All BLOOPERS great and small!

Eagle-eyed James Herriot viewers spot mistakes that shouldn’t happen to a vet

THE return of All Creatures Great And Small to TV screens has captivated millions with its nostalgic, bucolic delights.

But for more eagle-eyed viewers, the Channel 5 version of James Herriot’s veterinary adventures in the Yorkshire Dales contains a number of irritating inconsistencies and blunders.

Several have taken to social media to point out discrepancies, especially when compared to the BBC original, that really shouldn’t happen to a vet.

For instance, in last week’s episode, fresh-faced Herriot, as played by newcomer Nicholas Ralph, had to put down a racehorse. However, the breed used in filming was a hunter, leaving knowledgeable fans aghast.

In the first episode, Herriot left a gate open as he drove his domineering practice owner, Siegfried Farnon, into a farm – a glaring breach of the Countryside Code. ‘I was expecting Siegfried to go ballistic at any moment, but he didn’t seem to care,’ said one mystified fan in an online forum.

Several of the show’s five million viewers also noted that the car driven by Siegfried, played by Samuel West, is tiny compared to

‘Far too clean for a vet up to his oxters in a cow’

the sturdy Rover 75 used in the BBC original, which ran from 1978 to 1990. ‘How would he fit his dogs and kit in there?’ asked one.

Other viewers regret the new show’s lack of farmyard muck, saying everything looks far too clean, such as a pristine tractor parked in the middle of a muddy field, which prompted ridicule online.

Another fan wrote that one vet was ‘far too clean for someone who’s up to his oxters in a cow. In fact, everything looked a bit too clean.’

The character of Siegfried’s housekeeper, Edna Hall, was also questioned. Described as dour in Herriot’s books, she was originally played by Mary Hignett, who was 62 when the series started. But some viewers say that now she’s played by Anna Madeley, 44, she is both too young, and ‘comes across like a bully’.

The surgery building in the new series prompted criticism as it is built of stone, not the traditional brick of North Yorkshire. The gaffe came as the remake was filmed further south in the Dales.

One keen viewer even noted that the surgery’s phone number had changed from Darrowby 85 in the BBC series to Darrowby 2297 now.

Channel 5 invited comparisons with the BBC version by using the original theme tune to end the first episode, but fans were disappointed it was not a permanent fixture.