The highly anticipated third season of All Creatures Great and Small arrives this week, and while most fans may be focused on James and Helen’s imminent nuptials, it seems there may be more changes ahead when it comes to the group dynamics.
Nicholas Ralph, who plays James Herriot in the series, recently spoke with RadioTimes.com and other press where he revealed that James’s relationship with Siegfried (Samuel West) is also set to change somewhat, due to his new position as a partner in the veterinary practice.
Ralph said: “James is getting a little more responsibility, which is great, especially because he’s going to be newly married man. Helen will be joining him at Skeldale House, so obviously he wants to be provider as well as protector. So he’s trying to come up with different ways of making a bit more money for him, and ultimately, his new wife.
“He’s also trying to steer Siegfried, slowly but surely, down newer, more modern roots of keeping the practice up to speed with the modern day. But even though James has a little more responsibility, I don’t know if Siegfried is ready or willing to renege, to give up the responsibility to James that he has given him in another sense.”
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Ralph continued: “So what James does is he tries to enquire about things, not commit to things, but just enquire about them, about TB testing and things like that. But then him even enquiring has mail arriving to the house and that kind of puts Siegfried’s nose out of joint.”
However, Ralph stressed that we aren’t about to see a major falling out between the pair and reaffirmed that they have a close bond with one another.
He said: “Ultimately they still have a love for one another. They are like this surrogate family, so there is that kind of father-son dynamic between them. And when you have the father-son dynamic, and then also the partners in the practice dynamic, they can kind of come to loggerheads, but there’s still a love and respect there.”
All Creatures Great and Small returns for season 3 at 9pm on Thursday 15th September on Channel 5 and My5. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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