Review: All Creatures Great and Small (PBS, 2021)

Among the wonderful things to look forward to in 2021, is the U.S. premiere of the all new television production of All Creatures Great and Small on PBS Masterpiece, starting January 10 (check your local listings for the exact air time).

If you don't know, the show is based on a series of books written by veterinarian James Herriot and loosely based on his own life, after he joined a small Yorkshire practice owned by Siegfried Farnon. The books are fantastic and well worth your time, but you don't need to have read them to enjoy the PBS series.

Thanks to WGBH Boston, I was able to watch a screener of the series. Let me jump to chase: The production is fantastic! The producers did an excellent job re-creating the look and feel of the late 1930s. The clothes, the cars, and the little details in the houses and pubs all look like they fit the era. The Yorkshire scenery is beautiful, and you might be planning your next vacation before the first episode is over. Better yet, the screenplay nicely follows the beloved books, and fans will recognize many of the incidents, people, and animals.

All the actors captured the essence of their characters. Nicholas Ralph plays James. He is so perfect, it's hard to believe this is Ralph's screen debut. He has a bright future. Samuel West plays Siegfried with a good balance between the veterinarian's outward crustiness and rare moments of overt kindness, and I can't think of a better actor to play Siegfried's fun-loving younger brother Tristan than Callum Woodhouse.

The Farnon's housekeeper is played by Anna Madeley, and the local woman who catches James's eye is played by Rachel Shenton. The women are from different generations with different expectations, though they've both experienced hardship. Each actor brings her character's personality to the fore while avoiding stereotypes.

I loved being transported back into the world of James Herriot (the pseudonym of the real-life James Alfred Wight). This production of All Creatures Great and Small shines. Mark your calendar and get ready to meet all of James's quirky and eccentric neighbors and patients, to laugh at Tristan's antics, and to root for James's success. I can't think of a better way to brighten up the new year.

Take a look at the trailer:

Thanks again to WGBH Boston for the opportunity to watch the series and share my thoughts with you.

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Giveaway: Victoria & Albert: A Royal Love Story by Daisy Goodwin and Sara Sheridan

Are you as excited as I am that we're just 10 days away from season 2 of Masterpiece's Victoria? I wasn't the only one who loved the first season; 16 million people watched the PBS premiere!

In order to celebrate the return of Victoria--and thanks to the nice people at Masterpiece on PBS and WGBH Education in Boston--I'm happy to be able to offer two of my readers a copy of Daisy Goodwin and Sara Sheridan's beautifully illustrated official companion book Victoria & Albert: A Royal Love Affair (St. Martin's Press).

Here's the publisher's summary:

The official companion to the second season of the PBS/Masterpiece drama Victoria by award-winning creator and screenwriter Daisy Goodwin.

More than 16 million viewers watched the first season of the Masterpiece presentation of Victoria, created and written by Daisy Goodwin—the highest-rated PBS drama in twenty years, second only to Downton Abbey. But what happened after the queen married her handsome prince? Did they live happily ever after, or did their marriage, like so many royal marriages past and present, fizzle into a loveless round of duty?

This all-new companion book by Daisy Goodwin and Sara Sheridan transports us to the private world of Victoria and Albert. Though first cousins, they could not have been more different: Victoria was impulsive, emotional, and capricious, Albert cautious, self-controlled, and logical. But together they forged a bond with each other and with their people that would change the world. Drawing on letters and diaries and fresh insights into royal history, this gorgeous book charts the constant ebb and flow of power within the couple’s surprisingly ardent and modern marriage.

Sumptuously illustrated and full of rich insider detail, Victoria & Albert takes us behind the scenes of the magnificent TV drama, including fascinating, in-depth information on the actors, the props, and the costumes--and bringing an extraordinary royal marriage even more fully to life.

The book is full of gorgeous photos from the show and includes interesting facts, quotes from Victoria's letters, and more. If you love the show, you'll love the book. Take a look at the tie-in trailer:

The Giveaway: All you have to do to be entered for a chance to win a copy of Victoria & Albert: A Royal Love Story by Daisy Goodwin and Sara Sheridan is to have a USA mailing address and to fill out the following form. I'll pick two winners via a random number generator on January 12, and the good people at Masterpiece PBS will mail a copy to two of my readers. Good luck! And as one of the promo's for the Victoria series says: Keep Calm and Watch!

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