GREAT AND SMALL CHIEF HOPES VET SHOW WILL...
crew had to buy a fake cow ars to use. In fact, many of h animals didn’t actually creatures.
: “You’re not allowed to to an animal it doesn’t ally or you’re not
an Percival % of those h the animals ’t there. erly chocs and aking.” animals d, it was getting up m. And he even the courage to do own stunts. He explains: cenes with a horse, which t, and I was watching my do it and thought I could try. n and in the episode it’s ere, so I was chuffed with that. The animals were so well trained and you felt so confident around them.” The cast met Wight’s daughter Rosie and son Jim while the show’s resident vet Andy Barrett actually worked with Donald Sinclair, the inspiration for the Siegfried character. All of which gave the actors a real connection with the real-life characters. Nicholas says: “Rosie and Jim were really excited about the new series and impressed on me Alf’s passion for the job, his compassion for the animals and how you’re not just treating the animal, you’re treating the owner.” Samuel adds: “Andy handed me a hoof knife, which clears an abscess out of a horse’s hoof, and in faded biro on the handle, it said ‘D Sinclair.’ It’s Siegfried’s hoof knife and when you’re thinking you have to play this part and it’s big shoes to fill, something that says ‘while you are holding this, you are him’ really helped.”
Plans are already afoot for a second series, even before the first episode has aired. Producer Colin says: “We have been able to use this lockdown period to commission the writing team to work on season two, with the hope of getting back into production in the New Year.
“Channel 5 have said they want a second season and we hope it will become a regular part of the schedule.”
Samuel adds: “It’s odd how little you get the chance to play a character for a while and the possibility of doing it more than once would be wonderful.
“I’m pleased we’re in a good British series that isn’t about really rich people.
“I loved being in The Crown, but it’s not the zeitgeist now.
“We are living smaller, more carefully.”
So after playing a vet, does Nicholas reckon he’d be up to the job in real life?
He laughs: “I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life so I thought I’d be an actor and do lots of different jobs.
“But I’ll leave the proper stuff to the professionals.”
● All Creatures Great And Small starts tonight at 9pm on Channel 5. we’re living veterinary