I much prefer Carol Drinkwater to Lynda Bellingham. The new one (Lynda) is probably closer to the REAL Helen, but I still like Carol better. Which do you like?
~Elanor
I agree - Carol is a much warmer person and better in the part. Seems like they could have done a better job finding a replacement for her in a series as important as this one.
Glenda
As far as I am concerned they couldn't have picked a worse substitute for Drinkwater. Bellingham is cold and off-putting. Ruined it for me.
Sybillea
Absolutely agree. Carol Drinkwater was utterly marvelous -- sexy in a gentle, period-appropriate manner, sensual, charismatic, and her chemistry with James was quite palpable and effective. She flirted lightly with Siegfried and bantered with Tristan. One had the clear sense that the men of the house admired and adored their dear Helen, who brightened up the house and filled it with a golden warmth. A womanly presence in the very best sense. Bellingham just strikes everything wrong: she has no chemistry at all with Christopher, she snaps at the other characters with the brittle coldness of a bitter old schoolmarm, and she flounces through each scene without a drop of grace. I watch the later episodes despite her presence, though I find myself missing "the first Helen" quite dearly.
shareI agree, too. Although the 2nd Helen might be more like the real Helen (according to biographies) her personality doesn't compliment the story. The first Helen was more compatible. I couldn't see that the 2nd Helen had any warmth for her husband. And she seemed sort of stiff like a robot. But I LOVE the series!
shareI agree that the personality of Helen 1 is better suited to the story lines, but she just look so much older than her husband James, she could pass as his mother, rather than his wife!
shareI agree but think that Helen 1 looked much older than her husband James - she could have passed for his mother rather than his wife!
shareI agree with all the other responders--Carol Drinkwater was so much more charming. Lynda Bellingham just seems like a cold, bossy mum. It seems to me like the other cast members really never took a shine to her, either--no chemistry, no warmth. James never really kisses her--just a peck on the cheek. He and the old Helen were always smooching. Does anyone know why Carol Drinkwater didn't continue with the series? I'm curious...I hope she knows she's missed.
shareApparently Carol Drinkwater and Christopher Timothy had an offscreen relationship as well and when they were casting the new series, she was not asked to return.
shareI heard an interview with her and she said the reason she did not come back to the series was that she wanted to pursue something of more substance and, perhaps more importantly, she had met someone, a director, and was filming with him in Australia. She stated that, when she heard the part had been cast with Bellingham, she had a moment of regret that they had given "her" part to someone else. She said that in retrospect she made the right decision. She ended up marrying him, they bought an olive farm in France, and she has written several very successful books about it. Of course, the situation with Christopher Timothy could have had something to do with it too ...
shareAt first I didn't care for Lynda as Carol's replacement. But by the 3rd or 4th episode she sorta grew on me. She's actually very pretty, but still not as good Carol.
share[deleted]
There's a space in time between the last episode of the 3th serie and the 4th. 10 years. Lynda is playing the ten years older Helen. But the men are only 2/3 years older. And that's strange.
As person, Helen is more a elegant and kind women. Linda is more a houswife, mother of several kids.
There were 8 years between series 3 and series 4 in real time. More than that in subjective time judging from an apparently about 10 year old Jimmy and 7 year old Rose.
shareThere were two "specials" filmed in 1983 and 1985 that apparently bridge the gap between series 3 and series 4. Without seeing them it's quite jarring going from seeing James and Siegfried go off to war at the end of series 3 and seeing James with two half-grown children in the first episode of series 4. (Almost as jarring was seeing a new actress playing Helen.)
shareI am watching One of Nature's Little Miracles which I think is the first episode with the new Helen. She loses her engagement ring and James goes to the jeweler's to replace it. He tells the jeweler "I actually bought a ring here twelve years ago" so I guess 12 years are supposed to have passed since her first appearances.
shareCarol Drinkwater had an affair with a married Christopher Timothy. That is why she was FIRED from the show.
shareI have all of the shows on tape (still watchable, thank goodness). Carol Drinkwater was the best Helen. I've also read all the books and the last one, "James Herriott: The Life of a Country Vet" by Graham Lord was very revealing.
It delves into the filming of the series. The real 'Herriott', Alf Wight and his wife were appalled at the affair that was going on between Drinkwater and Timothy...she was single but he was married with 6 children!! They didn't like to see that going on underneath their noses and let the producers know about it, finally.
That's when Drinkwater was asked to leave and Lynda Bellingham was brought in. That ended the "hanky-panky" once and for all.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man"..
So why was she asked to leave and not him? Presumably he should have earned an equal share of moral outrage as it takes two to hanky-panky.
shareThat doesn't exactly hold up when you examine the time line of the filming. Series 3 was filmed in 1979-80. Carol reprised her role as Helen in the 1983 and 1985 specials. Then, series 4 began in 1988.
Perhaps the affair had some effect on her not coming back when the series was restarted, but that doesn't seem likely.
Christopher Timothy's marriage to Susan Boys was over before the affair with Carol Drinkwater started. The affair did not last long.
share"Carol Drinkwater had an affair with a married Christopher Timothy. That is why she was FIRED from the show."
A complete lie. Carol Drinkwater declined to sign on when the series was reestablished in the late 80s. She had other roles she preferred at that time. She now has some regrets about not returning, though.
Typecasting then!
shareI think Carol Drinkwater completely emobodied the Helen Herriot as depicted in the books. However, I accepted Lynda Bellingham unquestioningly in the role. Perhaps it's because I was used to seeing Lynda in Dr Who (she had a recurring role in the 1986 season -around the time she took over the part of Helen), but I think she did the role justice. Do remember that Helen Herriot was entirely fictional and Alf Wight (the real James Herriot)'s wife was nothing like Helen, so there's plenty of scope for interpretation.
shareI loved Carol as Helen. She reminded me of a zaftig Ava Gardner. Lynda had no sex appeal whatsoever.
shareCarol of course, much warmer, kinder and better looking too.
A good show and a glass of wine, AHhhhhhhhh, that's life at its best!
[deleted]
I think we should not judge Lynda to hard. It's not easy to take over a role that was succesfully played by someone for 41 episodes plus 2 specials. I agree that it takes some time to adjust, but after that Lynda's character is just as friendly and warm as Carol's.
shareI agree. I've changed my mind about Lynda. I think all the characters were so perfect in their roles that if ANY of them were replaced we would find it difficult to adjust. I've seen her recently in At Home with the Braithwaites and she is a very good actress (also she looks almost the same as she did in All Creatures).
shareHaving watched the first 6 seasons of ACGAS almost in succession, I agree that Lynda makes a fine Helen, even compared to Carol. There is a distinct difference, to be sure, but Lynda becomes more demonstrative as the series goes on. Not as affectionate as shown by Carol, but then they were not having an affair either.
Based on the other characters in the series, I suspect that Lynda was a more realistic type of period English house wife. Either one is fine with me.
Thanks to the posters who gave us the backgroud. I was always curious about why they made a replacement. When I first started watching, I saw episodes with Lynda, so I was used to her, but now that I am watching them all from the beginning I think Carol was better. She was less "matronly" and more believeable in the relationship.
shareI liked Carol Drinkwater in the part of Helen, much warmer. But Lynda's seeming coldness in the part was just incorrect casting. If you watch Doctor Who's "Trial of a Timelord", Lynda Bellingham portrayed the Inquisitor and fit perfectly in the part. Besides it's always a jolt for the audience when a substitute is thrown in as we all had already decided that Carol was the right one in the right part.
share