Jace Lacob: I’m Jace Lacob, and you’re listening to MASTERPIECE Studio.

It’s 1937. Great Britain is in the middle of an economic depression, with the shadow of World War II lurking in the distance. Career opportunities for most young men in Glasgow aren’t in abundance. Travelling from the bustling city to the rolling green hills of the Yorkshire Dales for an interview to become a vet’s assistant, James Herriot gets more than he bargained for.

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Siegfried We agreed there’d be no more.

Mrs. Hall He’s travelled all the way from Glasgow.

Siegfried I don’t give a damn how far he’s come, he can just go back again.

Jace Siegfried Farnon, an eccentric Yorkshire veterinarian, seems reluctant to hire James in his bucolic country practice. But the Dales are full of animals in need of medical care — and it will take more than Siegfried to tend to them.

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Siegfried I never gave you permission to go out on your own.

James I’m sorry. But it turned out well.

Siegfried You were lucky.

James There was nothing lucky about it! I worked damned hard getting that calf out.

Jace Actor Nicholas Ralph makes his screen debut in this charming new iteration of Alf Wight’s beloved All Creatures Great and Small memoirs, and he joins us here on the podcast to talk pets, people, and the pleasures of filming in the gorgeous Yorkshire Dales.

Jace We are joined by All Creatures Great and Small star Nicholas Ralph. Welcome.

Nicholas HIi Jace. Thanks for having me.

Jace So I’d be remiss if I didn’t begin by discussing the ‘Introducing Nicholas Ralph credit’ that you receive here for starring in All Creatures Great and Small. Is it true that this is your very first on screen role at age 30?

Nicholas It is, yeah, yeah, and what opportunity, what a way to do it.

Jace I mean, paint me a picture here. You’re going out for the lead of a show that is a reinvention of one of the most beloved British dramas of all time. You’re just out of drama school. What was the audition process like for you?

Nicholas So, yeah, I was actually opening a theater show for the National Theatre of Scotland that evening when I had the first audition, but just instantly I thought I had a bit of a connection with the character of James. I loved the writing, the characters, you know, the dialogue in the relationships. So every minute that I had whilst opening this show, I was just going over these audition sides. And of course, you get through the first one. And then I met Brian Percival, the lead director, obviously the director on Downton Abbey as well, and The Book Thief, you know, amazing, somebody amazing to be in a room with auditioning with and to to work with in the end. And Burrell Butler, the producer. And then we had another couple of auditions with those guys, and then I managed to get the part.

Jace So what went through your head then in that moment when you were told that you’d landed the part of James Herriot?

Nicholas Well, I would have been bouncing off the walls if there was any walls to bounce off of because I had actually just finished some plays and I was on holiday actually in Marseilles and I was doing some open sea kayaking. So I stopped for lunch with the group on this island off the coast of Marseilles. And I noticed I had missed calls from my agent. So I phoned my agent back and Phoebe was like, ‘Where are you? What are you doing? I’ve been trying to get in touch with you.’ And I was like, ‘I’m open sea kayaking,  I’m on this island off the coast of Marseille.’ And she was like, ‘Well you’ve got the role of James Herriot.’ So I couldn’t believe I was going nuts on this island in Marseille.

Jace I mean, this is your first on screen role. So you step on to the set and you’re acting opposite amazing actors like Samuel West and Anna Madeley and Callum Woodhouse and Dame Diana Rigg. Did you feel any sense of anxiety going into those first early days of rehearsal?

Nicholas It might have been a little bit of nerves just just like with anything. But I think the overriding feeling for me was definitely one of excitement, because you always have the idea of, you know, making a break and getting big roles in TV and film and you want to surround yourself with excellence. And this as the names you just listed off there. And then Brian Percival, the director, etc, you just it’s something that as an actor, well, for me anyway, I thrived off, it, I just loved it from from start to finish. What a joy, what an absolute joy to have these kinds of people in these positions. And then and then ultimately, as well as a cast and crew, we got on so well. So it just bred for such a lovely environment. And hopefully that kind of comes across on screen, too.

Jace Oh, it does innately. There’s just such a sense of warmth and love about this show that you see between the characters. It’s really, especially right now, amazing to watch. You weren’t familiar with All Creatures Great and Small or the James Herriot books ahead of time. But you said you connected intensely with the character of James. What did you make of his character when you read the scripts? And what sort of similarities do you share with the character?

Nicholas Yeah, I think first the writing was so good, Ben Vanstone’s writing, so these characters were really leaping off the page. And as an actor, especially in the infancy of your career, to receive auditions and scripts like this, they’re so, so rare. So hen I read it instantly, right, we have to put everything, you know, every waking minute I had, as I say, I was going over those audition sides. But with James, I kinda, I just instantly had a good idea. But we were similar in many respects, kind of within points in our career. He obviously had a lot of passion and drive and everything for his chosen subject, which is animals and a lot of compassion. And that was very similar for me with regards to acting. But yeah, just as a character, you know, he’s kind of diving into this world feet first and he’s on the back foot a little bit with it all in there, and I just found him really lovable. And yeah somebody I was really excited to to kind of get a character excited to build on.

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Hannah All that money on veterinary college. It’s all these trucks and motorcars now. No one needs vets anymore.

James Thanks mother.

James Senior Ah, something’ll come along

Hannah What if it doesn’t?

Jace  We meet James very briefly in Glasgow, his his career almost over before it’s begun. His true story starts when he wakes with a start on a bus in the rolling hills of the Dales. It all seems dreamlike compared to the gray environment of Glasgow. Is this an almost Wizard of Oz like beginning black and white, turning Technicolor for James?

Nicholas Yeah, I think it’s absolutely the case. I know originally, you know, he was thinking leaving Glasgow, the big city, to go off to this Yorkshire Dales. And I think in the book he describes that I think he says, ‘I thought it would be as romantic as their Yorkshire pudding, this place.’ And he arrives on the bus. And very much as we show in the series, I think he’s just bowled over by the absolute beauty of the scenery and the surroundings and then falls in love with with working with the farm animals as well. Because he thought he would work as a small practice vet working with the smaller animals. But he gets a start and with the farm animals and things and falls in love with that and the sense of community there and the people. And yeah, I think it just is a perfect fit for him in the end.

Jace James Herriot is, of course, the pen name of veterinarian Alf White. Is it true that you met Alf’s son and daughter before shooting began and heard from them about what Donald and Brian, the real life Sigfried and Tristan were like?

Nicholas Yeah, we did. We met Jim and Rosie and it was just wonderful. They had so many anecdotes that a lot of anecdotes about, as you say, about Brian and Donald and the real life Seigfried interest. And they did say with regards to the dad was well trained. James had it that I had one of the harder roles because they felt he was the more neutral, kind of the observer in among this matters, which I can completely understand, because you have these bigger, more eccentric characters like Seigfried and Tristan, but ultimately, James is on one heck of a roller coaster ride. Right. So I don’t know how neutral he is, but certainly, certainly surrounded by these big, big characters. Maybe so.

Jace The roller coaster, as you say, doesn’t begin calmly. He is introduced to Siegfried, who immediately barks commands at him for a pencil and then drags him into the countryside with an emasculator.

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Siegfried Grab that. Cat. In the box! The box man! Dispensary. Oh emasculator. That’s the burdizzo. Enough to bring tears to your eyes. Come on.

Jace What does James make of the rather eccentric Siegfried Farnon?

Nicholas Yeah, he’s certainly taken aback by him for sure. I think we are going to this quaint little village. I think he’s thinking of someone maybe similar, a bit calmer. They’re taking it kind of slower pace of life compared to the city, but it’s quite the opposite. Siegfried’s off 100 miles per hour. So James has to really keep up and be on his toes and keep his wits about him. But I think ultimately he sees how much he cares not only about the animals, but the people. And I think that’s one thing that James really takes from Siegfried.

Jace In episode one, James’s first task under Siegfried’s watchful eye is to clean out a gelding’s infected hoof. For his effort. James gets kicked in the chest by the horse, a blow that’s both painful and humiliating. Did you end up doing your own stunt for this?

Nicholas It was actually in the face as well.

Jace And in the face, yes.

Nicholas But yes, I did. I actually, I went up to see the horses with the trainer before we shot it. And he said ‘Your stunt double couldn’t make it today, but the director and producers would like some video of the horse going through the movements. So we said either you can go in and do it or I can do it.’ So this horse was like rearing up and then it was kicking out. And I said to Mark the trainer, ‘I was like, Mark, I don’t think I’ll be anywhere near these horses. Obviously, I don’t want to. I’ll jump in then and you can film it.’ So I was filming it and just slowly edging further and further away from this massive horse. When they rear, they’re huge it was almost hitting the top of this this huge thiebaud barn we were in. But when it came to as I say, they are so well trained and I saw that the horse was kicking and it was a similar distance every time. So I said right through me and I think I think I can do it. And then very fortunately, I managed to get the timing all right. And that’s what they used in the final in the episode, which was really chuffed with.

Jace Nicely done. Is it true that the knife used in the scene belonged to Donald Sinclair, the real Siegfried?

Nicholas That’s true, yeah. Andy Barra, our on set vet actually worked under Alf Wight, James Herriot  and he had Donald Sinclair’s hoof knife. So he passed it over to Sam West, our new Siegfried. And yeah, it was a lovely, lovely moment.

Jace Alf Wight believed that you don’t just treat the animals, you treat the people, a belief that’s echoed here by Sigfried, played by Samuel West.

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Siegfried So where did it all start for you, wanting to be a vet?

James There was a, a small city farm at the back of my school.

Siegfried Uhum…

James It was like having a part of the country in the city. I developed a real love for the animals there.

Siegfried Ah, well you see. The animals are the easy part, it’s the people cause all the bother.

Jace How does James come to learn this lesson over the course of the first series that it’s the people that you’re treating, not just the animals?

Nicholas Yeah, as I say, I think definitely with regards to Siegfried, he sees that in him in abundance and he’s always James is always learning, always listening, always taking things on board. So that’s certainly certainly a massive influence on James and how he is as a practitioner and how he is as a vet comes from Siegfried. But it’s also that community feeling. And, you know, it might be, one cow, that they’re looking after, but that one cow can mean, you know, just real high stakes, whether this cow survives or not for for a family of five or six people, you know, so so, yes, it’s vitally important. But I think he learned a lot from Siegfried, but also with regards to Siegfried saying that it is not the animals that cause all the bother, it’s the people. I think James has a wry smile to himself because he’s had this first day with Siegfried is there’s just be 100 miles an hour of ups and downs already.

Jace As you say, your first day of shooting was opposite Samuel West. Did he have any advice for you on day one?

Nicholas I don’t remember specific bits of advice, I don’t any question I had, I asked. Sam. He was just so sweet and lovely to chat to and he didn’t really leave my side that whole first day. And it was just the two of us. As you say. And yeah, I was just asking about everything. But even like ad libbing at the end of scenes, I noticed behind the scenes that some actors do that, some don’t. Where does he stand on that and and various other things? And, yeah, there was there was just little questions throughout the day. But he is absolutely brilliant. And and we we managed to to grow a really great relationship as well throughout the series, which which is great.

Jace Before this next question, a brief word from our sponsors…

Jace You grew up in the Highlands around animals. I believe there may have been a cow named Friendly and a guinea pig named Nip in your life. Did those experiences take the edge off of being around animals like Clive the Bull?

Nicholas Yeah, I think they definitely did, yeah. When I was very young, the farmer lifted us onto the back of one cow and took us the length of the garden, so we named her Friendly, yeah. But yeah. So it was my back garden and a field. So it was always filled with cows and sheep and things like that. So we would often feed the cows. And you know, if you were nipping across the fields for a shortcut, if they came charging you, you made sure you got the way they had those little, I think yeah. I think those little interactions I grew up in in the Highlands of Scotland. So there was plenty of farm animals and a lot of my friends were farmers. So I was kind of used to being around some of those larger animals, but certainly horses. I still have a huge amount of respect for horses. They are big, intimidating creatures, so I don’t spend too much time at the back end of one of those. And as you say, Clive the Bull. But Clive the Bull played wonderfully by Jester, I think he was roughly two tons, his owner said, and he was the softest bull. He was so gentle. And you really was a doll.

Jace James ends up perched on a farm while holding a chicken. When Helen, played by Rachel Shenton, casually takes hold of Clive on his lead.

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James Oh bugger this!

Helen Go on, get! Oh… Hold this one for me. Thanks. Come here you! Come here! That’s it. Thanks. Just don’t look him in the eye. That’s them sorted. Sorry about Clive, he’s a miserable devil at the best of times.

James Who’s Clive?

Helen This one. Need a hand down?

James No, I can manage.

Jace Does this situation offer a reversal of gender expectations that sets up their dynamic perhaps? There’s an obvious romantic tension between James and Helen Alderson. What does James see in Helen? He’s he’s clearly smitten the first time he sees her.

Nicholas Yeah, yeah, but the thing is, he’s obviously bowled over by her beauty  but also about who she is, and I think she just sums up everything that James falls in love with about the Dales, the Yorkshire Dales and Darrowby, I think she sums that all up and and she’s yeah, she’s strong. She’s strong minded, strong willed and very confident. So I think some qualities that James really likes in a person as well and kind of admires in Helen. And I think she challenges James as well. And, um, yeah, she gives them little pointers along the way how to handle Seigfried and things like that.

Jace Those scenes not just in this episode, but moving forward as well, those scenes with Rachel Shenton I think are magnificent in their sort of awkward intimacy that James and Helen have. What is it like working opposite Rachel in these scenes?

Nicholas Absolutely brilliant. When we were going through the audition process, once I had the role, you didn’t do the chemistry reads for the other characters. So with having Helen Alderson, 10 girls, and Rachel was, of course, one of them. And at the end, Brian and Richard asked, is there anyone instinctively that stood out? And I said straight away, Rachel Shenton because she absolutely did. And that was working with her on the sides. But also and also when we were just hanging out with the audition, just chatting, you know, before going in and things she was really down to earth. So lovely, so easy to get on with. Really funny. And yeah, I just thought she summed up everything, you know, Helen was and also just fantastic actress, but it was just such a joy because then as we worked together, we got closer and our relationships all developed as the characters did as well. And she was just a joy to work with those scenes. And thanks so much for seeing the scenes. Really chuffed that you think that.

Jace The episode ends with a real triumph for James as he successfully births a calf, a sequence that’s really, truly agonizing to watch as James refuses to give up on the cow. Is James’s persistence here based on obstinance or an innate optimism on his part?

Nicholas Well, good question. Yeah, I mean, there’s just so much going on there, isn’t there? There’s jobs at stake, um, of course, the animal as well and the animal and then the mother, the mother of the baby calf as well. And then you have this family, the Rudds, this wonderful family, who. Who would really be struggling without without these cows, and I think they don’t have many cows might be one of the only ones. And so, yes. So there’s so much going on for James in that moment and. But, yeah, he certainly he certainly doesn’t want to give up. He’s very headstrong in that way as well, and I think he is. Yeah, he is a great he’s got great will and strength. Dig deep in those moments. But, yeah, as you say, there’s a lot there’s a lot going on at that time, so I think it’s for multiple reasons.

Jace I do want to preface this by saying it is obviously a prosthetic cow that you have your hand up inside, but how challenging was it to shoot this birthing sequence, even given the fact that it’s a prosthetic?

Nicholas Yes, we had obviously the Bill Cohen for the wider shots and then as we got closer, it was the prosthetic and the back end of the cow. So initially it was just a hair over my arm and a bit of angle that trajectory. But the great thing about the prosthetic, was it fully functional and the vet was there to get it. Tell me where the pressure would be on my arm, at what points and how strong it would be over time and things like that. So so it was absolutely brilliant. But the prosthetic co, the one thing about it was it had no life in it. Of course there’s no breath or anything but two legs in the tail, but none of them are moving. So we had to call in from the art department under the hay and you could just barely see his eyes. And he had a hold of both the legs and the tail. So he was kind of doing a swish leg swish which leg of the leg of the tail to try to give it a bit of life. So it really was a team effort, but we got there in the end. And yeah, it was I actually had a lot of fun filming that scene. I love those sort of scenes, you know, getting getting in a boat to getting down in the muck and everything. And, um, and yeah. And it was a big moment for James as well. Yeah. I loved filming.

Jace And then the birth itself is actually real, even though it was shot by a second unit, they they sort of interspersed those those moments with the actors, is that correct?

Nicholas That’s right, yeah. It was filmed by a documentary team. So it was a live birth that we got there and then cut it together, as you say, for the final episode.

Jace You grew up in the Highlands around animals. I believe there may have been a cow named Friendly and a guinea pig named Nip in your life. Did those experiences take the edge off of being around animals like Clive the Bull?

Nicholas Yeah, I think they definitely did, yeah. When I was very young, the farmer lifted us onto the back of one cow and took us the length of the garden, so we named her Friendly, yeah. But yeah. So it was my back garden and a field. So it was always filled with cows and sheep and things like that. So we would often feed the cows. And you know, if you were nipping across the fields for a shortcut, if they came charging you, you made sure you got the way they had those little, I think yeah. I think those little interactions I grew up in in the Highlands of Scotland. So there was plenty of farm animals and a lot of my friends were farmers. So I was kind of used to being around some of those larger animals, but certainly horses. I still have a huge amount of respect for horses. They are big, intimidating creatures, so I don’t spend too much time at the back end of one of those. And as you say, Clive the Bull. But Clive the Bull played wonderfully by Jester, I think he was roughly two tons, his owner said, and he was the softest bull. He was so gentle. And you really was a doll.

Jace James ends up perched on a farm while holding a chicken. When Helen, played by Rachel Shenton, casually takes hold of Clive on his lead.

CLIP

James Oh bugger this!

Helen Go on, get! Oh… Hold this one for me. Thanks. Come here you! Come here! That’s it. Thanks. Just don’t look him in the eye. That’s them sorted. Sorry about Clive, he’s a miserable devil at the best of times.

James Who’s Clive?

Helen This one. Need a hand down?

James No, I can manage.

Jace Does this situation offer a reversal of gender expectations that sets up their dynamic perhaps? There’s an obvious romantic tension between James and Helen Alderson. What does James see in Helen? He’s he’s clearly smitten the first time he sees her.

Nicholas Yeah, yeah, but the thing is, he’s obviously bowled over by her beauty  but also about who she is, and I think she just sums up everything that James falls in love with about the Dales, the Yorkshire Dales and Darrowby, I think she sums that all up and and she’s yeah, she’s strong. She’s strong minded, strong willed and very confident. So I think some qualities that James really likes in a person as well and kind of admires in Helen. And I think she challenges James as well. And, um, yeah, she gives them little pointers along the way how to handle Seigfried and things like that.

Jace Those scenes not just in this episode, but moving forward as well, those scenes with Rachel Shenton I think are magnificent in their sort of awkward intimacy that James and Helen have. What is it like working opposite Rachel in these scenes?

Nicholas Absolutely brilliant. When we were going through the audition process, once I had the role, you didn’t do the chemistry reads for the other characters. So with having Helen Alderson, 10 girls, and Rachel was, of course, one of them. And at the end, Brian and Richard asked, is there anyone instinctively that stood out? And I said straight away, Rachel Shenton because she absolutely did. And that was working with her on the sides. But also and also when we were just hanging out with the audition, just chatting, you know, before going in and things she was really down to earth. So lovely, so easy to get on with. Really funny. And yeah, I just thought she summed up everything, you know, Helen was and also just fantastic actress, but it was just such a joy because then as we worked together, we got closer and our relationships all developed as the characters did as well. And she was just a joy to work with those scenes. And thanks so much for seeing the scenes. Really chuffed that you think that.

Jace The episode ends with a real triumph for James as he successfully births a calf, a sequence that’s really, truly agonizing to watch as James refuses to give up on the cow. Is James’s persistence here based on obstinance or an innate optimism on his part?

Nicholas Well, good question. Yeah, I mean, there’s just so much going on there, isn’t there? There’s jobs at stake, um, of course, the animal as well and the animal and then the mother, the mother of the baby calf as well. And then you have this family, the Rudds, this wonderful family, who who would really be struggling without without these cows, and I think they don’t have many cows might be one of the only ones. And so, yes. So there’s so much going on for James in that moment and. But, yeah, he certainly he certainly doesn’t want to give up. He’s very headstrong in that way as well, and I think he is. Yeah, he is a great he’s got great will and strength. Dig deep in those moments. But, yeah, as you say, there’s a lot there’s a lot going on at that time, so I think it’s for multiple reasons.

Jace I do want to preface this by saying it is obviously a prosthetic cow that you have your hand up inside, but how challenging was it to shoot this birthing sequence, even given the fact that it’s a prosthetic?

Nicholas Yes, we had obviously the Bill Cohen for the wider shots and then as we got closer, it was the prosthetic and the back end of the cow. So initially it was just a hair over my arm and a bit of angle that trajectory. But the great thing about the prosthetic, was it fully functional and the vet was there to get it. Tell me where the pressure would be on my arm, at what points and how strong it would be over time and things like that. Ao it was absolutely brilliant. But the prosthetic cow, the one thing about it was it had no life in it. Of course there’s no breath or anything but two legs in the tail, but none of them are moving. So we had to call in from the art department under the hay and you could just barely see his eyes. And he had a hold of both the legs and the tail. So he was kind of doing a swish leg swish which leg of the leg of the tail to try to give it a bit of life. So it really was a team effort, but we got there in the end. And yeah, it was I actually had a lot of fun filming that scene. I love those sort of scenes, you know, getting in a boat to getting down in the muck and everything. And, um, and yeah. And it was a big moment for James as well. Yeah. I loved filming.

Jace And then the birth itself is actually real, even though it was shot by a second unit, they they sort of interspersed those those moments with the actors, is that correct?

Nicholas That’s right, yeah. It was filmed by a documentary team. So it was a live birth that we got there and then cut it together, as you say, for the final episode.

Jace As you touched on before, dealing with people’s beloved pets is difficult enough. But James is dealing with the animals who are not only loved, but also these people’s livelihoods. If this cow dies, this family could starve. Does that raise the stakes innately for James and Siegfried?

Nicholas Absolutely. Yeah, it just makes the whole thing a bit more personable as well. I mean, if you’re working on a massive farm or something and there’s 60 odd cows. You know, the stakes, the stakes aren’t as high, but with with the one count and the family and kind of peering over, looking on, is it going our way, is it not? And, you know, the daughter there as well. It’s. It’s yeah, it’s a lot of pressure. But again, it’s it’s that whole thing about helping out your neighbor in the community, feel everyone’s there and and they’re so willing as well, the Rudds, anything James asks for, anything that he needs, they’re there to help to to offer up straight away. And anything they can do, they’ll they’ll want to do. It really is a team effort. But, yeah, I should say stick the stakes are very high.

Jace I love James’s relationship with Mrs. Hall, who lives James to go out to the farm without waking Sigfried, which could have proven fatal.

CLIP

Mrs. Hall Dick Rudd’s having trouble with a calf. I better wake Mister Farnon.

James  Don’t. I’ll go. I can do it. Mrs Hall, please.

Mrs. Hall Alright. I put it up for luck when Mister Farnon goes out.

James  Thank you.

Jace What does Mrs. Hall’s support mean to him here?

Nicholas It’s massive and played wonderfully as well by Animalia, just so much fun to be around on, says she’s always up to mischief isn’t. But she’s just brilliant because she looks after all the all the boys, she really holds that whole home together and keeps them all in check. And she’s always looking out for for Tristan and James in particular. But Siegfried as well, you know. But yeah, I mean that to have that from from day one, that support unit is is massive for James. And as you say, ultimately she saved him his job as well, given giving him the opportunity.

Jace The first episode ends with James successfully making it up Hodan Hill in the Hilman. I love the sense of joy that James has here, overcoming both the Hill and Sigfried. Does it feel as though anything is possible for James at this point?

Nicholas Yeah, yeah, it’s so metaphorical. It’s a culmination of so many things and he’s on top of the world that. But yeah, I think it’s just the build up of so many things and the new environment and the culture shock that comes with an eccentric boss and the various procedures that we’ve gone through that have been real, real struggles for James and and, of course, the job as well. So, uh, yeah. And at that moment, just pure elation, I think.

Jace Particularly in these will say, very challenging times right now, what makes All Creatures Great and Small such ideal escapism for today’s audience? I mean, on the surface, in 1930s, Yorkshire vet drama might not seem like the pure, unadulterated, joyful escape that it is. What makes it so appealing right now.

Nicholas I think it just harks back to a simpler time where people was about helping your neighbor and real community spirit, but also these stories as well, they’re just full of charm, wit and humor. One minute you’re laughing. In the next minute, you can be really quite touched. And some of my friends that got in touch after the series aired said it was like getting a big hug watching these episodes. Oh, it really is. It really is warm and comforting as well as well as being escapism from. Yeah, from very complex times.

Jace Next week’s episode introduces the other Farnan brother, Tristan, played by Callum Woodhouse, how would you describe the dynamic between James and Tristan?

Nicholas Yeah, played wonderfully by Callum, which is the great thing about working with Callum as well. We just we got on so well off the bat, day one. And James and Justin are obviously their best friend, become best friends in the show. So that was made it so much easier as well. And when Minkow really got along. But yeah, I think at first there’s a little jostling for. For attention or whatever that may be within the household of Siegfried Secretan Hall. But I think they literally end up relying on each other, helping each other out. So just their best mates and and and really. I think really balance each other out well as well. They bring their own things to the table. You know, James James is very booksmart and learned and and that side of things and Tristan is maybe slightly more worldly and, you know, the social side of things down a bit more. So they really manage to balance each other out.

Jace Well, how much trouble did you and Colin get into on and off the set or did it only extend to eating a lot of peri peri chicken at Nando’s?

Nicholas We did eat a lot of peri peri chicken at Nando’s. No, I think the great thing, as I say across the board, cast and crew on so well, it really was a treat. And I remember people in the cast, you know, actors who’ve done a lot longer than I have seen, you know, really enjoy this because it’s not always like this on set. And I think it’s a great marker when you spend 50, 60 hours with these people on set and then you still want to go out with them at the weekends or at dinners like we did, we would go out for family dinners, you know, me Anna, Sam Callum and Rachel. So it really was wonderful. But Cal, yeah, we just got like a house on fire . It’s just easy to hang out with and have a laugh with. Yeah, we did get into too much trouble, but we did enjoy each other’s company.

Jace What can you tell us about what else is coming up this season on All Creatures Great and Small?

Nicholas Well, certainly more of the same, as I say, it’s an absolute rollercoaster for James, but with regards to all the other characters, I think I think as the series goes on, we get introduced to more characters, more backstory from the characters we already know comes to the fore. And as the episodes are just crammed, packed full of story and drama, really, especially as the episodes go on, they’re so full and rich. When I was watching, for example, episodes five and six, as we go through the series, I just couldn’t believe how much story was crammed into one hour of television. And so, yeah, we can we can we can expect a lot more of that and a lot more animals, animals of all different shapes and sizes and with different ailments. So, yeah, we’ve got a lot of wonderful things to come. A little Pekinese who plays Tricky Woo, whose actual name is Derek, a little Dale doy is a little ball of fur, Mrs. Pumphrey’s dog. He’s great. He actually gives you something back when you work with him, you say, ‘Tricky. Have you been eating too much?’ And he goes, ‘Grrrr…’ He really is. His comic timing is on point. The only thing is he kind of upstages you. Sometimes he steals the scene. So you really have to be on your toes when you’re working with Derek. But him and amongst others, lots of wonderful animals in there as well.

Jace Nicholas Ralph, thank you so very much.

Nicholas Thank you very much. Thanks for having me.

Jace Siegfried Farnon may be hard to handle. But his younger brother, Tristan, is trouble of a different sort.

CLIP

James Tristan Farnon?

Tristan Whatever you heard, it’s not true, I didn’t do it.

James Um, no, Siegfried sent me. I’m James Herriot, his new assistant.

Tristan Really? Poor you.

Jace MASTERPIECE favorite Callum Woodhouse joins us here on the podcast Sunday January 17.

MASTERPIECE Studio is hosted by me, Jace Lacob and produced by Nick Andersen. Elisheba Ittoop is our editor. The executive producer of MASTERPIECE is Susanne Simpson.