Latest / Cozy Comfort Club Podcast / Countdown to Christmas | All Creatures Great and Small S2E7 — “The Perfect Christmas”

Transcript

Countdown to Christmas | All Creatures Great and Small S2E7 — “The Perfect Christmas” · Cozy Comfort Club Podcast

0:03
SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to Cozy Comfort Club.
0:06
SPEAKER_00: I'm Leah,
0:06
SPEAKER_00: a stay-at-home mom of three,
0:08
SPEAKER_00: a lover of cozy TV,
0:10
SPEAKER_00: period dramas,
0:11
SPEAKER_00: books, and basically any story that makes me want to grab a blanket and settle in.
0:16
SPEAKER_00: And welcome to Countdown to Christmas,
0:18
SPEAKER_00: my monthly bonus series where on the 25th of every month,
0:21
SPEAKER_00: we're counting down a Christmas day together with a cozy Christmas movie or
0:25
SPEAKER_00: a TV special.
0:27
SPEAKER_00: And y'all,
0:28
SPEAKER_00: I could not have picked a better one for this month because we're heading right back
0:32
SPEAKER_00: to the Yorkshire Dales for All Creatures Great and Small,
0:35
SPEAKER_00: Season 2, Episode 7, The Perfect Christmas.
0:43
SPEAKER_00: If you've listened to today's main episode, we just talked about episodes four through six.
0:48
SPEAKER_00: So we're picking up exactly where we left off and officially closing out season two.
0:53
SPEAKER_00: This one's going to be a little shorter and lighter than our regular episodes.
0:57
SPEAKER_00: We're going to talk about what happened,
0:58
SPEAKER_00: the moments I loved,
0:59
SPEAKER_00: and most importantly,
1:01
SPEAKER_00: for Countdown to Christmas, just how cozy and Christmassy was it?
1:05
SPEAKER_00: So grab a cup of tea,
1:07
SPEAKER_00: hot chocolate, coffee,
1:09
SPEAKER_00: or whatever you're drinking, get comfortable, and let's spend Christmas in Darby.
1:15
SPEAKER_00: Let's go over our Christmas card for this month's pick.
1:18
SPEAKER_00: We're talking about All Creatures, Great and Small, Season 2, Episode 7, The Perfect Christmas.
1:24
SPEAKER_00: The episode runs for approximately 50 minutes,
1:27
SPEAKER_00: takes place at Christmas in 1938,
1:30
SPEAKER_00: and is available to stream through PBS Masterpiece.
1:34
SPEAKER_00: The episode originally aired in the UK on Christmas Eve 2021.
1:38
SPEAKER_00: Of course, our regular Scaledale crew is here.
1:41
SPEAKER_00: We have Nicholas Roth as James Harriet,
1:44
SPEAKER_00: Samuel West as Siegfried Farnan,
1:46
SPEAKER_00: Anna Mailey as Mrs. Hall,
1:48
SPEAKER_00: Callum Woodhouse as Tristan Farnan,
1:51
SPEAKER_00: Rachel Shenton as Helen Alderson, and Imogen Clausen as Jenny Alderson.
1:56
SPEAKER_00: We also have several familiar faces returning for Christmas,
2:00
SPEAKER_00: including Patricia Hodge as Mrs.
2:02
SPEAKER_00: Pumphrey,
2:02
SPEAKER_00: Will Thorpe as Mr.
2:03
SPEAKER_00: Hammond,
2:04
SPEAKER_00: Dorothy Atkinson as Diana Brompton,
2:07
SPEAKER_00: Tony Pitts as Mr. Alderson, and Molly Winard as Maggie.
2:12
SPEAKER_00: And here's a little behind the scenes detail that makes me appreciate
2:15
SPEAKER_00: the Christmas atmosphere even more.
2:17
SPEAKER_00: This Christmas episode was actually filmed during the summer.
2:20
SPEAKER_00: So series writer Ben Vanstone has talked about how filming Christmas material
2:25
SPEAKER_00: during summertime presents its own challenges.
2:27
SPEAKER_00: Because you have to create this contained little Christmas world
2:30
SPEAKER_00: while everything outside of the set is telling you
2:32
SPEAKER_00: that it is definitely not December.
2:35
SPEAKER_00: And I love knowing things like that because when I'm watching,
2:38
SPEAKER_00: I completely buy into Christmas in the Yorkshire Dales.
2:41
SPEAKER_00: I'm not sitting there thinking about some summer weather.
2:43
SPEAKER_00: I want to put on a sweater and move into the Skeldale house.
2:46
SPEAKER_00: I don't even care that it's August.
2:48
SPEAKER_00: So now that we have our Christmas card,
2:50
SPEAKER_00: let's get into what actually happens during the perfect Christmas.
2:54
SPEAKER_00: So we begin the perfect Christmas with James doing what James apparently always does.
2:59
SPEAKER_00: While everyone else at Skeldell House is sleeping peacefully,
3:02
SPEAKER_00: he's getting caught out in the middle of the night.
3:04
SPEAKER_00: And local farmer Dave Kitson needs someone to come look at his cow, so off James goes with him.
3:13
SPEAKER_00: And while James is at the farm, he notices that one of Kitson's sheep is dying.
3:20
SPEAKER_00: So James obviously wants to help,
3:23
SPEAKER_00: but Kitson doesn't want him interfering with the sheep and believes
3:26
SPEAKER_00: that experience is more important than all of James's book learning.
3:31
SPEAKER_00: Now, James can't quite leave it alone, though.
3:34
SPEAKER_00: And, you know, once James has his mind fixated on something, he just can't let it go.
3:39
SPEAKER_00: And secretly, he gives the U an injection to try to help her.
3:43
SPEAKER_00: And that decision ends up becoming much more important later.
3:47
SPEAKER_00: Meanwhile, Christmas preparations are underway at Skeldale House.
3:50
SPEAKER_00: But we have a bit of a crisis because guess who's sick?
3:54
SPEAKER_00: Tricky Wu, our favorite dog in All Creatures Great and Small, right?
3:58
SPEAKER_00: Tricky Wu is sick and he's refusing to eat.
4:00
SPEAKER_00: He has the trots and Siegfried diagnoses him with gastroenteritis.
4:05
SPEAKER_00: So Tricky comes to stay at Skeldal House while Siegfried and James try
4:09
SPEAKER_00: to figure out how to get him better.
4:11
SPEAKER_00: Eventually, James realizes that maybe Tricky needs something medicine alone can't provide.
4:17
SPEAKER_00: He may need his mama, a.k.a.
4:20
SPEAKER_00: Mrs. Pumphrey.
4:22
SPEAKER_00: So Mrs. Pumphrey comes to Scaldell House too.
4:25
SPEAKER_00: Tristan is also finally back from college after sitting for his parasitology exam
4:29
SPEAKER_00: and his results have finally arrived.
4:32
SPEAKER_00: But because this is Christmas, we're going to have to wait for the answer.
4:36
SPEAKER_00: And we also get some romantic developments in this episode.
4:40
SPEAKER_00: Maggie tells Tristan that she's getting married,
4:43
SPEAKER_00: although these two managed to share one last intimate moment
4:47
SPEAKER_00: before Maggie is officially off the market.
4:50
SPEAKER_00: I didn't understand that, but okay.
4:53
SPEAKER_00: And let's talk about Mrs. Hall.
4:56
SPEAKER_00: Mrs. Hall looks gorgeous for Christmas.
4:59
SPEAKER_00: And Mr. Hammond comes around for Christmas Eve dinner.
5:01
SPEAKER_00: And after all those dog walks and their growing friendship,
5:04
SPEAKER_00: we get a little bit of a sweet moment where Mrs.
5:07
SPEAKER_00: Hall finally works up the courage to give him a little kiss on the cheek.
5:11
SPEAKER_00: Now, mind you, she did kind of shade him under the mistletoe.
5:15
SPEAKER_00: She wouldn't kiss him.
5:16
SPEAKER_00: It was uncomfortable for her.
5:17
SPEAKER_00: So she did at least pack his cheek.
5:21
SPEAKER_00: And then James and Helen have a very relatable, newly engaged couple problem.
5:28
SPEAKER_00: Whose family gets them for Christmas?
5:30
SPEAKER_00: Now, they don't want to disappoint Mr.
5:32
SPEAKER_00: Alderson and Jenny,
5:34
SPEAKER_00: but they also don't want to disappoint Mrs.
5:36
SPEAKER_00: Hall and everybody else at Scaldell House.
5:39
SPEAKER_00: And I really liked where that conversation led because James and Helen realized
5:44
SPEAKER_00: that their future doesn't have to mean that Helen has to choose
5:48
SPEAKER_00: between these two parts of her life.
5:50
SPEAKER_00: She has a place at the Alderson farm.
5:52
SPEAKER_00: She also has a place at Scaldell House and they're going to make it work.
5:56
SPEAKER_00: And James also receives a card from his parents asking him
6:00
SPEAKER_00: to call them around five o'clock on Christmas Day.
6:03
SPEAKER_00: When he does,
6:04
SPEAKER_00: his parents seem to be in good spirits,
6:06
SPEAKER_00: you know, but he hadn't talked to his parents in a while.
6:08
SPEAKER_00: He hadn't talked to his mama in a good while.
6:11
SPEAKER_00: And I thought this was such an important little moment after everything
6:15
SPEAKER_00: that James wrestled with this season.
6:18
SPEAKER_00: So James thanks them for taking care of him,
6:20
SPEAKER_00: supporting him,
6:20
SPEAKER_00: paying for his education and everything that They did to help him become the man
6:26
SPEAKER_00: that he is.
6:27
SPEAKER_00: And of course, James starts crying.
6:30
SPEAKER_00: And I think that conversation gives us some closure to the Scotland storyline
6:35
SPEAKER_00: because choosing Darby doesn't mean that James is rejecting his parents or anything
6:39
SPEAKER_00: or forgetting everything that they sacrificed for him.
6:43
SPEAKER_00: He can choose the life that he wants.
6:44
SPEAKER_00: And we've said this.
6:45
SPEAKER_00: And at the same time, he can still love and honor the family that helped him get there.
6:52
SPEAKER_00: Then Helen brings James some pretty incredible news.
6:55
SPEAKER_00: The you that James treated at Kitson's farm actually survived.
6:58
SPEAKER_00: And that gives James and Siegfried an idea for Tricky.
7:01
SPEAKER_00: So they try a similar approach.
7:04
SPEAKER_00: They give him that same injection and then they add a shot of adrenaline
7:08
SPEAKER_00: to really get him going.
7:09
SPEAKER_00: And on Christmas Day, our beloved Tricky Woo is back.
7:14
SPEAKER_00: And because Mrs.
7:15
SPEAKER_00: Pumphrey was originally going to spend Christmas alone,
7:18
SPEAKER_00: everyone decides that they're going to have Christmas lunch together
7:21
SPEAKER_00: at Pumphrey Manor.
7:23
SPEAKER_00: And then we finally get Tristan's exam results.
7:26
SPEAKER_00: He passed.
7:27
SPEAKER_00: After everything Tristan was doing,
7:28
SPEAKER_00: So for a moment everything really does feel like the perfect Christmas.
7:31
SPEAKER_00: Tricky is better.
7:44
SPEAKER_00: Tristan passed.
7:45
SPEAKER_00: James and Helen are building their future.
7:47
SPEAKER_00: James had made peace with his decision to remain in Derby while reconnecting with his parents.
7:53
SPEAKER_00: And Mrs. Hall is opening up her heart and nobody has to spend Christmas all alone.
7:58
SPEAKER_00: But then the episode gives us one final image that completely changes the feeling.
8:04
SPEAKER_00: Mrs. Hall looks outside and sees a bomber flying overhead.
8:09
SPEAKER_00: And knowing what we already talked about in the main episode,
8:12
SPEAKER_00: Mrs. Hall has lived through war before and that image feels especially ominous.
8:18
SPEAKER_00: Series writer Ben Vanstone explained
8:21
SPEAKER_00: that this moment had actually been planned years in advance because
8:24
SPEAKER_00: the writers always knew that the story would eventually reach 1939 and the outbreak
8:30
SPEAKER_00: of World War II.
8:31
SPEAKER_00: So the idea was to I think that's what makes the ending so powerful.
8:36
SPEAKER_00: James and Helen have just chosen Marriage Instability.
8:48
SPEAKER_00: Tristan is moving forward with his career.
8:50
SPEAKER_00: Mrs. Hall may be opening up herself to companionship again while still worrying
8:54
SPEAKER_00: about her son, Edward.
8:56
SPEAKER_00: And everyone has gathered for Christmas and they're building lives.
9:00
SPEAKER_00: And then Mrs.
9:01
SPEAKER_00: Hall looks up and she sees that plane and she knows enough from her own experience
9:06
SPEAKER_00: to understand what it could represent.
9:08
SPEAKER_00: So the perfect Christmas ends with this really interesting contrast.
9:12
SPEAKER_00: The characters have finally found a little stability in their own lives,
9:15
SPEAKER_00: just as the world around them is becoming dangerous.
9:18
SPEAKER_00: Even more unstable.
9:20
SPEAKER_00: And suddenly that perfect little Christmas is probably really precious
9:26
SPEAKER_00: because we know it may be one of the last Christmases and there'll
9:31
SPEAKER_00: before everything changes.
9:33
SPEAKER_00: Now we're going to go into our next segment, Under the Mistletoe.
9:37
SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about it.
9:38
SPEAKER_00: So there were a few things I loved about this Christmas special,
9:41
SPEAKER_00: but can we start with Mrs. Hall?
9:43
SPEAKER_00: So Mrs. Hall, I loved her so much in this episode.
9:48
SPEAKER_00: First of all, she is a stunner.
9:49
SPEAKER_00: Did you see Siegfried's face when he saw her in that black dress?
9:53
SPEAKER_00: He noticed.
9:55
SPEAKER_00: And speaking of the black dress, why did she change into the other one?
9:58
SPEAKER_00: I was sitting there thinking, Audrey, go put that dress back on.
10:02
SPEAKER_00: But I love that we got to see this side of Mrs. Hall,
10:06
SPEAKER_00: especially because so much of her identity at Scaledale House is wrapped up
10:10
SPEAKER_00: in caring for everyone else.
10:11
SPEAKER_00: She's always cooking and cleaning and keeping the household running and answering
10:15
SPEAKER_00: the phones and mediating between the fine and She's basically telling Mrs.
10:19
SPEAKER_00: Hall to get
10:32
SPEAKER_00: I loved it because these are grown adults who can handle all kinds of situations, right?
10:36
SPEAKER_00: Serious situations.
10:36
SPEAKER_00: But suddenly inviting someone to Christmas lunch has them really confused and apprehensive.
10:39
SPEAKER_00: I don't get it.
11:02
SPEAKER_00: But I really liked Mr. Hammond's approach to Mrs. Hall.
11:07
SPEAKER_00: I mean, he basically lets her know that if friendship is all she's comfortable with,
11:11
SPEAKER_00: then friendship is enough for him.
11:13
SPEAKER_00: I think that's exactly the kind of patience Mrs. Hall needs.
11:17
SPEAKER_00: She's still married.
11:18
SPEAKER_00: She's been through a difficult marriage.
11:20
SPEAKER_00: She's worried about Edward.
11:22
SPEAKER_00: She has spent so much of her life taking care of other people.
11:25
SPEAKER_00: And Mr. Hammond doesn't seem interested in brushing her into anything.
11:29
SPEAKER_00: Then she gets a little awkward underneath that mistletoe, which was adorable.
11:32
SPEAKER_00: But later,
11:34
SPEAKER_00: you know,
11:34
SPEAKER_00: that little kiss on the cheek, it wasn't a huge romantic moment or anything.
11:39
SPEAKER_00: It was just sweet and gentle.
11:40
SPEAKER_00: And I think for Mrs. Hall, it was like the first step, right?
11:44
SPEAKER_00: Now, let's get into Tristan.
11:47
SPEAKER_00: He passed.
11:48
SPEAKER_00: Wow, he passed.
11:49
SPEAKER_00: That was the icing on the Christmas cake for me.
11:52
SPEAKER_00: We've been following this storyline since season one.
11:55
SPEAKER_00: We've watched Tristan struggle with studying and responsibility and Siegfried.
11:59
SPEAKER_00: He's expectations and confidence and humiliation of discovering
12:04
SPEAKER_00: that he hadn't actually passed the exam in front of everybody.
12:07
SPEAKER_00: And, you know,
12:08
SPEAKER_00: but this time he went back and he studied and he sat for that exam and he passed
12:12
SPEAKER_00: and now he's fully qualified.
12:14
SPEAKER_00: And I must add that he not only passed, but he passed with distinction.
12:18
SPEAKER_00: OK, I just think that's such a satisfying ending to his storyline this season,
12:22
SPEAKER_00: because this time the accomplishment actually belongs to him.
12:26
SPEAKER_00: And I do have another question, though.
12:29
SPEAKER_00: What happens to the Siegfried and Tristan dynamic
12:31
SPEAKER_00: when Siegfried can't hold Tristan's qualifications over his head anymore?
12:35
SPEAKER_00: Tristan's already proven that he could do it.
12:36
SPEAKER_00: He's also proven throughout this season that when he's given some independence,
12:40
SPEAKER_00: he's pretty capable.
12:41
SPEAKER_00: So I'm interested to see
12:42
SPEAKER_00: whether Siegfried can finally start treating Tristan less like a child that he needs
12:47
SPEAKER_00: to control and more like a colleague and a grown man who happens
12:51
SPEAKER_00: to be his younger brother.
12:52
SPEAKER_00: Although knowing these two, I'm sure they'll find something new to argue about.
12:58
SPEAKER_00: Cause I'm thinking about this and I don't, I have a theory and I swear on my life.
13:03
SPEAKER_00: I have not watched season three, four or five.
13:06
SPEAKER_00: I haven't watched any of them, but you know what I could see?
13:10
SPEAKER_00: I could see Tristan going to go work for someone else.
13:14
SPEAKER_00: I could see Tristan leaving Siegfried's practice and either starting something new
13:18
SPEAKER_00: or going to go work for George.
13:20
SPEAKER_00: You know how much Siegfried and George get on each other's nerves, right?
13:23
SPEAKER_00: The other vet.
13:24
SPEAKER_00: What if he did that?
13:26
SPEAKER_00: And I'm telling you, I'm genius if I get this right.
13:30
SPEAKER_00: Y'all, because I never get it right.
13:31
SPEAKER_00: So if I get this one right, yes.
13:34
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
13:36
SPEAKER_00: And I love the way the Tricky Woo storyline brought everybody together.
13:41
SPEAKER_00: James and Siegfried are trying to figure out how to help him,
13:44
SPEAKER_00: but Helen becomes part of the solution too.
13:47
SPEAKER_00: And I think Tristan was there too.
13:48
SPEAKER_00: I can't remember.
13:49
SPEAKER_00: But Helen learns that Kitson's You survived after James treated her and she brings
13:55
SPEAKER_00: that information back to them.
13:56
SPEAKER_00: And then suddenly we have Helen in the clinic with James and Siegfried
14:00
SPEAKER_00: and everybody putting their heads together and working to save
14:03
SPEAKER_00: the most important dog in Yorkshire because we can't lose Tricky Woo at Christmas.
14:07
SPEAKER_00: That's just, that's just terrible.
14:10
SPEAKER_00: Okay, that might be just as bad as the war.
14:13
SPEAKER_00: Okay, no, I went too far.
14:17
SPEAKER_00: But I also think this little scene reinforces something we've been talking
14:22
SPEAKER_00: about throughout these episodes.
14:23
SPEAKER_00: Helen is becoming part of Skeldale.
14:25
SPEAKER_00: She's not just James' fiancé standing on the sidelines.
14:29
SPEAKER_00: She knows animals.
14:30
SPEAKER_00: She knows farmers.
14:32
SPEAKER_00: She understands the Dales and then the people who live there.
14:36
SPEAKER_00: And she can contribute something to this world that James sometimes can't
14:39
SPEAKER_00: because she understands these farmers from the inside.
14:43
SPEAKER_00: And I think now that she has access or may be living in Scaledale House,
14:49
SPEAKER_00: she may end up being smarter than all of them when it comes to animals
14:52
SPEAKER_00: because now she'll have like a scientific approach,
14:56
SPEAKER_00: but also like real life experience.
14:59
SPEAKER_00: And in this moment, they all bring their knowledge together.
15:02
SPEAKER_00: Then Tricky gets better on Christmas Day.
15:05
SPEAKER_00: And it's a Christmas miracle for Tricky Woo.
15:08
SPEAKER_00: I also really appreciated that even though James had chosen to build his life
15:12
SPEAKER_00: in Yorkshire, the episode doesn't really separate him from his Scottish roots.
15:16
SPEAKER_00: So we get a little Scottish Christmas tradition involving the kayak.
15:21
SPEAKER_00: And I might have mispronounced that.
15:23
SPEAKER_00: I'm trying.
15:24
SPEAKER_00: But it's essentially an old woman of winter figure from Scottish folklore.
15:29
SPEAKER_00: Traditionally,
15:30
SPEAKER_00: a piece of wood was shaped to represent the old woman and burned around Christmas as
15:35
SPEAKER_00: a symbolic way of sending away the darkness and misfortune of I really liked having
15:42
SPEAKER_00: that tradition included for James because James choosing Darryl B.
15:47
SPEAKER_00: doesn't mean that James suddenly stops being Scottish.
15:49
SPEAKER_00: His family, his upbringing, and the traditions he grew up with are a part of him.
15:54
SPEAKER_00: And considering where everyone is at the end of season two, I do think the symbolism is fitting.
16:01
SPEAKER_00: And I think they're saying goodbye to one chapter.
16:04
SPEAKER_00: James is beginning a new life with Helen.
16:06
SPEAKER_00: Tristan is fully qualified.
16:08
SPEAKER_00: Mrs. Hall is cautiously opening herself up to something new.
16:12
SPEAKER_00: And they're gathering together as this big, unconventional family for Christmas.
16:17
SPEAKER_00: And yet,
16:18
SPEAKER_00: with that bomber appearing at the end,
16:20
SPEAKER_00: we know that there's darkness on the horizon that none of them can burn away.
16:26
SPEAKER_00: And that makes all of these little moments of happiness at Christmas feel even more precious.
16:31
SPEAKER_00: All right,
16:31
SPEAKER_00: now we get to what I think is going to be one of my favorite parts
16:35
SPEAKER_00: of these Countdown to Christmas episodes, the Christmas comfort check.
16:38
SPEAKER_00: Because yes,
16:40
SPEAKER_00: I want to know whether the story is good,
16:42
SPEAKER_00: but I also need to know, does it actually feel like Christmas?
16:45
SPEAKER_00: And the perfect Christmas obviously understood the assignment.
16:48
SPEAKER_00: It starts immediately with a Christmas-themed animated opening.
16:52
SPEAKER_00: Even the familiar theme song gets a festive makeover with bells.
16:56
SPEAKER_00: And I'm thinking, okay, we are really doing Christmas here.
16:59
SPEAKER_00: So we have snow,
17:01
SPEAKER_00: Christmas trees,
17:01
SPEAKER_00: mistletoe,
17:02
SPEAKER_00: decorations,
17:03
SPEAKER_00: Christmas cards, and really all of those little seasonal touches throughout Daryl B.
17:09
SPEAKER_00: And then on Christmas Eve,
17:10
SPEAKER_00: we have James dressed as Father Christmas and Helen as his elf this year instead
17:14
SPEAKER_00: of Tristan.
17:15
SPEAKER_00: Wasn't Tristan the elf last year?
17:17
SPEAKER_00: And Siegfried was Father Christmas?
17:19
SPEAKER_00: I can't remember.
17:20
SPEAKER_00: But anyway, children gathered all around the Skeldale house.
17:25
SPEAKER_00: And I mean, come on, James Harriot as Father Christmas in the Yorkshire Dales?
17:29
SPEAKER_00: That is Christmas comfort right there.
17:32
SPEAKER_00: And of course, food is part of the celebration.
17:35
SPEAKER_00: We have Christmas lunch and Jenny's Christmas pudding.
17:38
SPEAKER_00: And honestly,
17:38
SPEAKER_00: between the Audisons, Mrs.
17:40
SPEAKER_00: Hall and Mrs.
17:40
SPEAKER_00: Pumphrey, I would accept any invitation to Christmas lunch at any of those homes.
17:46
SPEAKER_00: And because this is all creatures great and small, food isn't just sitting nicely on a table.
17:51
SPEAKER_00: It's another way that these characters gather and take care of each other.
17:55
SPEAKER_00: We also get the striped cozy pajamas,
17:58
SPEAKER_00: fireside moments, horses, sheep,
18:00
SPEAKER_00: and all of the other animals that make the show feel like all creatures great
18:04
SPEAKER_00: and small.
18:04
SPEAKER_00: And even without Christmas,
18:06
SPEAKER_00: this series already has an unfair advantage in the coziness department.
18:10
SPEAKER_00: Put Christmas decorations on top of it and it's over.
18:14
SPEAKER_00: And then we get Christmas at Pumphrey Manor, which gave me serious down in Abbey vibes.
18:19
SPEAKER_00: The candles,
18:20
SPEAKER_00: the statues,
18:21
SPEAKER_00: artwork,
18:21
SPEAKER_00: grand rooms,
18:23
SPEAKER_00: everybody gathered there and they're all singing Angels We Have Heard On High.
18:27
SPEAKER_00: And it feels grander than Christmas at Scaledale,
18:30
SPEAKER_00: but it still has that sense of warmth and community.
18:33
SPEAKER_00: And I love why they're there in the first place.
18:36
SPEAKER_00: Mrs. Pumphrey was going to be alone for Christmas, so everybody brings Christmas to her.
18:40
SPEAKER_00: And that's what makes it cozy beyond the decorations.
18:44
SPEAKER_00: And I love that we also get something specifically connected
18:47
SPEAKER_00: to James Scottish heritage with the kayak tradition.
18:52
SPEAKER_00: And I may have again, I'll try.
18:53
SPEAKER_00: I'm trying here.
18:54
SPEAKER_00: As we talked about earlier,
18:56
SPEAKER_00: it represents this old winter figure and burning
18:59
SPEAKER_00: the wooden figure symbolizes leaving behind the darkness and misfortune of
19:03
SPEAKER_00: the old year.
19:04
SPEAKER_00: But there's another beautiful Scottish connection during this scene.
19:07
SPEAKER_00: James recites a verse from Old Lying Sign and it's a famous Scots language poem and
19:12
SPEAKER_00: as it burns.
19:13
SPEAKER_00: And I really love that choice.
19:15
SPEAKER_00: So after spending so much of season two wondering
19:18
SPEAKER_00: whether Darby means leaving Scotland behind,
19:22
SPEAKER_00: this Christmas special shows us that it doesn't have to be, you know, either or.
19:28
SPEAKER_00: And James can build his home in Yorkshire and still carry Scotland with him.
19:32
SPEAKER_00: His traditions come with him,
19:33
SPEAKER_00: his memories as well, and his family comes with him in a different way.
19:37
SPEAKER_00: And now Helen and the people of Darabee get to be part of those traditions too.
19:45
SPEAKER_00: Now, did it actually feel like Christmas?
19:47
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
19:48
SPEAKER_00: And not just because somebody threw up a Christmas tree in the background.
19:50
SPEAKER_00: We have the decorations, bells, music,
19:53
SPEAKER_00: Christmas cards,
19:53
SPEAKER_00: put in mistletoe,
19:55
SPEAKER_00: Father Christmas and Elf,
19:56
SPEAKER_00: Christmas lunch, candles, carols, traditions, family gatherings, cozy pajamas.
20:02
SPEAKER_00: But more importantly, the story itself feels like Christmas.
20:04
SPEAKER_00: People are coming together.
20:06
SPEAKER_00: Mrs. Pumphrey isn't left alone.
20:08
SPEAKER_00: James Connects with his parents.
20:10
SPEAKER_00: And Mrs. Hall takes a tiny chance on romance.
20:14
SPEAKER_00: And then Tristan gets the news he's been waiting for.
20:16
SPEAKER_00: Tricky Boo gets his Christmas miracle.
20:18
SPEAKER_00: James and Helen are figuring out how to combine their families and traditions.
20:21
SPEAKER_00: And everybody ends up together.
20:23
SPEAKER_00: And that's my kind of Christmas episode.
20:27
SPEAKER_00: Our Christmas cozy rating.
20:29
SPEAKER_00: There's absolutely no hesitation here.
20:31
SPEAKER_00: Christmas cozy rating, a five out of five.
20:34
SPEAKER_00: All Creatures Great and Small is already one of the coziest shows on TV.
20:38
SPEAKER_00: So add Christmas in the Yorkshire Dales,
20:40
SPEAKER_00: Skeldal House Decorated for the Holidays, Carols, and all these other things.
20:44
SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's a five.
20:46
SPEAKER_00: This is exactly what I want from a Christmas special.
20:50
SPEAKER_00: And now for our one thing under the tree.
20:53
SPEAKER_00: If I could take one thing from the perfect Christmas and have it for my own holiday,
20:58
SPEAKER_00: I'm taking Pumphrey Manor, the whole manor.
21:01
SPEAKER_00: But there is one condition.
21:03
SPEAKER_00: The staff has to come with it,
21:05
SPEAKER_00: at least for the holidays, because I'm not trying to maintain that house by myself.
21:09
SPEAKER_00: Now, who wouldn't want to spend Christmas there?
21:11
SPEAKER_00: We have these beautiful rooms and all that artwork.
21:15
SPEAKER_00: It is worth millions, OK?
21:18
SPEAKER_00: Pianos.
21:20
SPEAKER_00: I mean, the windows.
21:22
SPEAKER_00: Oh, my goodness.
21:24
SPEAKER_00: And of course, Tricky Woo running around like he owns the place.
21:28
SPEAKER_00: I'm serious.
21:28
SPEAKER_00: This was Downton Abbey Christmas vibes right here.
21:31
SPEAKER_00: And here's a fun filming detail.
21:33
SPEAKER_00: The exterior used for Pumphrey Manor is Broaden Hall,
21:37
SPEAKER_00: part of the Broaden Sanctuary Estate near Skipton in North Yorkshire.
21:41
SPEAKER_00: It's a historic county estate with roots going back centuries,
21:44
SPEAKER_00: and the hall itself dates to the late
21:47
SPEAKER_00: And there's another interesting real-life connection to Mrs. Pumphrey.
21:51
SPEAKER_00: James Harriot's,
21:52
SPEAKER_00: and this is the real James Harriot,
21:54
SPEAKER_00: his eccentric, tricky,
21:55
SPEAKER_00: loving character was inspired by one of Alf White's actual clients,
21:59
SPEAKER_00: and her name was Marjorie Warner, who lived at Thorpe House near Thursk.
22:05
SPEAKER_00: So yes, you can keep the jewelry,
22:06
SPEAKER_00: you can keep the Christmas dresses,
22:08
SPEAKER_00: you can even keep James's striped pajamas,
22:10
SPEAKER_00: but Pumphrey Manor put that under my tree,
22:14
SPEAKER_00: staff included, and Tricky Woo can stay tuned.
22:17
SPEAKER_00: Is it worth adding to your Christmas watch list?
22:20
SPEAKER_00: Overall, I really enjoyed The Perfect Christmas.
22:22
SPEAKER_00: I think it worked beautifully as both the Christmas special and the season two finale.
22:26
SPEAKER_00: We got some satisfying resolutions,
22:28
SPEAKER_00: but the final image of the bomber overhead felt like the perfect setup
22:32
SPEAKER_00: for season three.
22:33
SPEAKER_00: And yes, I would absolutely rewatch this during the Christmas season.
22:38
SPEAKER_00: Who is this for?
22:39
SPEAKER_00: I would recommend The Perfect Christmas,
22:41
SPEAKER_00: especially if you love character-driven period dramas,
22:43
SPEAKER_00: found family,
22:44
SPEAKER_00: gentle romance,
22:45
SPEAKER_00: animals,
22:46
SPEAKER_00: English countryside settings,
22:47
SPEAKER_00: beautiful historic homes,
22:49
SPEAKER_00: Christmas traditions,
22:50
SPEAKER_00: and stories where the emotional stakes matter without the show becoming too heavy.
22:55
SPEAKER_00: It's also perfect for someone who wants their Christmas viewing to feel
22:58
SPEAKER_00: a little bit more nostalgic and traditional.
23:01
SPEAKER_00: And this isn't a modern Christmas rom-com where we're waiting for somebody
23:04
SPEAKER_00: to kiss underneath the mistletoe, although Mrs. Hall certainly gave it a try.
23:08
SPEAKER_00: And it's about family and community and traditions and home and remembering
23:13
SPEAKER_00: where you came from and making sure the people you care about aren't alone
23:17
SPEAKER_00: at Christmas.
23:18
SPEAKER_00: My final ratings overall are 4.75 out of 5.
23:22
SPEAKER_00: My cozy Christmas rating is a 5 out of 5.
23:24
SPEAKER_00: And my official countdown to Christmas verdict is add it to the Christmas list.
23:29
SPEAKER_00: But I have one important disclaimer.
23:31
SPEAKER_00: Please don't start here.
23:33
SPEAKER_00: But so much of what makes the perfect Christmas special comes
23:38
SPEAKER_00: from everything we've experienced with these characters already.
23:42
SPEAKER_00: And, you know, Tristan passing that exam means more because we know what it took to get there.
23:48
SPEAKER_00: James calling his parents means more because we've watched him struggle
23:53
SPEAKER_00: over choosing Scotland and Darby.
23:55
SPEAKER_00: And James and Helen planning their future means more
23:57
SPEAKER_00: because we've watched Their slow burn romance develop.
24:00
SPEAKER_00: Mrs. Hall opening herself up to Mr.
24:02
SPEAKER_00: Hammond means more because we understand how guarded she's been.
24:05
SPEAKER_00: And even everyone gathering together for Christmas means more
24:10
SPEAKER_00: because we've watched this group slowly become a family.
24:13
SPEAKER_00: Because this isn't just a cozy Christmas special.
24:16
SPEAKER_00: It feels like Christmas with characters who have become old friends.
24:19
SPEAKER_00: And for me, that's exactly what a comfort show should do.
24:34
SPEAKER_00: Before we wrap up,
24:35
SPEAKER_00: if you enjoy spending a little bit of Christmas and Daryl B with me and you'd like
24:40
SPEAKER_00: to support Cozy Comfort Club,
24:42
SPEAKER_00: you can buy me a coffee using the link in the show notes.
24:45
SPEAKER_00: You can also shop any books mentioned on the podcast through my bookshop.org affiliate links.
24:51
SPEAKER_00: I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you
24:56
SPEAKER_00: and your purchase also helps support independent bookstores.
25:00
SPEAKER_00: And honestly,
25:01
SPEAKER_00: simply listening,
25:01
SPEAKER_00: following the podcast,
25:03
SPEAKER_00: leaving a rating or review,
25:05
SPEAKER_00: or sharing Cozy Comfort Club with another cozy TV lover helps more than you know.
25:09
SPEAKER_00: So thank you so much for being here.
25:17
SPEAKER_00: And that officially wraps up another stop on our countdown to Christmas.
25:21
SPEAKER_00: Remember,
25:22
SPEAKER_00: I'll be back on the 25th of every month as we countdown to Christmas Day
25:25
SPEAKER_00: with another cozy Christmas movie or TV special for us to watch and talk
25:29
SPEAKER_00: about together.
25:30
SPEAKER_00: In our regular Cozy Comfort Club episodes, Merry almost Christmas, y'all.