BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

George Wright I fondly recall this British series very well, along with many others in the early days of PBS. Christopher Timothy was excellent as James Herriott, the serious and dedicated vet whose television stories inspired me to read the original books. These were great books--literate and hilarious. I also remember a coffee table book about the moors that was inspired by the TV series. The TV series brought many extraordinary characters from the Yorkshire moors where James practised his veterinarian trade among the locals. The landscapes with its hills, streams and heather were outstanding under the often dark, forbidding skies. Much of the real fun came from the two brothers Siegfried and Tristan Farnon. The rivalry between the brothers was often instigated by Robert Hardy, as the older Siegfried. Tristan, played by Peter Davison, could never live up to his brother's standards and he was often trying to cover his tracks before Siegfried could catch up with him. When James's new wife Helen came into the show, the series took on a new focus. Helen was perfect and had to navigate among the male egos. My favourite was Robert Hardy who went on to other roles as a great actor. In this series he sparkled as the bossy brother of Tristan, mentor to James, dear friend of Helen and a great neighbour to the proud and independent people of the moors. I'll never forget this series, one of my favourites of the British television shows of the1970's.

sethanon31a This film (and indeed series) is set in 1930's Britain, not the 1940's as stated elsewhere in this site, as Britain was involved in that fracas called the Second World War from 1939 and both Farnon and Herriot joined up with the Royal Air Force.... The books did carry on for the post war period but the film is firmly in the 30's! The attention to detail - even down to the advertisements by the roadside, is extraordinary, whilst the realisation of pre-war Britain, with its optimism, rugged individuality and, determination in sometimes very difficult circumstances is heartwarming. As a small piece of trivia, Christopher Timothy, who plays James Herriot has a limp in the later series, as he (for real) broke his leg during the filming of series two. Hardy, who played S. Farnon, is now even better known for his role as the Minister For Magic, in the Harry Potter films!

toolkien My first introduction to James Herriot was my father's laughing fits while reading the books. Then, the series appeared on PBS and I enjoyed what I saw, which in turn motivated me to read the books. The books are wonderful, almost in the realm of Fantasy (perhaps, the books are my second favorite set of books next to Lord of the Rings) if it weren't so grounded in reality. Sure Herriot smooths some of the rough edges off of his real life, but it still seems real. And this series captures the same feel that the books had, which no small achievement in my opinion. Most of the characters, major and minor, ring true to the depictions in the books and I have little trouble using the images when I re-read the books. Both the books and the series explore triumphs and failures that make life what it is. It makes common sense statements about life without being heavy handed about it. You almost feel you've lived the important, meaningful episodes of someone else's life as if they were your own. What more could be asked from auto-biographical (or semi-auto-biographical) material?

cooper-11 The original series of 41 episodes was a beautifully accurate version of the Herriott books. Superb acting is expected in a British production, and this is no exception, as the actors do an amazing job of capturing the essence of the even the minor characters. The vets, Christopher Timothy, Robert Hardy and Peter Davison are especially true, as is Carol Drinkwater (most superior to her replacement as Helen). The series also captures the essence of the Yorkshire Dales: the lovely green hillsides, wide vistas and individualistic spirit. Visiting that area is like stepping into the Herriott stories, as we discovered in 1982 and many subsequent visits. And having a pint with the cast between shooting on location showed us how authentic the series is. Many people don't realize that these are not `warm, fuzzy' animal stories. Each episode has a moral point to make and makes it subtly, through action not speeches. The series is also inspirational, for it is, implicitly, the story of the birth of scientific veterinary medicine.