Stars Reunited - All Creatures Great and Small

it was one of the best things that the BBC ever did ever it's based on a book it was on television in the 70s in it or 80s and I remember it for its beautiful setting lovely storyline and good acting the dry stone walls lots of animals it was saying the oxy dales and it was three beds a fantastic relationship where the older vet was a loving bully as such I like Siegfried especially how Drinkwater been really just very beautiful no James Herriot Tristan Flanders everything cuz when I get up to do something about a cow and I fist see the development glove it wasn't acting these four actors did have to put their hands up cows and things dogs Pekinese seem to remember mrs. Pomfrey who had a little white dollar pick and either think good tricky woo I loved it well you must have guessed it by now what have we got animals vets and being up to your ankles in all manner of what have you and if you're still not sure here are some spectacular highlights to those 15 years every time and animals gather relaxes back ill infected with guilty perhaps you might not be seen with me that will be lovely any special pleading nutria tricky really the trickster between accepting him take darling tricky away I'm afraid sir mrs. paprika but we've never been separated not ever oh yes 20 years on I'm taking a sentimental journey back to the unforgettable series all creatures great and small a show that never dates and never fails to cheer me up I've got a hand-picked audience who can't wait to meet our stars so before we all get together I need to have a close up and personal chat with each of my four guests first the Nana was very much the father figure of the three vets he played Siegfried and he definitely knew his rabies from his ringworm and I'm privileged to have with me Robert Hardy Robert welcome to stars reunited thank you very much it was it fun cuz it looked like you were enjoying it yes it was fun I was thought from the very beginning that it was going to be a dicey short-term affair because I thought it would bore the town's to death and would irritate the country and I was totally wrong thank God so he was quite surprised it became is phenomenal did you really enjoy making this a lot of it was great fun there were moments of horror of course because in the end we filmed right through the year and we had some appalling winters 1978 9 I think or whatever and the snow was high and the ice was solid then there were moments I remember two occasions when we were so cold from the wind on the tops that we couldn't and we couldn't be oh my frozen top see what is interesting about you as an actor Robert is Churchill Malcolm Campbell secret real-life characters do you enjoy particularly playing characters that were real people yes I think I do yes because when one has something to latch onto does that make the job easier makes more interesting because you try and be as like as a background to what you're going to do in the script you try and be as like the person as possible so that if anybody remembers them they say spot-on okay well now listen we're about to be reunited every cast member that we've got here today haven't seen for a little while so how you feeling are you looking forward to seeing most well be patient it's not far away next she was always there indoors for all those vets and fragrant and beautiful with it she was Helen older son of course she became the original mrs. Harriet its Carole drink water good to see you you look fabulous Carole you starred in 42 episodes and two TV movies of the same would you say that was your big break it was my big break in terms of television before that I'd done a Clockwork Orange which my first roll out of drama school which has only two lines but because it was Stanley Kubrick everyone remembers it but this was the big thing and I remember the script producing to me at the time this is going to make you a household name and of course I didn't even begin to understand what that meant I kind of went yes and then I was walking the Great Wall of China after we'd finished making the first series I was off traveling and I was just walking along by myself thinking you've got yourself here and the couple walked past and said that's Carol drink water from all creatures great and small and I thought that's the power of television that's a shock it was amazing I couldn't believe it and did they bother you I mean what was that feeling on stage I thought it was wonderful later it began to be a little intrusive but at that stage I kind of thought my goodness I'm quite famous you know the character of course you recorded that in the seventies so it was a character of the 30s so the feminist movement wasn't what it became and it was very much off kilter with what the world was viewing how the world was being women at the time yes because I can remember when we started my very first batch of filming I was up in obviously in Yorkshire and I did a scene in the graveyard with Chris and I was wearing trousers and when that went out they got letters from people saying no one of that period would have worn trousers that would have made her seem like a a slant in fact the real Joe art yes they did I think there were letters and the BBC said no more trousers for Carol and in fact the real Joan had warned she was the first lady in her village to wear trousers and she was very you know she was really quite a modern woman for her time and that was how I wanted to play her but the Beeb kind of said well we better play that side down a little it but indeed it's true at that time women were inside making cups of tea reheating the teabag was a bit a good wall see something about how do I put this you're a sex symbol I mean you laugh and I do sometimes to tell this now what I'm doing talks and things is I was I was called the the woman who brought sex appeal to Wellington's approach to WA and so that that was kind of but I know that I was really a sex appeal we're not men falling your fevers if we were to believe everything we read in the papers at the time and how the image was portrayed it I mean as you just said yourself you know made Wellington sexy would was this a problem we can then fall at your feet problem no I mean sure I got letters sometimes people wrote to me and asked me to marry them on things like that so a few just a few yes and I mentioned with a Great Wall of China and being recognized all over the world does that still happen cuz it's still on everywhere yeah yes but in the in the originally - a you know you you were Helen or your hell and now people come up and say to me it's Carole and I read your books and things so it's quite nice I've made that transformation because I think at the time I began to wish that they didn't only recognize me for Helen because I done so much else and now it's not that anymore people do remember it and they do say and I remember you in all creatures and they love that series or something like that but it's not specifically for Helen anymore after 42 episodes to TV movies you handed the role over to Lynda Bellingham but I handed it over I decided to leave because I wanted to go on and do other things I was being offered work abroad but then I was in Australia filming I was playing mrs. cook in a series about Captain Cook and I was sitting in my hotel room learning my lines and eating my brown rice for the next day's filming and I heard on the evening news they have recast the role of helen harrion's because i immediately turned up the sound and they said linda bedding right no Cyril not because it was Linda but suddenly I knew it I knew I'd given it all you've no protective about me and I suddenly wanted it back you know did you enjoy watching how did you watch her in there I've seen either Linda or me in it I've never seen it I don't watch my work I look my Georgia hang on why didn't you watch it in the first place I I never watched my work I just don't I found early on that I was destructive self-destructive rather than constructive and I decided not to do it so I've seen only odd snippets of it here and there when I've been on a chat show or something and they've shown a bit I find that extraordinary I mean I don't think I do but I would say for a big series like that you'd have caught you'd have made a point of watching one or two or just and people give me tapes of stuff I've done and said here this is and I never watch it I just store them all away maybe when I'm older I'll sit down and watch everything I think what we know was that me did I really do that you might look back in ten to you why did I bump into that bit of furniture there myself to shreds worrying about um we're very nearly at the point where you and the rest of the cast are going to be brought together for a magnificent reunion are you feeling about that I am a little nervous of seeing them all again but I'm looking forward to it yes baby it might be I'm such a SAP anyway so next the man who played our veterinary hero James Herriot himself is of course the one and only Christopher Timothy good to see you tell I would imagine a role like that only comes along every now and then did you really really want that show so badly yeah I was doing a job and somebody said I understand enjoying lying for James Herriot and I sort of half knew that he was being planned but I knew because people had been feeding me information that I shouldn't have known and when I heard that I just made sure I read all the books which I wrote very quickly and all sorts of things happened in between that moment am I actually getting it finally but I did get it again I suppose the word went out there making a TV show of this everybody's gonna want that role aren't they I suspect well so aren't I lucky you you are um animal lover before the show optically I mean I loved the animals we had we had a cat called fluffy when I was a kid and we had a dog call Nina samway who was beautiful I loved her but no I wasn't so no I guess everyone at the time must have had very high expectations of the series but did you expect it to be such a success it was huge well I don't know about such a success but I thought if we get it right based on the popularity of the books already which was you know worldwide millions Emil ISM is the books were sold if we got it right how could he fail how could he fail yeah got animals no sex no violence you're right and it also had a lot of elbows going up a lot of animals backsides well that's what we would talk about do people still drive you mad about that because that's what a lot of people remember particularly made that show different that you actually showed the very graphic side of that yes you'd open your L bra cuz you bet your armor you do that you parked the it's it's lovely it's made warm and if you consider the fact that cows are vegetarian that's not the right word is there's a better word for it but they're very sensor so that what they actually actually produce doesn't isn't the normal I well it's ok terrible time most that's any but it's the thought of it I'm just thinking that was such a strong role for any actor did that typecast you in any way for a time I suppose it did I were you sir I hope you did I mean there are two reasons why I didn't get my Stella vision work after that one could be the people thought I was rubbish or that although they thought I was James Herriot hopefully hopefully yeah it was but you know I wouldn't I wouldn't change anything a joyous job to do well listen your moments away from being reunited with everybody you had fun with real at water well it's the two Wives Club today as we have with us the woman who took over from Carol as the gorgeous Helen harrion fabulous actress Lynda Bellingham their lovely to see you well you join the series well into the program were you a fan of the show before you got the part Oh completely I mean absolutely and I'm a farmer's daughter anyway and I'd always watched it so I knew exactly what they were I mean I was so I was so thrilled that I was even gonna get to meet bill sellers you know with regard to the part it must be hard for an actress to walk into a part made famous by another actress and to be welcomed by I was like a family did they welcome you they were fantastic and actually I have to say no creepy creepy but what she's quite an act to follow Carol during water and I always hoped that the wig would help ease me into it yeah I had this one a half wig said the hair was sort of a similar yes but it was it was an ordeal by fire because the first read-through was included all the actors in like 13 episodes so there was a table round which were sitting 80 people in a great long time like mmm he was one of those you know they're gonna say why are they cast her kind of thing but it was brilliant for an actress to get into a part is one thing to get into a part that's already become established by another actress begs the question are you anything like the character yourself no she wasn't like me but it was at I was a period thing that time in society when those kind of women you know if she was neurotic or unhappy about when when James was up a field instead of picking up her mobile or ringing him on his mobile she'd need a little bread should make a little bread and do a lot of reading of do it was a very relaxing and she'd be any drama in the ferry was a cup of tea James you know that was you know sort of what women say no not like me at all really when you walked off the set for the last time not perhaps knowing it was the last time he won't see you next series then there wasn't another one you know D then did you then think when he did find out that it wasn't gonna be on anymore that well it could be some years later you'll be sitting in a room with another presenter bring you all back together again it's a bizarre thing isn't it is bizarre but you know it's it's lovely to get the chance to do it because I watch it and the weird thing is that even though the series finished all those years ago I still get letters I'm short Carole and Kristen everybody knows from America from Australia because it's constantly being shown from Canada and you think it's like another life and so the chance to actually come and see everybody it's just really nice actually who you're looking forward to seeing those I know that's not I love you all the Sheep can't guarantee a sheepish third one in the pen on the Left how was the one okay well might be long now be patient and it'll be kisses and lovey hugs all the way around thank you well here's the moment we've all been waiting for yes it's time to get the Stars of all creatures great and small back together again so Stars reunite please welcome to the bridge cigar you see now doesn't that tell you something oh how they love to see you all back together again and I have to say it's a surreal moment for me because I feel like the clock has stopped Carol can ask I'll start with you actually darling um did you have any idea of the phenomenal success this show would be I mean that that has bears witness to it I think at the time no we didn't have any idea and then once we started filming it do you remember that up in Yorkshire they changed the the time of the church service so everyone could rush home and watch it so they decided that they wanted but they couldn't not go to church yeah but do you remember when you went up for the first thing you were driving yourself up for the first shoot and you stopped off at a pub and they asked you what you were doing and somebody turned round to explain to his friends what you were at and they said oh all creatures great and small yes it's just a down market version of Emmerdale farm yes why do you think it was such a success Robert because it was huge well I think it was innocent it was about life and about saving life and about real people after all that was the joy of it all was that we were all as near as we could get real people weren't we you know it's very hard to pick up my favourite clip from all creatures great and small because they're all fabulous but so many of them involve having your arm up to goodness knows what that's the deer otep steadyoh bort steadyoh bort steadyoh bort steadyoh bort steadyoh bort it's a perfect fit we your expression the joy that you showed when that happened had you hadn't experienced dealing with animals before this well yes from as far as long as I can remember which was a great advantage I mean when they asked me to do it it really felt as if I'd fallen into the right bucket because I'm a country bumpkin the second nature although of course I wasn't in any sense veterinary but now we're gonna bit later actually because you had an expert but maybe I will maybe I won't let me ask you Christopher how realistic do you think the show was in terms of veterinary science was it your arm up the cows bones of all the people our country to ask me that question with Linda the week before we started I went up in advance and met Jack Walker s'en who was a vet in laban right in the heart of the Dells and with all love and respect for the people present it was probably the best week of the entire job it was such such a joy and such from and such and I learned how to say Malibu cows and things like that I didn't learn anything else much but the most interesting was that I met Robert about 24 hours before we started filming we haven't met before but very very briefly after I had my week with a bet then he said what have you learned him he wasn't fine as I said he was great I said well one thing I did learn was that about horses but I feel I'm still very wary of horses I'm braver about other animals than I thought I would be but I am still nervous of horses and Robert said stay wary of horses and you stay alive I read but did you enjoy generally working with animals did you enjoy working on all enormous Lee and there truly is not a child or an animal I wouldn't work with again but I can give you a list of grownups girls are gonna ask you to because you're both looking very glam very glam indeed on the show today you don't look like country girls maybe you are maybe are you country girls and this was a new discipline for you my mother's family is from a farming family in Ireland so I'm half a country girl originally yes and I'm a farmer's daughter and in fact when I got the job well I got the job by bludgeoning bill sellers into believing that I was a farmer's daughter but I'd done a lot of the things that you were all doing and it always made me laugh my dad used to say that whenever I if I ever had children if I went into labor all I'd need was a bale of straw and I'd be fine and when I turned up with my second son he was 6 weeks old in the last series these two were no good at all now I could have been I kept walking about this they were very good with the animals but they didn't know quite what to do with this six week old baby so I just just give me a baby store I'd have been fine well Linda I have to say I don't think it was all acting when you got all dewy-eyed about one particular puppy this is fabulous just have a look at that calcium 10cc let's count so much to do the trick I'm free now come to us early I think my husband is like one - he's hungry we'll take care of metal you get up with job Linda tell me about that because there's a story about that pup my first my my first son was four years old and we were doing this series and and he had gone on and on about a dog and we lived in London and I said we cannot have a dog he won't look after oh well you know how they are and we did this scene and he was standing watching this so we spent a day with this with this dog and the puppies were born and my son just fell in love with this one dog which had a little white mark here anyway my son went on and on and on and the farmer's wife said oh go on let him have it let him have a puppy Oh anyway this went we went back to London my idea I wasn't filming for a couple of weeks six weeks later we get on the train we go back up to Yorkshire to get this puppy and the farmer's wife had knitted my son one of those jumpers with collie dogs all in a row like this so she presented him with the jumper and then we went and got star as we called him and he was with us for 16 years and he died last year very happily I have to say but because he lived in London and there weren't many sheep to herd I used to take him into the woods in Highgate and he'd heard all the general public and he was and he was the most brilliant goalkeeper ever ever known to man as a dog he would sit in gold and he honestly David Seaman a yard Oh lovely story you know it wasn't just the animals that made the show so popular it was very hot on the romance front it was the 30s and it was very much a brief encounter with a happy ending for you Christopher you were the envy of every man in the world because you will got the girl have a look hello Karthus in one up the hill pastures look you can see it from here I'll take your word for it we're in for a bit of a walk I'm afraid order mine I don't mind in the least what i Richard evening I was actually gonna say - does that bring back good memories for you Karen it's extraordinary to see it all again to see that because that must have been that very last scene I think was almost the last film I did in it wasn't it was so that was all taken over there we are to be honest with you know what sitting around here there's one person missing from our reunion who I know you all absolutely adored now she made sure everything in the house ran like clockwork of course I'm talking about that wonderful actress Mary hignett who played the housekeeper mrs. horse so let's remind ourselves for wonderful work have a look mrs. hall I have always held you in the very highest regard how about a pot of tea for the workers we saw right Justin where would you like it Oh mr. farlan will you miss Terry Abed back to lunch no thanks is all be given to mr. day I just as you like and while I'm at it could you please not wash up dishes it's a free country thought it would be so won't smelly little mister it Lizzie of about awesome tomorrow is William Julian sherry party I left my potato mr. farmer how was the sherry party business there is no need to shout him ma'am when you look at that I mean she's magnificent but I have to ask you was she a sterner she looked she looked a bit severe at times oh yes well that was the job no she was the warmest hearted most genial most enchanting companion a valuable lady yes now she was a turtle deer I absolutely adored er and it was tragic that she she died far too soon and left us bereft Christopher do you have fond memories of Hell or many memories indeed yeah I do I did it's interesting because you're quite right she's not that stone figure except because I was much younger and less well-behaved ah person and then Robert ever was and she was quite strict with me she and once or twice she would say um that's not how I would have been really talking about the old days and and things and it was also she was very very strict with and I mean this in the nicest way I mean it was always well received but she always when they was dressing the set would talk about the way the table was laid I remember that well she probably had it in build about etiquette absolutely she was old enough without being so old that she that she remembered all that she was sixth Rory oh yeah fabulous lady greatly greatly missed well I have to say this is now I've come to my favourite part of the show I've been doing a lot of research into what went on behind the scenes of all creatures great and small oh yes nice Oh Oh be afraid I found out a few things about you all each and every one of you but you probably wouldn't want the world to know about so it's time to own up one of you was told but until you got the part you had to lose 10 pounds in weight I'm sorry I it's me it's me I don't listen I least I lost them yeah that's true lie me I was so cross I mean well the thing is about television as you know it 10 pounds on is another 10 pounds on the television screen and when I went for the interview because I thought this is serious drama this and I was coming from those dreadful commercials where I mixed lots of gravy I thought I'm a serious actress it doesn't matter what I look like and the producer said well you know and I'm going on about being a farmer's daughter and how I do farming and I do dirt and I do cow pads and I do all sorts he said you'd have to lose weight it was weight he said yes but she's a country girl she's he said well I I do feel you should lose ten pounds I was so cross until I got in the studio and they put me in a costume and it was long before Madonna did combs let me tell you girls in nineteen whenever fifty the bras were like honestly iron and they gave me a little tight jumper and everything looks bigger than they will I used to follow me boobs into short they were so unattractive and I kept saying why do I have to wear this under way and now is gonna its period okay and then I went to the makeup and they gave me this hair I said why don't have to look like this it's a period haircut ever everybody looks rubbish to know you excuse me people could look attractive comes back no so then after first is I said cut the Woolies because they weren't attractive well I have to tell you before the end of the program's day I couldn't resist it then it's at some point and I'm sorry you cannot bribe me you cannot stop me there will be a picture of in the Woolies oh there will be I'm sorry but there will be but more importantly which one of you threatened to walk off the set before the series had even ever begun one of you said that's it I'm off well it was it was that producers honest and he said well if that's all agreeable I said it sounds fun we're going to film it in derbyshire and I got up made for the door I said no good at all if you're not gonna make it in New York sure this is about Yorkshire Derbyshire is lovely but it isn't Yorkshire they made for the door it's very brave to have a minor strop like that don't you think I mean I was incredible really well I'd been home to it for years he trained us all yeah he was our kind of flagship in that way if if there was some standard that was required Robert was always there saying this is what we need whatever we do we learn for Robert I have to tell you I'm not being asked enough questions so I'm out of here if at any point during the next few moments of this show you feel like you have to well you can someone give me a warning sign that you could all up and go please promise hope it's not the next question I'm going to ask you one of you do you know I can't believe this be true of anything or one of you what I'm about to say is be one of you told the filthiest jokes known to man and was good at it who was it who was the filthiest joke even said surely not Lynda Bellingham I'm afraid then you're not gonna hear them because it's daytime jelly it's all natural stuff it's good natural stuff sorry yes I do I do like you know with the wind you have to fill in this hour I'll fill in the blanks don't you worry now Christopher both of your wives are here today so let's let's have a look at the two of them in action with you you lucky science I'll have a look yesterday you were having all this in a plain simple country girl now this morning your transformed into the beautiful fascinating mrs. James no yes that's all I've got to laugh with a week you know the rules always changing the cool play hard-to-get see if I care you can go or stay I'll take a running jump is obviously difficult that Oh have I told you today how wonderful you are No yeah did you intend to yes today and every day you will be reminded of how perfectly wonderful you are to help you God do you see it's amazing what tricks the memory plays new I remember a lot of things in the feel with cows and dogs and things what I'm lying down going on there Cristobal so do you not think that the mrs. Herod's got more of a handful as time went on I'm not sure I know what you mean the thing about this is that I did a lot of research and people used to lie down in the thirties as well just as seriously as Robert Harley - it's not a birth of joy I mean I should say the right things but they were both a joy and I have to say and I still maintain that Linda had the most untenable task a replacing her yeah sure not not but it's not to do with its to do with the fact that it had been so hugely successful and it was the team that was successful you know the group of the group and the camera and all that stuff and suddenly one member wasn't with us and so don't do any more would be the wisest thing you would think and then it comes along and save the day the blend of act is that if you get it right from day one it's that's the magic isn't it if someone come in and it's to agree looking at that ladies and gentlemen it was a actually very smooth transition I think we look very similar I was just I was actually sitting here thinking which one of us is the earth I mean I think very clever actually I went to bed with one and work on another also in terms of the clothes to the very last detail I wonder about those clothes girls what would they like to wear I've given you my version well I think never gave me any bras I have to supply my own lots of floral clothes many of them we went and got my tears I had floral house I had floral blouses floral skirts it was but I'd like wearing they were fun to wear i think i dont know how flattering i really think they were I mean I've looked in the mirror a lot I don't know about this well Linda mentioned just now about the torpedo boobs in the knitted jumper at the moment pass what do you think I think we have to see now never come back into fashion be grateful they never went out for some of us the thing is it'd be someone to share the load problem solve we we were very happy out there only nobody's lived in this this 1939 you know it'll have to be completely redecorated oh I thought that was really smart lovely a very I just be investing your children the children that you had first that I'd you know took over who were very sweet but in my series I sent them to Belen they didn't come back again one episode I would go to your rooms and they never returned they got too old there were at 40 doing it very odd now listen you can't top the ratings without getting into the tabloids you really can't and one way or another each of you made the newspapers so let me remind you of some of the headlines are you not going to like this I hear ya so I've got the headlines here and these guys fill me in let me find one which is ray or like this one oh I like this one another ribbing for Harding yes so I ended up in the Catterick hostel not but it wasn't the only time because the extraordin assay a country bumpkin brought up with animals and all the rest of it I was the one who got more hurt than anybody else because the directors used to say no you'd do this stuck in the middle of the field you injected or whatever and the advising vets whom God preserved they were just wonderful would say no you can't do that you've put it in the corner you tie its head and so on and I remember being on the head rope of a start jabbing in the needle putting up absolutely the right place and the start went mad and I hung on and I was dragged over some rocks and three ribs cracked I was very sorry for myself very cross to you because I thought this is because they're not doing the thing properly and so I stayed quite ill for quite a few days if you have an expert around anyone follow the advice here's an interesting one for the girls women give no cheers for all creatures I know who this is Ivana well this relates to do I did I don't either I've got the name Christopher attached to this you're at it again love so I've got this widow's I don't know either women give no cheers to all creatures yay we did drink a lot and the it was Scott Scott Scott Scott them people in Scotland complaining supras minute we used to come in after a hard day nicely go right you do and Robert and poor here large scotch and I used to drink it wasn't Scotty was tea you know and but and all these nasty letters saying he wasn't drink on television really they really cuz they were very very upset and the BBC adhered I think they cut it down to one or two glasses and episode at once well I'm glad you admitted meet some of the vets Wiener audience have been watching this eagerly awaiting their chance the speaker which I know that some of you have got questions for our cast members on the sofa so who wants to go first okay it's questions of all the cast did the real-life characters he played like the way they played them that's a good question well go down imma start with Robert did the real-life characters like the way he played them my man hated what I do absolutely hated it and complained all the way along it's fair to say that he hated what the author Harriet elf white had put in the book about him to start with so I was on a hiding to nothing but years and years went by and I went to a lunch party bin the rather grand place where Siegfried lived and there were a lot of Americans around the table had gone in for lunch and unannounced and Siegfried said you know these people from America these charming people guests of mine they can't understand why you play me so bad-tempered Lee as you do I mean they're that big me and they say that it's absolutely ridiculous what they do so I tried to defend myself and said that the Siegfried version that I played was quite popular across the world and then I said to him tell me Donald who would you really have liked to have played it your part and he said oh well somebody with charm for God's sake Rex Harrison but we remain very good friends he was very kind to me it came around in the end of a Robert never came round Christopher what about you can you pick up on that thing about I didn't meet the real secret for some time but when I did meet him his behavior was a dead ringer for what Robert was doing I suspect well he's real eccentric and real eccentrics are unaware of their X inches absolutely and Harriet did make me half white he did write about those people yeah for real yeah he didn't make it up he didn't he didn't give people attribute things to people all I can say about alphand is that when it started he wrote me a letter and he just said thank you so much I did so enjoy it and he wrote you are the Harriet I wrote now I wrote about which is fantastic unfortunately I can't find the letter somehow sadly is dead so I could be making it up and I was tickled pink oh that's nice yeah of course I was wonderful and he was hugely supportive of us wasn't he it wasn't he all of us yes so there are two people who we have we owe so much one is Alf and one is Jack what concern you trained us yeah also of course his stringer Eddie straight straight absolutely who did the studiously sorry I forget work whereas Jack was with us always in in the country Carol what about your character well when I first met Joan who was the real Helen I'd been filming in over one of the other dales and came eight and Bill sellers and the rest of the cast were waiting to have dinner and I arrived I went and changed very quickly and came down and sat at the table and Joan pick opened her handbag and picked out a photograph of herself and put it on the table like a challenge and said that's what I looked like when I was 28 and I went ah yes very beautiful yes and I could tell that she was going to be rigorous and strict with me and I don't know she did once say to me I like what you're doing but she was tougher than al wasn't sharing work she was very much tougher than al and I don't know that she ever really would have complimented me and said yes or no she was pleased remote yes she was she was wonderful but she was for you in that situation yeah another question and that's not a question just like to ask Linda you made housewives something of a speciality does that get you down yes I mean there was a time when I when I was I doing the oxide commercials and I got this job in all creatures great and small a year after I'd started so it's very bizarre and thank God I did get all creatures great and small because it kept my credibility yeah cuz I sort of sold my soul to the devil but I remember doing Terry Wogan and in his inimitable fashion he looked across him as well no Linda so you're eating them on one channel and you're giving bursts of them up the other crossing that and I have played you're right but I'm hoping that the next bit of my life I will move on it'll probably be granny's but what can I say I've got no choice it's it's inevitable the March but I'm very lucky in any sense to have represented lots of different kinds of housewives actually so I'm very happy and there's lots of us aren't there girls yeah I have to keep the flag fly well thank you for your questions that was good hang on a minute as nice as these reunions are and this one in particular I found someone else who I thought you'd like to catch up with he played a crucial part in this series from day one and I know the boys haven't seen him in years and you've mentioned him already tonight he was the man who taught the boys literally everything they needed to know about being a vet that's because he is a vet please welcome Jack what concern got nothing to see you jack I'm gonna stay here hey good job we talk nicely about you sit standing by him in say these wonderful things about you Jack can I take you back let's have a look at a little videotape of Al and being born and all creatures great and small now you were there you oversaw the whole thing have a look at this lady oh yeah that's wonderful to look at what would that what were these guys like actually in the field tell me John hey I never thought I would say this very professional very keen in fact they picked up all my bad habits as well as mine that particular shot was typical of the resuscitation process and lambing I remember it well there was a Betsy Terry's that's a few days ago there's a lot of that water has run down since then your question was what would they like to work with frustrating but great fun my satisfaction is the success of the whole business when it was over of course we had frustrations of course we had difficulties every day that we had good compromise the directors and the actors and and also the farmers on whom the farmers on whom we worked and they were very the local farmers were very cooperative and they took very well to the series eventually I think as was mentioned that it was perhaps misgivings when it was going to be filmed in the area but it was well-received and we all enjoyed the success that it brought well I know that Robert particularly I know Christa they were saying to me earlier that they but I might think be fair to say felt that they couldn't have done the job without Jack really no way no way there that isn't that fun time you had the expression we all need each other yeah I'm very pleased that we and very pleased that they said that but on the other hand like I say I was very appreciative of the efforts that they had because it must have been quite frightening sometimes I recall the very first day of filming I was new to it in fact when the BBC came to my office at the very first time my secretary there's two men from the BBC at the door I thought I haven't paid my license but we got to know each other Chris stayed me with with me for a week and the very first day of film it was as new to me as is in here and I'd arranged during that week to take Chris on my round to a very big Shorthorn bull I want a bowl you know bull short-horned short odd that's the brief and I think was this sort of breed that we needed for the period of a filming and the work many about it was a beauty the way a turn and if you remember Chris it was as quiet as a lamb when we went into him I introduced you in that we commend time it to to the farm because I knew had selected that bull so the first episode and it was quite until we started the very first day that bull it was it had sunstroke and you had to put the cold hose pipe on it to cool it down boy if you've ever seen a set cleared it didn't like it of course he didn't like the lights it didn't like the hose pipe and so first stage filming lasted about five minutes well after ser show like this wouldn't be complete without showing you one or two scenes it went wrong inevitably filming with animals is unpredictable but these are great have a look at these he's had a stroke reckon get with something like that is that all you can do James he's not in pain he's quite comfortable nobody well that was then but this is now Robert you never stop you never seem to stop what are you doing at the moment I've just finished my contribution to Harry Potter number three brilliant playing the Minister for magic Cornelius fudge a good character for me you enjoy you just you never stopped loving the business have you no no no but I'm just sad that there's one of our members a very important member missing today he can't be here Peter Davison oh yes my little brother he was invited was sad he was invited but he's he's always working well was he was so important AB Sparkle yeah well we wish you continued success Robert I don't need to say Carol what are you doing as you don't because I know already because I'm a fan a successful writer you've lived for a long while in the South of France I have I am still an actress I haven't even up acting and book after book after book and these are so good thank you dude you're writing as much as you enjoy I love writing I like I like the combination of both because sometimes writing is to solitary but I love the fact that I have something that I've created myself that is my own and I love sneaking into book shops and because this is two books from a trilogy of books that I call my olive Trinity and it's lovely going into a bookshop and looking on the shelves and seeing the olive farm Carol Drinkwater how many dozen I wrote that a huge thrill it gives me yes I'll continue success with that Christopher I kind of know because I see you all the time on the Tami tell me tell me tell me enjoy doctors I am enjoying a nausea I really I did I so like working yeah I just so like it yeah and I'm I'm like the cat I play quite he's not a saint he's not a savior he's not a he's not a very good man really and I enjoy that even more I'm working with Pete live ma what more can you want perfect continued success well access Linda in burlesque yet no I'm back yeah you can't go I wouldn't want I will try I just on my first granny in Dalziel and Pascoe which I'll all enjoy I knew I knew you Oh does he um Pascal wonderful show I enjoyed it so much I can't tell you no no it's fine and onwards and upwards is what I say and oddsocks I've done a series playing a launderette manageress fantastic fantastic well I have to say it's been wonderful to see you or haven't they been great being one of my favorite stars reunited I really enjoyed it so thank you for joining me on the program and don't forget we'll do it all again very soon take care we this one is it we are so excited cuz we may be and we are so excited cuz we're you know you you you

Channel: Big Al

Views: 186,643

Rating: 4.8147817 out of 5

Keywords: Dale Winton, Lynda Bellingham, Carol Drinkwater, Robert Hardy, Christopher Timothy, Peter Davison, All Creatures Great and Small

Id: tFoLN-p6IUY

Length: 54min 51sec (3291 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 01 2016

Reddit Comments

[u/prustage]

What a great idea. Let's do one for Dad's Army! Oh wait...