All Creatures Great and Small season 4 welcomes a new vet to Skeldale House in episode 3 and he quickly causes a stir.
To ease the load in the busy practice, James (Nicholas Ralph) recruits student vet Richard Carmody (James Anthony-Rose) to join the team, but when the brusque newcomer arrives in the Yorkshire Dales, he is not exactly what James hoped for.
What to Watch caught up with James Anthony-Rose, whose credits include Angela Black and Slow Horses, to find out all about his All Creatures Great and Small character…
All Creatures Great and Small is such a well-loved show. What has it been like joining the series?
“Exciting! When I told people, they said, ‘I loved those books [by James Herriot, on which the show is based] growing up.’ They mean a lot to everyone, so it felt like a responsibility and I’m lucky to be part of this world.”
Have the cast made you welcome?
“Yes, everyone was so encouraging. They’re like a family and I was absorbed into that group with open arms, it was lovely. Nick’s a brilliant company leader, this is my biggest TV gig and when he started, this was his TV debut, so I learnt a lot by watching him, I felt in safe hands.”
Tell us about Richard Carmody…
“It’s a gift of a part. He’s bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, bookish and academic. He's sure of himself – at least on the surface. There doesn't seem to be much that people can teach him, or that’s what he'd have them believe. But he has to be put through his paces…”
How do James and no-nonsense head vet Siegfried (Samuel West) react to Carmody?
“James realises that this young kid on the block hasn’t got the people skills that he has. Carmody can be direct, blunt and not very reassuring. There’s conflict between them. But Carmody and Siegfried are two peas in a pod, although even Siegfried realises there's stuff he can teach Carmody in terms of warmth. But Carmody comes to see there's a family at Skeldale that he was not expecting to become part of. That’s new for him, and lovely to play.”
What animals does he treat?
“There’s a horse and he also looks over a tortoise, who was quick on his feet and keen to explore the examination table! Carmody’s first experience is with feisty and lively Cedric [a boxer dog who Mrs Pumphrey, played by Patricia Hodge, is fostering] though. Mrs Pumphrey thinks that Carmody is an upstart but they find a way of working with each other.”
Did you do any research?
“Yes, I had a day with our veterinary consultant, where we listened to the heartbeat of a cow and a horse. I relished the experience because I’ve not been around animals much.
"I thought it was important that Carmody didn't look too comfortable around animals though, because he’s theory-based. But I didn’t want the animals to feel unsafe, so I made sure that in between takes I was reassuring and I was aware of my body language so that I wasn’t coming across as a buffoon to them!”
All Creatures Great and Small continues on Thursdays at 9pm on Channel 5 in the UK and episodes are also available on My5. The season will air in the US on PBS Masterpiece from Sunday 7 January.
