AN ALL Creatures Great and Small star has teased that a fan-favourite character’s life hangs in the balance in the Christmas Special.
The festive episode of the Channel 5 drama has quite an emotional storyline for Mrs Hall, which will majorly impact everyone in Skeldale.
Skeldale House is preparing for Christmas and Jimmy’s first birthday, and while times are hard, Mrs Hall has the perfect Christmas planned.
However, when a worrying news bulletin shatters her world, the Skeldale family rallies round.
Mrs Hall is played by Anna Madeley and speaking about her festive storyline, she said: “It’s a horrendous time for Mrs. Hall.
“It’s every mother’s worst nightmare. She receives the news that Edward’s ship has been struck, and this happens right before Christmas, when Jimmy’s birthday is also coming up – a time when you desperately want good news and for everyone to be together.
“I think Mrs. Hall copes by staying busy and focusing on what little she does know.
“Initially, she tells herself, “Let’s deal with the facts we have.” But as the story progresses, it becomes harder and harder to hold on to that strategy.
“She even seeks out information on her own, meeting a young lad named Paddy, who had been with Edward on the ship.
“It’s a difficult journey for her, and even though she tries to stay strong, that uncertainty starts to take its toll.”
Nicholas Ralf is James Herriot in the series, the newly qualified vet who secures a job under an eccentric vet called Sigfried Farnon.
He says about the upcoming episode: “Mrs. Hall is like the mother of this surrogate family. She’s the middle point, and we all revolve around her.
“She helps everyone, fixes people’s problems, and looks after everybody. So, when she’s going through something very painful and emotional, you can’t help but empathise and want to do anything you can to take away some of that pain or burden.
“Sometimes, though, that means doing nothing and just really listening to what the other person needs.
“The whole family is affected, and you just want everything to be alright for her.”
Samuel West, who plays Siegfried Farnon added: “It’s really hard to know what the best thing to do is… he’s dreadfully confused, because he cares deeply for her.
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“He is the hand she needs to hold and Siegfried has to try and be a shoulder to cry on if it’s needed, and a hand to hold if one would help.
“Mrs Hall has her own ways of dealing with it, most of which don’t require another person, because she’s very strong that way – possibly to her detriment at times.”
All Creatures Great and Small Christmas Special airs on December 23 at 9pm on Channel 5.
