I never really watched the original All Creatures Great and Small (perhaps just a few episodes from the first three seasons), but I enjoy the remake so much that I decided to give the original a chance. I’ve now finished the first three seasons as well as the two Christmas specials. As far as I know, season 4 marks a sort of fresh start, so I’m taking this opportunity to sum up my impressions so far.
The original All Creatures Great and Small is much better than I expected; I think it has aged well, though the comparison to the remake is always at the back of my mind. While I find the remake to be a feel-good series, the original focuses more on pure entertainment. Although the original episodes are nowhere near as polished as those of the new version, it may well have been that simple formula that guaranteed its popularity: nursing animals back to health, having fun with Tristan, and a touch of romance for one of the three vets.
It’s striking how different the natural scenery looks: in the remake, everything is so vibrant and colorful, whereas in the original, the landscape looks natural and doesn't particularly stand out. The same goes for the buildings; even Pekinese Tricki Woo comes across much better visually in the remake.
The biggest difference between the original and the remake is Mrs. Hall. In the original, she doesn't really have a private life; her visits to relatives serve only to leave the men of the house to fend for themselves—which, naturally, they fail to do. Even though we learn nothing about Mrs. Hall’s background and she is significantly older than her counterpart in the remake, I like her. She comes across as full of life, whereas the remake’s Mrs. Hall is a more complex character. I thought the first Christmas special (more than three years after the season 3 finale) paid a nice tribute to her through the (futile) search for a suitable replacement. I also appreciated that the show didn't reveal the cause of Mrs. Hall's death.
As for the Christmas specials, the first one plays like a reunion movie that continues the storyline: James and Helen start a family, a replacement for Mrs. Hall is sought, and Siegfried finds the (alleged) second love of his life. The second Christmas special (set two years later) is more like an extended standard episode.
It is nice to see that some of the cases I remember from the remake also appear in the original. My favorite storyline, however, involves a man who commits suicide after his dog dies, plunging James—who had been unable to save the dog—into a crisis (one that spans more than just a single episode). There were moments during the first three seasons when I appreciated the occasional depth the show offered.
In the original, Siegfried and Tristan still have a mother who lives elsewhere and whom Siegfried visits occasionally, though I haven't seen her on screen (yet). This highlights a difference from the remake, where Siegfried had to step in as a sort of surrogate father to Tristan after the loss of their parents.
The way World War II is handled is kind of surprising. In the original, James and Siegfried )Tristan is the one who took care of the practice) simply return home and carry on as usual. Similarly, Helen’s first (and actually her second) pregnancy happens almost as a side note during the Christmas special, whereas in the remake, it is a major storyline. In the original, Helen (much like Mrs. Hall) seems less complex; she doesn't really know doubt (or it doesn't last long); she's a doer. In season 4, me as the viewer will be presented with a new Helen. From what I’ve read, Carol Drinkwater still regrets leaving the show, as it landed her on the BBC blacklist (so she claimed). Looking at the credits of both actresses who played Helen, the replacement—Lynda Bellingham—had a significantly more stable career after the show ended. I’m curious to see if this will be the kind of recasting typical of big 80s US soaps—where it’s hard to adjust to the change—or if she’ll manage to win me over.
As for the original cast, I have little knowledge of British television from that era. All the lead actors are convincing; the only one I recognize is Tristan's Peter Davison, whom I saw in Law & Order: UK. I can't really judge whether All Creatures Great and Small was the highlight of their careers or just another step along the way.
I find it interesting that the BBC actually ended the series after season 3 because they had exhausted the material from James Herriot's first published books. It is quite remarkable that, after an eight-year hiatus (save for two Christmas specials), BBC thought there would be new stories to tell—and that it actually worked, resulting in even more episodes being produced than before the long break.
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