All Creatures, series 4
I just wanted to say that, yes, James does seem much more serious in this set of stories, but the changes aren't surprising. He's older, he's been through a war and he has a lot more responsibility now. In other words, he's middle aged. But the series is still wonderful and worth adding to your collection. The funny thing is, I remember when I first saw the new Helen on TV many years ago I thought she was so old. It's a shock to see her now and realize that at the time she was younger than I am now. Time passes!
I wanted to answer a comment made by one of the reviewers about the animals used in the series. One of the earlier DVDs has a commentary by Robert Hardy and others that discusses this point. What they did was advertise for animals with the condition being shown in the script and would offer free veterinary treatment for the illness in return for being allowed to film the treatments. When the camera draws in for a closeup showing surgery being done, a real vet is...
Great as usual!
Set after the end of WWII, this series was taped about eight years after the previous series. As one would expect, there are a lot of changes - but the show is still as wonderful as ever. In this series, Carol Drinkwater (Helen) has been replaced by Lynda Bellingham, and although "The Changing of the Helens" (as I think of it) takes some getting used to, Lynda Bellingham is very good. Also, Helen and James have two children now.
Of course, all of the actors look older than before (with the possible exception of Siegfried, who seems not to have aged in 8 years), but it doesn't matter at all. They are just as much fun to watch as ever. (And Tristan is still very, very cute.)
Although all the episodes are great, my personal favorite is called "The Bull With The Bowler Hat". It's wonderful, but I'm not going to spoil it for you - you'll have to buy the series and watch it! :-)
New Look, Same Place
Those who've followed the Herriot story from its humble beginnings are in for a surprise! Series 4 opens with a "new" Helen, two little Herriots, no Mrs. Hall and is set some time after WWII. With Series 3 closing on such a powerful emotional note, I had hoped we would follow the fortunes of the cast through the war years and their subsequent return. After such a long period with this group, it took some adjusting to the cast changes. It didn't help that the writers recycled some earlier themes from past programs, and my copy of episode 1 had an annoying scratchy soundtrack. It left me altogether just a little frustrated.
But my disappointment was brief. This series is every bit as powerful as its predecessors. James and family are in the thick of life, dealing with everything from buying a home to attending school concerts to deciding whether to leave the practice. Siegfried is his usual brilliant self, Tristan loafs..ahem, works for the Ministry of Agriculture as...
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