There is something fundamentally soothing about the sound of a rattling 1934 Austin Seven chugging through the Yorkshire Dales. For fans of James Herriot, that sound is home. Whether you grew up watching the classic BBC run that started in 1978 or you’ve recently fallen for the lush Channel 5 and PBS Masterpiece reboot, owning the all creatures great and small tv series dvd feels less like buying a piece of plastic and more like securing a portal to a gentler world.
It’s weird. We live in an era where everything is supposedly "available" at the click of a button on a dozen different streaming apps. Yet, digital licenses expire. Shows vanish into the "content vault" because of tax write-offs or rights disputes between production companies. If you love Siegfried Farnon’s chaotic energy or Tristan’s endless schemes to avoid work, relying on a monthly subscription is a gamble.
The physical discs represent a permanent invitation to Skeldale House.
The Great Choice: 1978 vs. 2020
If you are looking for the all creatures great and small tv series dvd, you’re actually facing a bit of a fork in the road. You’ve basically got two very different versions of Yorkshire to choose from, and honestly, most hardcore fans end up owning both for very different reasons.
The original BBC series, starring Christopher Timothy as James and the incomparable Robert Hardy as Siegfried, is the "comfort food" version. It ran for 90 episodes over seven seasons. It feels lived-in. The film stock is grainy, the lighting is sometimes a bit dim, and the mud looks real because it probably was. Robert Hardy’s performance is the gold standard here; he plays Siegfried with a volatile, eccentric brilliance that arguably stays closer to the real-life Donald Sinclair than any other portrayal.
Then you have the modern reboot. Starring Nicholas Ralph and Samuel West, this version is visually stunning. It’s "prestige TV" at its finest. When you pop the modern all creatures great and small tv series dvd into your player, you’re getting 4K-sourced transfers that make the green hills of the Dales look almost impossibly vibrant. It’s a bit more emotional, a bit more focused on the character arcs of Mrs. Hall and Helen Alderson, who were occasionally sidelined in the 70s version.
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What actually comes in the box?
Most people don't realize that the DVD sets are often the only place to find the "Making Of" featurettes that actually explain how they get the animals to cooperate. Ever wondered how they film a cow giving birth without actually stressing out a cow? The behind-the-scenes content on the Season 1 and 2 discs of the new series goes into the technical wizardry used—including some very high-tech prosthetic animals—that you just don't see in the standard streaming version.
On the vintage side, the "Complete Collection" sets for the 1978 series are massive. We are talking 20-plus discs. They usually include the Christmas specials, which are essentially the crown jewels of the franchise. If you buy the individual seasons, you often miss out on those holiday episodes that bridge the gaps between years.
Why Physical Media Beats Streaming for James Herriot Fans
Honestly, streaming bitrates suck. Even if you have "high-speed" internet, platforms like BritBox or PBS Passport compress the video signal. This leads to "banding" in the beautiful Yorkshire skies and a loss of detail in the texture of those iconic tweed jackets.
A DVD—or better yet, the Blu-ray versions—offers a stable, high-bitrate image.
Then there’s the issue of the "missing" scenes. It is a poorly kept secret in the home video world that streaming versions are sometimes edited for time or because of music licensing issues. When you own the all creatures great and small tv series dvd, you are seeing the episodes as the directors intended. No weird cuts. No replaced music because a 50-year-old song license expired.
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The Collector’s Perspective on Skeldale House
There is a tactile joy in the box art. The newer sets often come with booklets or insert cards featuring photography of the Darrowby landscape. For a show that is so much about "place," having that physical object on your shelf matters. It’s a signal to yourself and others that this is a show worth keeping, not just something to "binge" and forget.
Think about the longevity of the 1978 series. It was filmed during a time when the BBC was transitioning from film to video. The DVD restorations have done a miracle job of cleaning up the "video" look of the interior studio scenes. You can actually see the dust motes dancing in Siegfried's chaotic office now.
Technical Specs and Regional Issues
You have to be careful when shopping. This is the part that trips people up.
Because the show is a British-American co-production, there are "Region 2" (UK) discs and "Region 1" (US/Canada) discs. If you buy the wrong one, your player will spit it right back at you.
- Region 1/NTSC: This is what you need for North American players. Usually released under the PBS Masterpiece brand.
- Region 2/PAL: This is for the UK and Europe. Often released by Acorn or the BBC.
If you are a true enthusiast, it might even be worth getting a region-free player. Why? Because sometimes the UK "Complete" sets come out months or even years before the US versions, and they often include different bonus interviews with the cast like Anna Madeley or Callum Woodhouse.
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The Herriot Legacy on Your Shelf
The stories of James Herriot (the pen name of Alf Wight) have survived for over half a century because they are fundamentally about decency. In a world that feels increasingly loud and fractured, Darrowby is a place where the biggest problem is a pampered Pekingese named Tricki Woo having "flop-bott" or a farmer being too stubborn to admit his sheep are sick.
Buying the all creatures great and small tv series dvd is an investment in your own mental health. It’s the "emergency glass" you break when the world gets too much. You pop in a disc, hear that jaunty theme tune, and suddenly you’re in a place where people care about each other and the animals they tend to.
Essential Buying Tips
- Check for "The Specials": Always ensure the set includes the Christmas episodes. In the 1978 series, these were often sold separately but are now usually bundled. In the 2020 series, the Christmas special is often the finale of the season set.
- Look for the "Ultimate" or "Complete" Labels: Don't get nickel-and-dimed by buying individual volumes. The cost-per-episode drops significantly when you buy the full series collections.
- Verify the Version: Make sure you aren't accidentally buying the 1975 movie (starring Simon Ward and Anthony Hopkins) unless you specifically want that. It's a great film, but it's not the series.
- Second-Hand Gems: Don't sleep on eBay or local thrift stores. Because many older fans are digitizing their collections, you can often find the original 1978 series DVDs for a fraction of their original retail price.
The enduring popularity of these shows proves that we haven't outgrown the need for simple, well-told stories. Whether it’s the dry wit of the 70s or the cinematic warmth of the 2020s, having these episodes on DVD ensures that the gates of Skeldale House never truly close.
To get the most out of your collection, start by verifying your DVD player's region compatibility before purchasing the UK-exclusive box sets, as these often contain the most robust archival interviews. For the best visual experience, prioritize the Blu-ray releases for the 2020 series to appreciate the high-definition cinematography of the Yorkshire Dales. If you are collecting the 1978 original, look for the "Complete Collection" released after 2010 to ensure you have the digitally remastered versions rather than the early, lower-quality transfers.