The Best Episodes of All Creatures Great and Small Season 1

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   7.7/10(217 votes)

   #1 - Horse Sense

   S1:E11/8/1978

   Life for a newly qualified vet like James Herriot is not at all easy. He travels all the way to Darrowby, Yorkshire to secure a job, but by the time his prospective employer, Siegfried Farnon, turns up for the interview, James has fallen asleep!

   Director:Terence Dudley

   Writer:Brian Clark

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   Director:Terence Dudley

   Writer:Brian Clark
2. 

   7.9/10(182 votes)

   #2 - Dog Days

   S1:E21/15/1978

   James finds that long hours and rough conditions can make a veterinary work a dog's life, but for some dogs, like Mrs. Pumphrey's Tricki-Wu, have it so well that they can afford to spread the wealth.

   Director:Peter Moffatt

   Writer:Brian Finch

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   Director:Peter Moffatt

   Writer:Brian Finch
3. 

   8.1/10(151 votes)

   #3 - It Takes All Kinds

   S1:E31/22/1978

   Sigfried declares that the business is in shambles financially, and his solution is Miss Harbottle, a meticulous secretary who rules the cash box with an iron hand. Amid a relentless succession of new faces - many gruff, some eccentric - James meets the lovely Helen Alderson.

   Director:Christopher Baker

   Writer:Johnny Byrne

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   Director:Christopher Baker

   Writer:Johnny Byrne
4. 

   7.8/10(144 votes)

   #4 - Calf Love

   S1:E41/29/1978

   Siegfried has a major victory, and his brother Tristan has to deal with pigs in more ways than one. James discovers he has a rival for Helen's affections.

   Director:Terence Dudley

   Writer:Anthony Steven

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   Director:Terence Dudley

   Writer:Anthony Steven
5. 

   7.7/10(138 votes)

   #5 - Out of Practice

   S1:E52/2/1978

   The veterinary practice goes from strength to strength, but James fears he has wrecked his chances with Helen after a disastrous first date. Tristan decides that a blind date is all James needs to hone his courtship skills.

   Director:Peter Moffatt

   Writer:Johnny Byrne

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   Director:Peter Moffatt

   Writer:Johnny Byrne
6. 

   8.0/10(141 votes)

   #6 - Nothing Like Experience

   S1:E62/12/1978

   James musters the courage to visit Helen after she's seen him at his worst. Siegfried resorts to sorcery to aid a gypsy's ailing pony, and a wild ghost chase solves the mystery of the shrouded figure haunting Raine Abbey.

   Director:Christopher Baker

   Writer:Johnny Byrne

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   Director:Christopher Baker

   Writer:Johnny Byrne
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7. 

   8.1/10(129 votes)

   #7 - Golden Lads and Girls

   S1:E72/19/1978

   James' temper is fraying fast -- what with two car accidents in the space of a week, an inauspicious meeting with Helen's family and his rival still lurking around Helen like a "big glossy spider".

   Director:Terence Dudley

   Writer:Brian Finch

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   Director:Terence Dudley

   Writer:Brian Finch
8. 

   8.2/10(124 votes)

   #8 - Advice and Consent

   S1:E82/26/1978

   The fortunes of the hard-working Dalby family look set to dwindle even further until almost by accident James discovers the cause of their herd's illness. However, James still needs a push start on other fronts, and Siegfried and Tristan decide to remedy matters with their own expert advice.

   Director:Peter Moffatt

   Writer:Brian Finch

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   Director:Peter Moffatt

   Writer:Brian Finch
9. 

   8.1/10(125 votes)

   #9 - The Last Furlong

   S1:E93/5/1978

   The sport of kings beckons James and Siegfried to the Broughton Races — James in search of a dead cert to raise forty pounds for a Mediterranean honeymoon, and Siegfried in pursuit of a dream job at the track.

   Director:Christopher Baker

   Writer:Anthony Steven

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   Director:Christopher Baker

   Writer:Anthony Steven
10. 

    7.9/10(117 votes)

    #10 - Sleeping Partners

    S1:E103/12/1978

    James and Helen's wedding day has finally arrived, though their honeymoon destination couldn't have been further from the Mediterranean. Finally, Siegfried bestows the best wedding present of all.

    Director:Terence Dudley

    Writer:Johnny Byrne

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    Director:Terence Dudley

    Writer:Johnny Byrne
11. 

    7.8/10(125 votes)

    #11 - Bulldog Breed

    S1:E113/19/1978

    As James struggles to save the dairy herd in which a friend has sunk all his savings, he discovers a colleague's guilty secret.

    Director:Peter Moffatt

    Writer:Brian Finch

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    Director:Peter Moffatt

    Writer:Brian Finch
12. 

    8.2/10(121 votes)

    #12 - Practice Makes Perfect

    S1:E124/7/1978

    Having failed his exams, Tristan fears his brother's wrath. In a desperate effort to reform, Tristan shuns cigarettes, alcohol and women and adopts a rigorous routine of dawn runs and hard work.

    Director:Christopher Baker

    Writer:Johnny Byrne

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    Director:Christopher Baker

    Writer:Johnny Byrne
13. 

    8.5/10(125 votes)

    #13 - Breath of Life

    S1:E134/14/1978

    Siegfried discovers that a gift given in good faith has brought the deadly foot-and-mouth disease to the dales, and James accidentally hits upon a "sleep cure" for Mrs. Flaxton's poodle.

    Director:Terence Dudley

    Writer:Anthony Steven

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    Director:Terence Dudley

    Writer:Anthony Steven