Life for a newly-qualified vet is not at all easy. To begin with, you have to find a job – and that’s not a simple thing to do in the 1930s.

In 1937, a young, newly-qualified veterinarian surgeon, James Herriot arrives in the picturesque village of Darrowby to take up his first job in the established veterinary practice of Sigfried and Tristan Farnon. But in rural Yorkshire, with few medicines available, the treatment of sick animals still seems to be rooted in the Dark Ages.

This, together with the country-folk’s inherent suspicion of strangers, poses problems for James in the early years of his career.

This beloved BBC series based on the books written by veterinary surgeon Alf Wight under the pseudonym of James Herriot originally premiered in 1978 – 1980. It stars Christopher Timothy as Herriot, Robert Hardy as Siegfried Farnon the owner of Skeldale House, Peter Davison as Siegfriend’s younger brother Tristan, Carol Drinkwater as Helen Harriot and Mary Hignett as Mrs. Hall the housekeeper of Skeldale House.