All Creatures Great and Small welcomed bumbling vet Richard Carmody to the Skeldale House practice in the All Creatures Great and Small season 4 and since then, the eager but awkward young trainee has definitely made himself at home.
Now, in the penultimate episode of All Creatures Great and Small season 5, Carmody, played by James Anthony-Rose, faces a quandary over his future, when he receives the results of his final veterinary exams.
Here, in an exclusive interview with What To Watch, James Anthony-Rose tells us what’s in store for Carmody in All Creatures Great and Small…
All Creatures Great and Small season five has reached its penultimate episode. How does Carmody feel when he gets his exam results?
“It stops him in his tracks, and stumps him, because he’s become so immersed in enjoying his new life at Skeldale, he’s been putting the academic side of things to one side. He’s found his chosen family at Skeldale, because he’s never had that warm, loving family life before and it has awakened his emotional intelligence.”
And he’s got extra worries too, as he’s smitten with land girl Doris (Caroline Menton), who brings a sick ferret to the surgery!
“Doris has an overwhelming effect on him, but he can’t comprehend why, so he’s flustered! It’s fun exploring that side of him, and seeing how he deals with it and other characters’ reactions.”
What can you reveal about the encounter that head vet Siegfried (Samuel West) and Carmody also have with some pygmy goats?
“Yes, Carmody has introduced this system of asking clients to send in their animals’ faeces via the post, so he and Siegfried can test for conditions before symptoms develop. From the goat droppings, they eventually stumble upon a mystery with the pygmy goats… the goats were a delight to work with. They were unruly sometimes, didn’t always go where we wanted, and would bleat over our lines during takes, but mostly, they were calm and professional!”
When Siegfried hits it off with the goats’ spirited owner Miss Grantley, played by Professor T’s Juliet Aubrey, Carmody tries to play Cupid, doesn’t he?
“Having confided in Siegfried about his own matters of the heart, Carmody now sees Siegfried in a different light and wants to examine him more under that light. But being Carmody, he doesn’t act with tact, to Siegfried’s irritation! Juliet’s a force of nature and fun. She captured Miss Grantley’s enthusiastic eccentricity perfectly.”
And how have you found working with Tweet, the sweet dog who portrays Carmody’s pooch Hamish?
“I enjoyed that so much and Tweet’s handler let us hang out between takes, so we formed a bond. There’s unbounded love you get from dogs, particularly when you have a pocket full of treats!”
What do you love about being part of the show?
“Yorkshire’s a beautiful place to go to work. But I also love working with everyone on and off camera, because you feel part of a team. It’s a privilege and I have learnt so much. I’ve also enjoyed seeing Carmody realise he has more to offer than just being an accomplished vet – there’s more to life. Fans seem to have embraced him too, which is lovely!”
Finally, what’s next for you?
“I’ve just performed my one-person show at Lambeth Fringe that I’ve been working on for the last year. So I’m hoping to develop that and explore more opportunities for writing and theatre performance alongside my TV work.”
All Creatures Great and Small continues on Thursdays at 9pm on Channel 5 in the UK and will air in the US on PBS Masterpiece in the new year.
