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Regular
Price $79.98
Starring:
Christopher Timothy,
Robert Hardy,
Peter Davison,
Carol Drinkwater,
Mary Hignett,
Directed By:
Peter Grimwade,
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Release Date: 2002-10-29
Studio: BBC Warner
Format:
Box set,
Color,
DVD-Video,
NTSC,
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Customer Reviews for
All Creatures Great & Small - The Complete Series 2 Collection
Greatest Gift
My wife fell in love with this series through an English friend. It evokes feelings of living the simple life by simple means, where relationships and life have meaning. Great family viewing with tradition, manners, and well-spoken English.All Creatures Great & Small - The Complete Series 2 Collection
One of the best !!
It is hard to write a review of such an outstanding series. The usual accolades, funny,charming,heart warming, doesnt seem to do it justice. One of the things that impressed me most about this series is how authentic it seemed. No effort was spared to re-create the era before World War II. I was, however, deeply disappointed when Carol Drinkwater who played Helen, left the series later. Most reviews of this series fail to mention the characters of the dales, they are all outstanding. Although I have watched most all these episodes several times I am still entertained by these glorious stories.All Creatures Great & Small - The Complete Series 2 Collection
Best of the Brit series
Set in preWWII Yorkshire, this is the continuation of a series that generated 87 (!) episodes and three specials, and came back after an 8 year hiatus. If you are into action sequences and special effects, this is not a series for you, but if you enjoy beautiful scenery, fine acting, and are not troubled by the pace of a different age, these are the most satisfying examples of story-telling about real people and their animals. There are no scenes of existential ponderings, but the problems faced by the veterinarians of the day were not trivial, since livelihoods could depend on proper treatment. The attitude of these characters toward their vocation, and the prevailing disquiet in Europe as the war clouds mount, are about the only serious issues treated here, and I for one, found this to be balm for a viewer otherwise inundated with the crime, quiz and situation comedy shows of the time.
Though this be heresy, I enjoyed the series more than I enjoyed reading the books, which are not presented linearly in time, but as a series of disconnected episodes. There are also dozens of scenes in which the author does not appear and cannot have been a witness, so the mechanism for conveying this in the books is much less natural than in the teleplay. Having seen nearly every episode, the consistency of the cast and the presentation are a tribute to the painstaking production values, since there were numerous personnel changes behind the scenes (as well as the death of one cast member) over the long life of this production.
This series was transferred from 1978 era film, so I noticed a slightly greenish hue to shadows, blacks and lighting blurs that I noticed when I saw them originally (ca 1979-80). These were broadcast on Sunday evenings on PBS in my area, and they filled the time slot where Disney and Sullivan had held sway for many years. These are perfect for family viewing UNLESS you are 1) squeamish about seeing actors with their arms up a cow's backside, or 2) bothered by alcohol consumption. A character rarely enters the drawing room without a gin, whisky or sherry being poured, and many scenes are in pubs. This seemed perfectly natural to me, but I had seen plenty of period British TV by then. These are based on memoirs and the author was on hand to correct anything wrong, so I am happy that the series was not "Disney-fied," and such scenes are proof (no pun intended). I cannot comment on the accuracy of the set decoration but I assume that it is scrupulous, since this is all within living memory of many of the participants. Except for the automobiles and brief references in dialogue, the time setting for this series would be difficult to determine; costumes would not look out of place on the streets of these villages today (maybe the occasional "plus-fours" would raise some eyebrows today). This gives this particular 2nd series a timeless quality. The illusion that you are in homes and villages (as opposed to studios and "location" shots) was perfect for this viewer, especially the natural lighting.
This series does not carry the angst of the postwar episodes, but it does feature some of the most irritating clientele, as embodied by Mr Dimsdale and Miss Dooley. Mrs Pumphrey and Tricky Woo are back, and the explosive Robert Hardy is always fun to contrast against the otherwise subdued cast members. Sound quality is acceptable, but the 'Dales accent may be incomprehensible to some viewers and there are no captions, so the use of actors (and non-actors) with true Northern English accents can be a challenge for some ears. Fortunately the context is so clear that it seldom interferes with enjoyment.
If you love this series as much as I did, you will want to get "James Herriot's Yorkshire," a walking and driving tour with Christopher Timothy, which was produced just after Herriot's death, as well as the longer "specials" (three) that spun from the show.All Creatures Great & Small - The Complete Series 2 Collection
All Creature Great&Small vol.2
A tv show based on James Herriot's book's. Takes place at the english countryside. We are let in on Herriot's life and challenge's. His work for vet.Farnon-a funny character,you never now where you have him.And of course Farnon's brother,Tristan-always on the lookout for a fag and a pint. And a break... All creatures Great&Small is an absolute pleasure to watch! I recomend it dearly!All Creatures Great & Small - The Complete Series 2 Collection
All Creatures Great & Small
The series is heart warming and fun; I highly reccommend it.All Creatures Great & Small - The Complete Series 2 Collection
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