Merry Gentlemen

This episode of All Creatures Great and Small has become a must-watch for my family during the holiday season because it gives us a chance to re-experience the taste of a Yorkshire Christmas, spiced with clever dialogue, excellent acting, and neatly interwoven subplots. The stories include those of a gypsy family, a beloved donkey, a near-tragedy for Mrs. Pumphrey and Triki Woo, and a mysterious skeleton in a locked room. The episode also involves a close call with tetanus for Tristan (and the donkey), a test of Siegfried's miraculous cake-judging ability, a sample of his success at gruffly dispensing wisdom to family members and clients, and finally his efforts to arrange for all a "real, old-fashioned, Yorkshire Christmas." In this neatly composed episode look for a surprise nativity tableau in a humble stable and stick around through the credits for a glimpse of Triki's visit from "Santa." All in all, it's a particularly well directed segment(thanks,Christopher Barry)of a superior TV series.