It's not Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul but it'll do.
In the 1970s when James Herriot's books about a vet practice in the Yorkshire Dales were published in the U.S. and became bestsellers I avoided them. It didn't sound like anything I'd be interested in. I was finally persuaded to try one of the books. Within a few pages I was hooked and read them all.
When the BBC series was shown in the States during the 1980s I watched many of the shows. But when I read that Masterpiece Theater would be showing the brand new BBC remake I had my doubts. "Leave well enough alone" was my reaction because it was difficult to see how it could live up to the original.
I was mistaken, a verdict shared by Mrs THC. The new show is wonderful. An oasis of calm and good cheer amid the chaos of today's world. And the casting is at least as good as the original. In particular I couldn't see how anyone could match Robert Hardy's portrayal of Siegfried Farnon but Samuel West manages to accomplish that and Anna Madaley as the housekeeper Mrs Hall is also outstanding.
The only thing that would make it better are subtitles to help with those impenetrable accents.
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