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I'm aware of the early books as well as the prior version of this British Show, but I've not had any exposure to them. I'd heard of the 1978 series, but it eluded me for whatever reasons. This new version I found on PBS/Masterpiece, I think is shown in The U.K. on its Channel-5(?)
From the hand drawn paintings and jaunty music of the opening credits, I was smitten! The show is set in 1937 Yorkshire, centering on the friendly staff at a country veterinarian practice. The 3 main leads are Nicholas Ralph (as James Herriot who travels from Glasgow to his first job there), and Samuel West as an eccentric Veterinarian and Anna Madley as the housekeeper. Where I live in The Northern Rockies, the scenery is spectacular, however if I had a second choice to live (however briefly), I'd choose the breathtaking, gorgeous scenery of Yorkshire as depicted in the film. I am wondering if the locations are indeed Yorkshire, or just the series 'impressions' of Yorkshire, but it's of little consequence. If you want to spend close to an hour with each episode, a completely transportive experience which takes you out and away from all the darkness and troubles in the world today, may I suggest this wonderful show!
An aside: The Pub in the show looked vaguely familiar to me. Then I realized it resembled (don't ask me how), the Pub in 'An American Werewolf in London', The Slaughtered Lamb. It's probably just my imagination, though I ask of any British Viewers, are most rural Pubs in England similar in appearance? Nothing sinister of the Pub in the show, it just looked like I'd been there before. (And having lived over there briefly, I probably have.)
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Track down the original series with Christopher Timothy, Peter Davison and the excellent Robert Hardy as Siegfried. Then get back to us! Lol
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Tricky- woo, anyone 
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Tricky- woo, anyone
Allright Damian, I saw this sentence and thought it was some sort of inside joke or 'Damian Curse', or something. I'd no idea what it meant, as I'd only viewed ONE episode, the premiere episode of the re-booted series. Last evening I viewed the second episode and, found out this was not a Damian-Curse at all. 'Tricky-Woo' is the strangest looking animal I can recall that was not in a Star Wars film. This dog looks like a hairy meatloaf with eyes! The upside was that Tricky-Woo's owner was none other than Dame Diana Rigg! I hope she's in more episodes, these must have been made just before her death. She dazzles us with her character.
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Tricky woo is in more episodes. He gets a bigger part as ( if I remember right) the series progresses, in more ways than one.
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I've been leisurely enjoying the season one episodes. Yet there was this character who was brought in, (the brother of the lead Veterinarian), who, in every single camera take would act like a spoiled child who was constantly lying and scheming with all the facial expressions that you'd see in a Benny Hill show. I don't know how or why the producers wanted him to perform this way, his character made it difficult for me to fully enjoy the show. And then it happened. In the second to last episode of the first season, the episode of the cow with an abscess on its windpipe that needed a surgery or it would suffocate), all the actors were brought to heal, including the brother. A beautifully crafted episode that was a work of artistic wonder.
There is one more episode to view, 'The Christmas Episode', which I'm saving for the 'right moment'. I'm sure it will be something special, British shows always have seemed to save their Christmas episodes as a 'gift', in a way. Anyone know WHEN Season Two will begin? Thanks.
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It's been on in blighty, already. Your locale, don't know.
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... Yet there was this character who was brought in, (the brother of the lead Veterinarian), who...
Very much agree with your assessment re: Callum Woodhouse/Tristan's character in the first series but this is reflective of the original BBC series (1970s/80s) where the character was played by Peter Davison (far more convincingly in my opinion).
But in the second series there is a subtle change and Tristan's role becomes far more than the village fool/idiot and his interaction with both James and especially Siegfried changes ... a major story thread which I don't recall from those previous programmes.
Thanks, MusicMad, for a time I thought it was merely my own perceptions of the character of Tristan which were off-putting, but you also saw what I saw. I did find that the 80's version of the show IS available on Britbox, a different pay service for a different batch of British shows. After I finish the (much anticipated) Series 2 of this new re-booted show, I'll venture over to Britbox and see the originals!
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It's been on in blighty, already. Your locale, don't know.
Thanks, Prince Damian for the update. I'll simply wait. Oh, a thought, are the episodes still being issued in a weekly manner in England, or have all of Season Two's episodes been shown there? If they've all been shown there, then they'll be issued over here in due course, soon.
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All once a week in a run
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I viewed the final episode, The Christmas Special, for Season One. I ought to know better than to watch any British Television show that's billed as it's 'Christmas Special', they're all excellent, and nearly guaranteed to bring a tear. Or two. Now, this episode was odd in one respect: The Housekeeper is fixing Christmas Dinner and has this HUGE bowl of...Cranberries on the kitchen table and in a saucepan on the stove. I didn't think The British grew, or even were aware of Cranberries in 1937 Yorkshire? It was a nice episode, all in all.
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) ... but the recent terrestrial upstart: Channel 5 (now in its 25th year).