What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1326793
T2 WHATS UP! January 10 - 16, 2021 BY RACHEL JONES TV Media H ot on the heels of hits such as "Down- ton Abbey" and "Grantchester," PBS has done it again! There's a new bingeable British drama ready to warm your heart — "All Creatures Great and Small" is coming to the net- work on Sunday, Jan. 10, and is slated to follow the adventures and misadventures of a well- meaning veterinarian's assis- tant in Northern England dur- ing the 1930s. The show is based on a se- ries of semi-autobiographical books by James Alfred Wight (who wrote under the pen name James Herriot), which delved into his own life as a country veterinarian in York- shire during the '30s and '40s. In a fairly unusual move, the lead role, James Herriot, named so for the author him- self, will be played by new- comer Nicholas Ralph. De- spite not having any previous on-screen credentials, it ap- pears from the trailers that Ralph, who graduated from the highly respected Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Dra- ma), is the perfect fit. As the story goes, Herriot is reluc- tantly taken on by the quirky Dr. Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West, "Mr Selfridge") to help with a rural veterinary prac- tice's day-to-day responsibili- ties and gain some valuable new experience. Rounding out the cast of main characters is Mrs. Hall (Anna Madeley, "The Royal"), the resident housekeeper of Skeldale House, and the lovely and likable — albeit moderate- ly less integral — Helen Alder- son (Rachel Shenton, "Hollyo- aks"). But on a sadder note with regard to character news, the current remake is one of the last shows to feature ac- tress Diana Rigg ("The Aveng- ers"), who played the eccen- tric Mrs. Pumphrey in just two episodes before her death this past September. All the action takes place in the breathtaking English countryside, which has be- come a character in its own right, but it looks like Herriot will be falling in love with more than just the pleasant farmland and attractive water- falls in this series remake. It's pretty clear from the trailer that Helen has captured his at- tention, though her current boyfriend, Hugh Hulton (Mat- thew Lewis, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," 2011), might have something to say about that. In a bit of exciting news for PBS, this year marks the 50th anniversary of Masterpiece, the renowned series responsi- ble for the new show. As Mas- terpiece fans continue to tune in as they have done for half a century now, "All Creatures Great and Small" is sure to draw many new viewers to the program as well, each of them eager to dive into the lives of its newest show's unique char- acters. Others tuning in to Masterpiece for the reboot may have fond memories of the original British television Nicholas Ralph stars in "All Creatures Great and Small" Animal antics continued on page T10 TV FEATURE 5 x 5 Your subscription includes full access to the digital replica with all of its great extra features! INTERACTIVE PUZZLES! Available on the digital replica. Subscribe today and receive an iPad with your subscription*. *iPad must be returned within 30 days of termination of account. Call 479-684-5509 or go to nwaonline.com/nwaipad