Old Dogs Learn New Tricks in 'All Creatures Great & Small'

All Creatures Great & Small opens this week with James Herriot leaving Heston Grange for another busy day, with a birthday card his son, Wee Jimmy, made. As James drives along, he sees Siegfried Farnon in a bedraggled state walking toward Darrowby, and missing one shoe. Siegfried left his car at a friend’s house after an all-night bridge game, and the more he explains, the more “bridge game” seems to be a euphemism for a fully-fledged orgy.

By contrast, when they arrive at Skeldale House, Siegfried’s brother Tristan is tucking into a hearty breakfast and extolling the virtues of army training, having just completed a five-mile run. The veterinarians’ attention is turned to the schedule, and to making a priority a visit to Sister Rose, who should have been on yesterday’s roster.

Sister Rose (Elexi Walker) isn’t a nun; she’s a senior nurse in the local hospital, a force of nature whose other calling is to rescue, heal, and find homes for stray dogs. James patiently listens to her complaints, starting with his not showing up the day before, and forgetting to bring flea powder. Her newest acquisition is an abandoned dog she’s named Jeffrey (she likes to give dogs “real” names). Is it gastritis, or did he eat something he shouldn’t have? He should have an X-ray, she declares, and Skeldale House should have a machine.

James, who worked briefly for a state-of-the-art practice in Scotland, secretly agrees, but claims Siegfried is well aware of the importance of an X-ray machine, and they’re working things out. The sad truth is that, as James suspected, the practice fell apart financially when Siegfried “lost his marbles,” and they’re having to juggle bills. The next stop is popping by for Tricki Woo’s birthday. After handing over a rasher of bacon as a gift, Mrs. Pumphrey worries Tricki is ignoring her. After Tricki-Woo ignores James, too, he suggests the dog has an ear infection and possibly some deafness, and arranges an appointment.

All in all, there’s a lot of complaining in this episode. Even Richard Alderson, brooding at the table, complains that James has brought mud and muck inside and orders him to sweep it up.

Back at Skeldale House, Tristan is taking an inventory of the pharmacy and discovering some antique remedies that are probably illegal now. Housekeeper Audrey Hall asks him if he’s bored. Her son Edward, who returned home injured after his ship was sunk, needed the distraction of simple repetitive tasks to ease his anxiety. Tristan, who we know is not in great emotional shape, assures her he’s fine; he’s just making himself useful. The front doorbell rings, and when Audrey answers, a strange woman throws Siegfried’s missing shoe into the house and leaves. (Strip Bridge, anyone?)

Audrey decides now would be a good time to go shopping and misses the excitement when a cart with a huge crate aboard pulls up to Skeldale House. Sister Rose, fiercely efficient, has found an X-ray machine at a reasonable price. Curious bystanders gather as Siegfried complains that it’s too expensive for a primarily agricultural practice, and is upset that the front door is blocked as customers arrive for surgery. Mrs. Pumphrey and Tricki enter the house through the back door without complaint, and the Pekinese receives treatment for an ear infection.

Audrey calls in at the greengrocers, run by Mr. Jubb (Stefan Escreet) and his sister Beryl Jubb (Rayyah McCaul), only to be treated shoddily, which leads to the discovery that Siegfried has run up bills. Helen isn’t too worried, predicting that rationing won’t end anytime soon. (She’s absolutely right. Rationing ended in 1954 with meat being the last restricted item.)

Jenny Alderson arrives to pick up some ointment for their cows, which James forgot, and Sister Rose joins them, in search of flea powder, and to report that Jeffrey is recovering. She orders James and Tristan to take the machine out of the crate – it has wheels! – and the new acquisition is set up in the surgery, as Siegfried continues to argue about the X-ray machine, first that it takes up too much room, and then, when it’s turned on, the fuse blows.

Siegfried, in a fit of self-righteousness, claims: “I have my ways. I do them because they work.” But James warns him that they really don’t want to get on the wrong side of their community, and tells him about Audrey’s cool reception at the greengrocers. Siegfried confesses there’s another reason for the Jubbs’ hostility: during their break, Beryl began working at Skeldale as his housekeeper. She lasted almost four days.

Siefried never apologized for his behavior, and, upon realizing how serious the problem is, he swallows his pride and visits the greengrocer to apologize. They tell him his account is overdue. Still, the next time Audrey visits the shop, it’s a far friendlier experience, and the Jubbs pick out a fresh lettuce for her.

Richard continues to be grumpy about James living in his house as he stops by to pick up oil lamps to light the practice when the X-Ray is plugged in, even though his real issue is that Jenny has applied to nursing college in London. In an attempt to make things nicer, Wee Jimmy, who loves to be busy, is thrilled to wield the broom. But by the time James gets back, he’s surprised to see that the lights are on again, Tristan having installed a dedicated circuit.

Jeffrey the dog is becoming weaker, but Sister Rose is confident the X-ray machine will provide exact information about what is wrong. It will not surprise many early adopters of modern technology that the film it produces is mostly illegible, and they decide to operate because Siegfried listens to his gut and experience. Surgery is successful (turns out there was a pebble lodged in his system. Afterwards, Sister Rose confesses she’s not used to feeling helpless. She, like Siegfried, is used to being in charge.

Sister Rose offers to take Skeldale’s X-ray films to the hospital for development from now on in exchange for free treatment for her dogs. Happily, she has decided that Jeffrey’s forever home will be with her. Meanwhile, given Tricki’s age, Mrs. Pumphrey has an ambitious plan to breed him and asks Siegfried to find a suitable female. But best of all, Tristan has decided to practice as a veterinarian again at Skeldale with his brother and James.

All Creatures Great & Small Season 6 will continue with new episodes every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on local PBS stations, the PBS app, and the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel. All episodes of Season 6 are available to stream on PBS Passport for members.