‘THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS’
Please feel free to comment on my review.
I’m pleased the new ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ TV series has become the success that it is! 🙂
At the time of writing these reviews for Series 2 of the new ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ TV series on DVD, I’m currently looking forward to Series 3 due to be shown in late 2022. I’ve already seen a brief sneak preview of Series 3 via a photo in a news article and I gather Series 4 has been greenlit. 🙂
It’s amazing to think that the new ‘All Creatures’ show would win many people’s hearts from watching it on Channel 5. I didn’t expect it to be a success, as there has been one other adaptation of ‘All Creatures’ that’s been ingrained in many people’s minds. That is the 1977-1990 BBC TV series.
There’s also the 1975 film, but I’ve yet to see it. And of course, there’s the original ‘James Herriot’ books that the adaptations are based on. It’s been intriguing to explore more of ‘All Creatures’ through the Channel 5 TV series, especially as it’s helped to cheer people up during a global pandemic.
I recall the build-up to Series 2 of the new ‘All Creatures’ show in 2021, checking up on updates and new behind-the-scenes photos on how the new season was progressing before its transmission on TV. There were expectations I had about the upcoming season, hoping it would be happy and fulfilling. 🙂
The result was another set of six enjoyable weeks in the autumn of 2021. The episodes would also be shown on Thursdays instead of Tuesdays. Unusual, since I would’ve thought there’d be stability in presenting these episodes in the weekdays. But then, ‘Doctor Who’ also did this thing in the early 1980s. 🙂
I hope to elaborate on how much I’ve gained happy memories from watching Series 2 of ‘All Creatures’ in these latest reviews I share on the episodes. This will prepare me in time to check out Series 3 next when it gets shown in the autumn of 2022. It looks to be pretty exciting to check out. 🙂
Before we get into Series 2, we have the 2020 Christmas Special. I’m very pleased that the 2020 Christmas Special is included in the Series 2 DVD of new ‘All Creatures’. Things seem to be done like the ‘Call the Midwife’ DVDs by presenting the Christmas Special first before the next season on DVD. 🙂
Incidentally, like the Series 1 DVD, Series 2 is presented as 2-disc set. Disc 1 contains the 2020 Christmas Special and the first three episodes of Series 2. Disc 2 contains the last three episodes of Series 2 as well a couple of special features. It’s nice to revisit these Series 2 episodes again on DVD.
Anyway, onto the 2020 Christmas Special called ‘The Night Before Christmas’. At the time of watching it on TV in December 2020, I was amazed it wasn’t that long ago since my parents and I first saw Series 1 of the new ‘All Creatures’ TV series on Channel 5 from September to October 2020.
We received the Series 1 DVD by the time 2020 Christmas Special was about to be shown on TV. I was looking forward to revisiting Series 1 on DVD as well as checking out Series 2 in the autumn of 2022. It’d take a while to see Series 2 on TV in late 2022, but I knew how to be patient with these things. 🙂
My parents and I saw the first Christmas Special of the new ‘All Creatures’ TV series on Tuesday the 22nd of December 2020. I greatly enjoyed it! It was nice to spend an hour and a half watching the Christmas Special, although the special is actually 1 hour and 3 minutes without the advert breaks. 🙂
It was also lovely to see the new ‘All Creatures’ cast playing their characters again. Through the first six episodes of the new series in Series 1, I grew to like each character. I appreciated the new take that the actors were trying to make in playing them. The special itself also feels very festive indeed.
I know that sounds odd to say, but the Christmas Specials in the original 1977-1990 BBC series weren’t as festive as I would have liked them to be. There was ‘Merry Gentlemen’ and perhaps ‘Brotherly Love’, but the 1983 and 1985 specials weren’t as festive compared to what’s in the 2020 Christmas Special.
In the 2020 Christmas Special, a midnight Christmas Eve church service takes place; there’s a Christmas party at Skeldale House; children dress up as nativity characters; and Siegfried and Tristan dress up as Father Christmas and Santa’s little helper. It was nice to see those Christmas elements. 🙂
It was also very funny to see Siegfried dressed up as Father Christmas and Tristan dressed up as an elf. I don’t believe that it ever happened in the original 1977-1990 TV series. I’m surprised the BBC didn’t consider that with their Christmas Specials. 😀 Siegfried’s Santa is greener than usual mind. 😀
In rewatching the Christmas Special on DVD, I appreciate the explanation given by Siegfried that Santa was originally green instead of red in terms of his outfit. Internet sources confirm it too. This reminds me of when the Incredible Hulk was originally grey before he became green in the comics. 😀
The new ‘All Creatures’ cast includes Nicholas Ralph as James Herriot, Samuel West as Siegfried Farnon, Rachel Shenton as Helen Alderson, Callum Woodhouse as Tristan Farnon and Anna Madeley as Mrs. Hall. It was so lovely to see these characters featured in this pretty special Christmas outing.
The special also has Matthew Lewis as Hugh Hulton as well as Dave Hill guest starring as Bert Chapman. Dave Hill previously guest starred in the original series episode ‘The Best Time’, didn’t you know? 😀 A shame they didn’t have Diana Rigg as Mrs. Pumphrey. I would’ve liked to have seen her.
In the special, as the Skeldale Christmas party gets underway, James gets called out to an emergency when the Chapmans’ pregnant dog is having trouble in giving birth. Helen, overwhelmed by the never-ending wedding talk, accompanies James to assist him in delivering the pregnant dog’s pups. 🙂
So essentially, this is the new ‘All Creatures’ TV show’s version of ‘Call the Midwife’ here. 😀 Cleo Sylvestre guest stars as Anne Chapman, Bert’s wife in the special. Bert and Anne Chapman are clearly a loving couple, to which James and Helen witness upon their visit to their country cottage. 🙂
Thankfully, the delivery of the Chapman dog’s pups is successful, which is good news at Christmas time. Unfortunately, James and Helen are stranded by overnight fog. And this is before the day of Helen’s wedding to Hugh Hulton on Christmas Day! Oh dear! That doesn’t sound so good, does it? 😐
The drama in James and Helen’s predicament is actually played out well in the special. It was interesting to see Helen’s reaction in how she handled the dilemma of whether to marry Hugh or not. She clearly wants to be with James when going out with him to deliver the Chapman dog’s pups.
James and Helen also form a close attachment when stranded in the Chapmans’ house. That doesn’t mean to say Helen doesn’t get to the wedding on time. Far from it! She actually does! But it’s interesting Helen decided not to go through with the wedding. James found her alone at the church.
This is something that’s different compared to the 1977-1990 TV series in how they handled James and Helen’s romance. I’m not sure which TV version is better in telling James and Helen’s love story – the 1977-1990 version or the new TV show? Both are good, but I guess both took creative liberties.
I also liked how James, who was on his way back home to his parents in Scotland, decided to turn around at the crossroads to Skeldale. What he would’ve done regarding Helen’s wedding, I don’t know. I’m also not entirely sure it’s clear regarding why Helen decided not to go through the wedding.
Maybe it was to do with her feelings for James, maybe it was to do with her leaving her father and sister to attend to their farm. Either way, we never see the wedding scene where Helen said to Hugh that she cannot go through with it. Maybe this is something to explore when it comes to Series 2. 😀
An additional point to make is that Helen did well with helping James to deliver the Chapman dog’s pups on Christmas night. It demonstrates how Helen would make a good wife for James should he ask her to marry her. I know that will be the case in the series, but it hasn’t happened by this point. 🙂
I really like how Siegfried handled his feelings for Dorothy, Mrs. Hall’s friend in the special. He seems to struggle in confidence with being romantic again. It’s a side of him that’s interesting and we’ve rarely seen it in the series so far. I like how Siegfried gets to say goodbye to Dorothy before she goes.
Maimie McCoy returns to play Dorothy in the special. Sadly, this seems to be her last appearance in ‘All Creatures’, as we don’t see her return in Series 2. I don’t know if it was the Covid-19 pandemic that prevented Maimie McCoy to return to play Dorothy in the series, but it seems such a big shame.
And yes, the 2020 Christmas Special was filmed before the Covid-19 pandemic ever happened in 2020. I’m relieved the production team got Series 1 and the 2020 Christmas Special in the can before the world went into its first lockdown in March 2020. It’d be unfortunate if they weren’t in the can.
I like how Tristan helps Maggie’s shy little brother – Jack Hayes as David – with an ill donkey in the special. 🙂 It was sweet of Tristan to give David the confidence building he needed by giving him his invisible mask. I wish this was something Peter Davison’s Tristan did more often in the BBC TV series.
Mollie Winnard returns to play Maggie, the barmaid at the Drover’s and Tristan’s girlfriend in the series. Tristan receives an early Christmas present from her, which is under the mistletoe. 😀 This was for helping Maggie’s little brother out and it helps to ease the tension between the two of them.
It was very intriguing to hear Mrs. Hall’s backstory in the special, as she’d been expecting her son to return for Christmas in Darrowby, but he sadly never came. Things haven’t been too well between Mrs. Hall and her son in the series, which was something that was established pretty early on in Series 1.
It was nice how Siegfried comforted Mrs. Hall when she was in tears at the midnight church service on Christmas Eve. I also liked how the Skeldale family gathered together for Christmas Day at the special’s end. It was touching to see, especially when all were listening to the king’s speech at home.
This special also starts a plot arc concerning Tristan’s exam results, which Siegfried opens up the letter for him to discover. The special also features Tony Pitts as Richard Alderson, Helen’s father; Imogen Clawson as Jenny, Helen’s sister; and Charlie May-Clark as Connie, who was in the last episode of Series 1.
The 2020 Christmas Special of the new ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ show is very satisfying to see. I enjoyed watching it and it got me into the festive spirit very much. I was looking forward to seeing Series 2 of ‘All Creatures’ next in late 2021. It was very pleased that it was happening and on its way.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long, as the new ‘All Creatures’ show made its return in 2021. The new ‘All Creatures’ series surpassed my expectations. I didn’t think I would enjoy the new series as much as I’ve enjoyed the original ‘All Creatures’ show on DVD. I really hope that it will ‘live long and prosper’.
‘The Night Before Christmas’ rating – 9/10
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