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It is from this latter batch of series that this penultimate Series
6 of the show is drawn. It is made up of 12 episodes which
screened between September and November 1989.
All Creatures Great and Small
is set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Darrowby and concentrates on
the slow paced lives of the surrounding farmers and the illnesses of
their agricultural and domestic animals. As such, each episode is
a relaxing way to look at an idealised version of English country life.
I
particularly liked watching the show on cold wintery days which made it
easier to appreciate the harshness of the Yorkshire countryside covered
in snow and whipped by harsh cold winds.
The leading role is
played by Christopher Timothy, with his partner in the veterinary
practice being played by Robert Hardy. It is worth watching these
two actors interact as their characters deal with their various farmer
clients and livestock.
One wonders how they performed
several real operations on animals (like the one on a horse in Episode
11) and dealt with scenes involving the birth of animals such as in
Episode 8!
Peter Davison played the third leading character but
by the time the show had got to Series 6, his appearances were at a
minimum and he didn't appear in every episode. In fact, although
Peter Davison is credited as a star of Series 6 on the DVD cover, he
only appears in Episode 2 and that is just for the last ten minutes!
There
are several haunting musical themes that have become identified with
the series which feature prominently in most episodes. This,
coupled with high production values recreating English life in the
1950s, makes the viewing of this show a real pleasure.
In a way, All Creatures Great and Small set the scene for later similar TV series, such as Heartbeat, which used period backdrops and music to establish a look and feel of recent by-gone eras.
Watching
this DVD has generated my interest in catching up with other episodes
in this long-running series. I’m sure it will do the same for you! EXTRAS
There is a Who’s Who text description of six of the leading actors in the series that is worth a read. Conclusion: Episodes 90% Extras: 60%
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