All Creatures Great and Small, finale, review: the show's so good it doesn't even need James Herriot
It takes a brave drama to remove its protagonist from its series finale but such are the realities of war. And such is the confidence of the hit reboot of All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5). Without leading man James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph), the supporting cast stepped up and the veterinary series barely skipped a beat.
With James called up to serve in the RAF, his pregnant wife Helen (Rachel Shenton) felt like a spare part at Skeldale House, so returned home to her family’s farm. When her irascible father (Tony Pitts) refused to let her muck in, she wondered why he was “mollycoddling” and over-protective. A poignant family secret soon emerged.
When Helen became paranoid that she hadn’t felt the baby move for a while, Siegfried (Samuel West) laid her down on the hay in the barn (“If it’s good enough for t’ cows…” she reasoned phlegmatically) and whipped out his trusty stethoscope. Rarely have I been so relieved to hear a heartbeat. “It’s the most beautiful sound in the world,” grinned Helen through the tears.
Meanwhile, redoubtable housekeeper Mrs Hall (Anna Madeley) prepared to move to the Lake District with her sweetheart Gerald (Will Thorp). Could she go through with writing her resignation letter to Siegfried? And could he bring himself to read it? The pair were lost souls who’d rescued one another. Separation was almost unconscionable.
Throw in Rock the dog’s tumour, Smokey the calf’s bloated stomach and the breathtaking Yorkshire scenery – word came from James’s training base that “Devon is beautiful but the Dales win hands down” – and it was a recipe for glorious drama. Even hapless student vet Richard (James Anthony-Rose) came good, despite “all his farm knowledge coming from Old McDonald and Mother Goose”.
This was an episode about home, about belonging, about the family you find rather than the one you’re born into. It was also a throwback to simpler times. Feelings were left stoically unsaid and upper lips were stiffened yet the truth was written all over the character’s faces. Siegfried admonished Gerald about his duty of care towards his dog, when he was clearly talking about Mrs Hall.
Her surrogate mother-and-daughter relationship with Helen was tenderly portrayed. “I’ll put t’ kettle on,” was the cure for all ills. Warm and soothing, All Creatures Great and Small is the televisual equivalent of a cuddle and a cuppa. We left on a cosy scene as Siegfried, Helen and Mrs Hall played board games by the fireside. “Best of three?” asked eternal bad loser Siegfried and truly it was. The trio were so terrific, James and the already absent Tristan were hardly missed.
No wonder this nostalgic and life-affirming drama is Channel 5’s biggest show. It’s blissful escapism with an unexpectedly emotional undertow. Roll on the Christmas special, when we’re promised an heroic homecoming and a new arrival. What could be more festive? I’ll put t’ kettle on.
