Ben Vanstone: ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL (Ep. 27)

Episode 27 features a conversation with BEN VANSTONE, showrunner and writer for ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, about the making of the series currently in its 3rd season on the PBS drama series MASTERPIECE. ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL is the recent adaptation of the books written by veterinarian James Alfred Wight (who wrote under the pen name James Herriot) about a trio of veterinarian surgeons in the Yorkshire Dales in the late 1930s. The series features Nicholas Ralph as James Herriot, Samuel West as Siegfried Farnon, Anna Madeley as Mrs. Hall, Callum Woodhouse as Tristan Farnon, and Rachel Shenton as Helen Alderson. Ep. 27 Transcript TIME STAMPS 0:08 Generic Open 0:46 Introduction to Episode 1:09 Ben Vanstone Introduction 2:07 Synopsis: “All Creatures Great and Small” series 6:24 Finding Diverse and Inclusive Community in Yorkshire Dales 7:11 The Chapman Family: Anne, Bert and Tom Chapman 9:55 The Pandhi Family: Florence, George and Joyce Pandhi 12:14 On Location 15:56 Agrarian Setting as Character and Story 17:55 Reflections on World War 2 21:04 Deaf Volunteers in Auxiliary Women's Service 23:33 Podcast generic break 24:23 Writing for Animals 27:21 Recasting Mrs. Pumphrey after the passing of Diana Rigg 28:51 Stories of love and its complications in the series 32:17 Country life, yesterday and today, ideal and reality 35:35 Lightning Round: Time Travel to the Dinosaur Age; Time Capsule 39:06 Where to Watch All Creatures Great and Small 40:09 Generic Close STAY ENGAGED with HISTORICAL DRAMA WITH THE BOSTON SISTERS LISTEN to past podcasts SIGN UP for our mailing list SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform You can SUPPORT this podcast on Anchor or SHOP THE PODCAST on our affiliate bookstore