All Creatures Great and Small

Watch in the UK

Watch in the US

Data provided by

8 / 10

1 Review

Rate this show:

8 Based on 1 Votes

10

0
9

0
8

1
7

0
6

0
5

0
4

0
3

0
2

0
1

0

Overview

The trials and misadventures of the staff at a country veterinary office in Yorkshire. James Herriot, a young animal surgeon, moves to a small Yorkshire town to begin his first job.

Cast

Lynda Bellingham

Christopher Timothy

Creator:

Bill Sellars

Fist Air Date:

1978-01-08

Episode Runtime:

60m

Production Companies:

BBC

Genres:

Keywords:

based on memoir or autobiography country life veterinarian yorkshire

More Show Details

Vote Average: 7.8/10

Vote Count: 48 Votes

Show Popularity: 9.2972

Show Status: Ended

Show Type: Scripted

Spoken Languages: English

Review

View all reviews

Insomniacs Reviews
- 04 May 2026 at 9:53 pm

8 Based on 1 Votes
10

0
9

0
8

1
7

0
6

0
5

0
4

0
3

0
2

0
1

0
⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 8/10 THE SUMMARY Welcome to the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s. James Herriot is a freshly qualified vet who lands a job at Skeldale House, the chaotic practice run by the eccentric and unpredictable Siegfried Farnon. Alongside Siegfried’s mischievous younger brother Tristan and the no-nonsense housekeeper Mrs. Hall, James has to navigate a world of stubborn farmers, sick livestock, and the delicate art of "bedside manner" for both animals and their owners. It’s a gentle, heartwarming chronicles of country life that turned a simple vet’s memoir into a global phenomenon. THE PROS This is an 8/10 because it’s the ultimate "comfort" watch that defined a generation of British television. Robert Hardy is a powerhouse as Siegfried; he brings a manic, unpredictable energy that keeps the show from becoming too sugary. The chemistry between the main trio is legendary, and the show captures a lost world of rural England with incredible sincerity. It’s a winner because it doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of farming life—it can be heartbreakingly sad one minute and laugh-out-loud funny the next. While modern remakes have a higher budget, this original run has a specific "rough-around-the-edges" charm that feels more authentic to the period it portrays. THE CONS It misses a 9/10 because the later seasons, particularly after the show returned from a long hiatus in the late 80s, started to lose a bit of the original spark. Some of the storylines became a touch repetitive, and the introduction of newer characters didn't always land with the same impact as the core family. It settles at an 8 because the pacing is very "languid" by modern standards; if you’re used to high-octane drama, the twenty-minute scenes of James examining a cow’s hoof might test your patience. THE VERDICT A solid 8/10. It’s a beautiful, nostalgic, and deeply human series that remains a staple of British TV history. It isn't a 9 because it stayed at the party a bit too long in the final years, but for those early seasons alone, it’s a total winner. If you want a show that feels like a warm fireplace and a glass of sherry on a Sunday night, this is the one. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA • Vet Reality: The show was so popular that it actually caused a massive surge in applications to veterinary colleges across the UK. To this day, many working vets in their 40s and 50s cite "The Herriot Effect" as the reason they entered the profession.• Fake Dales: While the show looks perfectly Yorkshire, many of the village scenes were actually filmed in Askrigg. The real Skeldale House is located in Thirsk, but the production team chose Askrigg because it looked "more like people imagined the 30s to look like" than the actual town James Herriot lived in.• Acting with Animals: Working with livestock was notoriously difficult. Christopher Timothy (James) was once kicked so hard by a horse that he suffered a serious leg injury, which had to be written into the show as a "car accident" to explain why his character was suddenly limping for half a season. THE VIBE Like a thick wool sweater and a pair of muddy wellies. It smells like damp grass, old hay, and carbolic soap. It’s cozy, honest, and very British. It makes you want to move to the countryside, talk to your neighbors, and realize that the simplest things in life are often the most important.

TV Show Poster

Season 1

13 Episodes

Air Date: 1978-01-08

TV Show Poster

Season 2

14 Episodes

Air Date: 1978-09-23

TV Show Poster

Season 3

14 Episodes

Air Date: 1979-12-29

TV Show Poster

Season 4

10 Episodes

Air Date: 1988-01-17

TV Show Poster

Season 5

12 Episodes

Air Date: 1988-09-03

TV Show Poster

Season 6

12 Episodes

Air Date: 1989-09-02

TV Show Poster

Season 7

12 Episodes

Air Date: 1990-09-01

Cast

Lynda Bellingham

Christopher Timothy

Carol Drinkwater

Related Shows To

All Creatures Great and Small

Reviews for

All Creatures Great and Small

Comment (1)

Insomniacs Reviews
- 4 May 2026 at 10:53 PM

⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 8/10
THE SUMMARY
Welcome to the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s. James Herriot is a freshly qualified vet who lands a job at Skeldale House, the chaotic practice run by the eccentric and unpredictable Siegfried Farnon. Alongside Siegfried’s mischievous younger brother Tristan and the no-nonsense housekeeper Mrs. Hall, James has to navigate a world of stubborn farmers, sick livestock, and the delicate art of “bedside manner” for both animals and their owners. It’s a gentle, heartwarming chronicles of country life that turned a simple vet’s memoir into a global phenomenon.
THE PROS
This is an 8/10 because it’s the ultimate “comfort” watch that defined a generation of British television. Robert Hardy is a powerhouse as Siegfried; he brings a manic, unpredictable energy that keeps the show from becoming too sugary. The chemistry between the main trio is legendary, and the show captures a lost world of rural England with incredible sincerity. It’s a winner because it doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of farming life—it can be heartbreakingly sad one minute and laugh-out-loud funny the next. While modern remakes have a higher budget, this original run has a specific “rough-around-the-edges” charm that feels more authentic to the period it portrays.
THE CONS
It misses a 9/10 because the later seasons, particularly after the show returned from a long hiatus in the late 80s, started to lose a bit of the original spark. Some of the storylines became a touch repetitive, and the introduction of newer characters didn’t always land with the same impact as the core family. It settles at an 8 because the pacing is very “languid” by modern standards; if you’re used to high-octane drama, the twenty-minute scenes of James examining a cow’s hoof might test your patience.
THE VERDICT
A solid 8/10. It’s a beautiful, nostalgic, and deeply human series that remains a staple of British TV history. It isn’t a 9 because it stayed at the party a bit too long in the final years, but for those early seasons alone, it’s a total winner. If you want a show that feels like a warm fireplace and a glass of sherry on a Sunday night, this is the one.
INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
• Vet Reality: The show was so popular that it actually caused a massive surge in applications to veterinary colleges across the UK. To this day, many working vets in their 40s and 50s cite “The Herriot Effect” as the reason they entered the profession.
• Fake Dales: While the show looks perfectly Yorkshire, many of the village scenes were actually filmed in Askrigg. The real Skeldale House is located in Thirsk, but the production team chose Askrigg because it looked “more like people imagined the 30s to look like” than the actual town James Herriot lived in.
• Acting with Animals: Working with livestock was notoriously difficult. Christopher Timothy (James) was once kicked so hard by a horse that he suffered a serious leg injury, which had to be written into the show as a “car accident” to explain why his character was suddenly limping for half a season.
THE VIBE
Like a thick wool sweater and a pair of muddy wellies. It smells like damp grass, old hay, and carbolic soap. It’s cozy, honest, and very British. It makes you want to move to the countryside, talk to your neighbors, and realize that the simplest things in life are often the most important.

Leave a Review Cancel reply