") as Herriot, Robert Hardy ("Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," 2005) as Siegfried Farnon, Mary Hignett ("Doomwatch," 1970) as Mrs. Hall, and Carol Drinkwater ("A Clockwork Orange," 1971) as Helen Alderson. Also based on the same series of books, the lat- er episodes — from the late '80s into 1990 — picked up where the initial story left off, expand- ing upon the already exhausted source material that Wight's books had to offer. With Wight's permission, the show's produc- ers were able to create their own material, thus giving birth to a second series. All in all, 90 epi- sodes of the series aired, going on to become very popular with many countries outside the U.K. as well, including the United States. One of the reasons that the original show was so popular both in the U.K. and, later, in North America is because of its strong emphasis on community. The slower pace of life in the '30s and '40s, paired with era's deep sense of community, re- minded viewers of a simpler time; one when banding togeth- er was preferable to pushing each other apart. And for what it's worth, the critics liked it, too. The original show garnered several awards, including a Pea- body Award in 1981, several British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards and nom- inations in the categories of Best Drama Series in 1979 and Best Actor for Robert Hardy in 1980. The new series of "All Crea- tures Great and Small" has al- ready aired in the United King- dom and has been received posi - tively by both viewers and critics — it has even been renewed for a second season! If you're think- ing that (as the British say) the show is not your "cup of tea" — think again and give this sweet show a chance to show you that it's made from good stock. Watch your favorite charac- ters come to life as "All Crea- tures Great and Small" pre- mieres Sunday, Jan. 10, on Mas- terpiece on PBS. Rachel Shenton as seen in "All Creatures Great and Small" Lending a farm hand: Reboot of 'All Creatures Great and Small' airs on PBS 2 | Cover story A/Grindstone Charlie's B/Norris Insurance 1 x 4" Moore's Home Health 5 x 2"

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