I am a big fan of the books. Christopher Timothy never really convinced me as Herriot and Robert Hardy tended to overact. This new version is a big improvement.
I've watched the first two episodes and the music is non-descript. The intro/theme music is friendly enough, but doesn't stand out. I found the Wight story points in Ep 2 they tried to hit to be strained and forced. The farmers Harriot meets don't deliver like they did in the earlier series. The new James and Seigfried are good, not sure about Tristan, though. Mrs Pumphrey didn't work at all for me.
So far we have watched the first two episodes. I have not warmed up to it-the performances are fine and the scenery is beautiful, but it has not grabbed me yet. Going to give it a chance
I saw Sam West playing Hamlet in Stratford-on-Avon about 20 years ago. He was very good. I have enjoyed the episodes I have seen so far of the reboot.
I think it’s good but for me anything remade is never the same I just never enjoy it the same I don’t think you can copy anything that’s really good the actors make the show and bringing in someone else changes that dynamic for me although I like it just not the same.
I used to have a UK first edition of the first book, "If Only They Could Talk." I remember the dust jacket mention Siefried Vernon (not Farnon) which shows how much attention was paid, no one knew how successful they would be. Sold it a couple of years ago for about £150! I remember the books (and Agatha Christie's) were the first novels I read as kid! I was kind of hoping the series would be more closely based on the original stories, but still enjoyed it nonetheless.
I know I read the books when I was much younger but only barely remember them. I just watched the first two episodes and I'm really enjoying it. Will definitely keep watching.
I intensely dislike Callum Woodhouse's character--he's way too smug and arrogant--hope he gets knocked off his high horse. (Perhaps a development near the end of episode 2 will do it.) I didn't much care for that actor on The Durrells in Corfu, either, so maybe it's just him!
As I watched the third episode last night, the dramatic story of the Andante the race horse, I tried to pay attention to the music. I thought it appropriately enhanced the narrative without being grandiose or intrusive. According to IMDB, the composer is Alexandra Harwood. Alexandra Harwood - IMDb In comparison to the series from the 80s, I noticed watching some of the last episodes that the music by Johnny Pearson was more cartoonish in a classic Warner Bros way. Siegfried climbing through a blocked farm gate scored like Elmer Fudd sneaking up on Bugs Bunny. Pizzicato strings for walking gingerly, a xylophone glissando "whoops" for slipping, etc. I prefer his original series opening theme, it was already written and recorded before the show. He had quite a career, played piano on the hit remake of Vince Guaraldi's Cast Your Fate To The Wind, composed the original Monday Night Football theme. Johnny Pearson - Wikipedia
I am a huge fan of the books and the "original" series as well. My wife and I have watched the three episodes that have aired so far on PBS. Really enjoying it so far. Someone above mentioned how "soothing" it is and it definitely is that. Sunday night we were about three-quarters of the way through before my wife noticed Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter in it. I totally had not placed the actor.
I like seeing characters, and wondering what other role(s) I knew them from. In the episode about Andante there is a return visit to the annoying old lady whose cow this week has lead poisoning. Wonder why she is familiar?
She has 91 credits on IMDB. Did you watch New Tricks? She had a ten-year run with her real-life husband on that one. Susan Jameson’s new writing career Interestingly, she was in the 2009 mini-series The Queen, where five different actresses played QE2 at different ages. She was the 80s version of Her Majesty butting heads with Maggie Thatcher (Lesley Manville). Peter Davison, the original Tristan, played Dennis Thatcher. "The Queen" The Rivals (TV Episode 2009) - IMDb
Apparently they had transistors in the 1930s, Siegfried turned on a radio and it came on immediately.
How do they do animal scenes these days. The horse that Tristan put down really seemed to be in distress. And I assuming the actors playing vets don't really have their arms shoulder deep inside the beasts?
My wife and I commented on the same thing after last night's episode. Lots of pieces of the puzzle being placed around for future plot development.