This is a (beloved?) British Television series which started in 1978. Set in the 1940's and 1950's in the Yorkshire (?) countryside about villagers and their animals and a local Vet and his family - I think. It is billed as a comedy. I have never heard of it before until I recently found it's listing on Netflix. There are many favorable reviews about the show, and I think it will interest me, but what I cannot see listed is this: is there an off-camera laugh-track tacked onto the episodes? (I really hate 'canned laughter'). If you've seen this British series, please feel free to post your feelings about it. Thanks!
This is a (beloved?) British Television series which started in 1978. Set in the 1940's and 1950's in the Yorkshire (?) countryside about villagers and their animals and a local Vet and his family - I think. It is billed as a comedy. I have never heard of it before until I recently found it's listing on Netflix. There are many favorable reviews about the show, and I think it will interest me, but what I cannot see listed is this: is there an off-camera laugh-track tacked onto the episodes? (I really hate 'canned laughter'). If you've seen this British series, please feel free to post your feelings about it. Thanks!
Dave, No canned laughter. Here's some info about the series.
This is a (beloved?) British Television series which started in 1978. Set in the 1940's and 1950's in the Yorkshire (?) countryside about villagers and their animals and a local Vet and his family - I think. It is billed as a comedy. I have never heard of it before until I recently found it's listing on Netflix. There are many favorable reviews about the show, and I think it will interest me, but what I cannot see listed is this: is there an off-camera laugh-track tacked onto the episodes? (I really hate 'canned laughter'). If you've seen this British series, please feel free to post your feelings about it. Thanks!
Dave, No canned laughter. Here's some info about the series.
THANKS! I can enjoy a show with an actual audience's laughter, but that 'canned laughter' just hocks me off. It's a relief to know it ('All creatures great..') relies on it's writing and acting and probably leaves well enough alone.
This is a (beloved?) British Television series which started in 1978. Set in the 1940's and 1950's in the Yorkshire (?) countryside about villagers and their animals and a local Vet and his family - I think. It is billed as a comedy. I have never heard of it before until I recently found it's listing on Netflix. There are many favorable reviews about the show, and I think it will interest me, but what I cannot see listed is this: is there an off-camera laugh-track tacked onto the episodes? (I really hate 'canned laughter'). If you've seen this British series, please feel free to post your feelings about it. Thanks!
I never watched it much, but it's a drama, not a comedy, based on the adventures of a real life vet in or near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, about 20 miles from where I'm sitting. Just as in life, funny things happen, but I think alot of it is bittersweet and fairly gentle.
It's also where Peter Davidson (later to be Doctor Who) came to be known as the wet vet.
I believe it was also the first time on mainstream British TV that you got to see an actor with his arm up a cow.
A touching, easy going and gentle series with a nice sense of humor. My wife and I named our son after Tristan Farnon, although we both loved the Wagner opera Tristan und Isolde for which he was named for in the series before that. I so identified Peter Davison with his character in ACGAS that I never could truly buy him as The Doctor in Doctor Who. Robert Hardy as Siefried his older brother is so memorable in the part and steals the show much of the time. Anyway, a series well worth your while Dave. Oh, and beware of Mr. Biggins!
Thank you to all who responded. I shall be starting this series on Monday. Somehow from the reviews on Netflix, I got the impression it was a comedy. Since I hadn't seen even one minute of it, I thought I'd ask as so many early British tv comedies had dreadful canned laughter that turned me off of series I'd started. All of your insights have helped here. Perhaps it's drama with a bit of whimsy? But 'gentle drama' sounds exactly what I'm looking for at the moment and the 40's/50's countryside 20 miles from where Chris lives sounds terrific. 'Beauty and the Beast' episode? I'm sure I'll get around to it and will definately remember your recommendation of it. Thanks.
Thank you to all who responded. I shall be starting this series on Monday. Somehow from the reviews on Netflix, I got the impression it was a comedy. Since I hadn't seen even one minute of it, I thought I'd ask as so many early British tv comedies had dreadful canned laughter that turned me off of series I'd started. All of your insights have helped here. Perhaps it's drama with a bit of whimsy? But 'gentle drama' sounds exactly what I'm looking for at the moment and the 40's/50's countryside 20 miles from where Chris lives sounds terrific. 'Beauty and the Beast' episode? I'm sure I'll get around to it and will definately remember your recommendation of it. Thanks.
As someone who watched this like it was going out of style with my grandma back in the 80's...it does have some hilarious bits of comedy. But you have to like that type of humor. Not exactly british comedy in the vein of Fawtly Towers...but more so situational comedy, might be the word. But no canned laughter. Its def a drama. That said...its still one of my favorite series of all time. Especially the first 3 seasons. Robert Hardy (Minister of Magic from Harry Potter) is one of the greatest actors of all time. And this proves it.
It's based on vet James Herriot's books, the one 'Herriot-Watt university' is named after in Edinburgh. (Edinburgh hasn't just one Uni.)
Don't expect it to be a comedy at all in the American sense. There aren't any jokes, punchlines, it's a drama, as stated by Tallguy above, aimed at the nostalgia market in the UK.
The humour is often of the veterinary 'hands up a cow's rectum' variety, but it's more of a soap opera without the soap.
It's based on vet James Herriot's books, the one 'Herriot-Watt university' is named after in Edinburgh. (Edinburgh hasn't just one Uni.)
Don't expect it to be a comedy at all in the American sense. There aren't any jokes, punchlines, it's a drama, as stated by Tallguy above, aimed at the nostalgia market in the UK.
The humour is often of the veterinary 'hands up a cow's rectum' variety, but it's more of a soap opera without the soap.
Thanks for the clip - it's exactly as I hoped it would be; I like the 'feel' of this show, just from this brief glimpse. As usual, Netflix has it labeled incorrectly. They label it as a comedy - sitcom. Which is why I asked the initial question here. Thanks for this.
The comedy comes from the relationship between the brothers. The older one especially is treated in a comic vein. But it's not slapstick or one-liner jokes.
Well there is quite a lot of humor when the vets get drunk especially. If you find that kind of humor funny. I think it is in this series. Its not The Hangover type humor, but Peter Davison and Christoper Timothy drunk was always a highlight for me.
Thanks to Dave I decided to begin rewatching the series. I had been meaning to for a while, but this thread gave me a nudge to finally do so. I have an Amazon Prime membership and get free streaming of a number of movies and TV shows through my Blu-ray player and computer. All of the "Creatures" episodes are available to watch for free.
Last night I watched the first 3 episodes, and just like what happened years ago, I found myself alternating laughter with tears of joy and also of sadness. This show just seems to have my number! Robert Hardy is a force of nature and just hilarious when called upon, which seems quite a bit. The series is very funny, but is born out the characters and their relationships with each other (the locals are quirky and offbeat), not jokes or one liners.
...And I had somehow completely forgotten about Mrs. Pumphrey and Tricki-Woo!
A truly excellent drama series which, like others, over-stayed its welcome and became repetitive. But the earlier episodes were very entertaining: humour, pathos if not in equal amounts, certainly neither were far away.
For those who thought it was a comedy (canned laughter?), watch-out for the story-line of the old widowed man whose dog is dying ... you may want to laugh to avoid the tears!
Oh, and as for its period setting: the series starts in the 1930s (maybe late 1920s but I think not) ... it takes two or three series to reach the outbreak of WW2.
For those who thought it was a comedy (canned laughter?), watch-out for the story-line of the old widowed man whose dog is dying ... you may want to laugh to avoid the tears!
Oh, and as for its period setting: the series starts in the 1930s (maybe late 1920s but I think not) ... it takes two or three series to reach the outbreak of WW2.
That episode with the recently widowed old man and his old dying dog and only companion had me in tears. Just the opposite was the case with the old man at the end of the episode because of the kindness of others. Just true humanity and human emotions on display.
Since I'm now re-watcing the series I just saw the date of August 1937 in episode 5 or 6 and since this is early in the series that means it must have started a bit earlier in the same year. This first series then continues over the course of 3 seasons until the start of WWII. I believe they move to after WWII in a couple of specials a few years after the airing of the first series and take up after there when the series resumed later. Much changed in the later series, notably since it was not adapted from James Herriot's novels like the first series was and it did become more soap opera-ish, especially with the new characters that were added. I preferred the original 3 season series myself, but still it was great to spend time in Darrowby with these characters a few more years.
The only problem I sometimes have is understanding the rural Yorkshire accents and the colloquialisms used by some of the "locals". There are times I wish the streamed videos had closed captioning. I pretty much have the same problem with some rural American accents as well!
Does anyone know if they ever released a soundtrack of this series? I know its all music from Johnny Pearson, and most of it was preexisting. Was there a CD release of it somewhere? I know the main title can be found on a lot of cd's, but the other tracks, I've never been able to find.
Does anyone know if they ever released a soundtrack of this series? I know its all music from Johnny Pearson, and most of it was preexisting. Was there a CD release of it somewhere? I know the main title can be found on a lot of cd's, but the other tracks, I've never been able to find.
Does anyone know if they ever released a soundtrack of this series? I know its all music from Johnny Pearson, and most of it was preexisting. Was there a CD release of it somewhere? I know the main title can be found on a lot of cd's, but the other tracks, I've never been able to find.
Thats it! Thanks Chriss. Too bad one cant buy them. I knew they wern't written for the show, but I still think its beautiful music. I wonder what the chances are of a commercial release someday. Even on iTunes. Surely, more people besides me would buy it? eh?
