This is pure nostalgia - I picked up the DVD Box Set of Dad's Army for a few Euros earlier this year and have been watching them over Xmas. It's gentle stuff, sometimes a bit laboured but the interplay between the core characters is where it really shines. As my profile pic might suggest, John Le Mesurier urbanely weary Sergeant Wilson is a favourite, and Arthur Lowe as the legendarily pompous Capt. Mainwaring is always worth the price of entrance....
A favourite moment: "Don't Fence Me In" (Series 4, Episode 5) where the platoon is assigned to guard Italian POWs. Capt. Mainwaring asks if anyone can translate. Private Godfrey steps forward and speaks to a prisoner: "Vostro piccolo mano e ghiacciato. Permesso e caldo ancora a vita." Puzzled, Capt. Mainwaring demands a translation. Godfrey replies that he is a keen opera fan, but it's the only Italian he knows. Translation: "Your tiny hands are frozen. Come and warm them by the fire."
I bought that set from Amazon many years ago. Initially my German wife refused to watch as she thought
it was poking fun at the Germans. Then she (a) found herself humming the theme tune whilst walking down
the local shopping street and (b) she realised it was poking fun at themselves.
Thus watching Dad's Army became a Winter ritual with us.
Some months ago I bought Are you being Served so that will be this Winter's viewing.
All Creatures Great and Small (Der Doktor und das liebe Vieh), the Masterpiece Series from 2020, is currently available for streaming by ARD 1 and can be watched in the original English or, as I am doing, in German.
BTW Both versions are available with subtitles too.
I binged watch an entire series on Apple the other night. Not really something I would do. But a) it involved a 7 day free trial (instantly cancelled) but also b) not sure I would be able to work out how to get it back on. The fxxking menus on tvs are not that easy for me to navigate.. It was quit fun, obviusly a cliffhanger for series 2 (think I spotted the plot twist). Many reviews complain about the main character being unlikable. But I found her coo. Plur1bus.
bethannbitt wrote: ↑Sun Jan 04, 2026 4:13 pm
All Creatures Great and Small (Der Doktor und das liebe Vieh), the Masterpiece Series from 2020, is currently available for streaming by ARD 1 and can be watched in the original English or, as I am doing, in German.
BTW Both versions are available with subtitles too.
Sadly, it is not the master piece from the 1970ies... I loved that one...
Thanks for pointing out, anyway!
But one question is left,how did you manage to watch it in/select English? The only option ard.de offers to me is German (and,yes, German subtitles)?
bethannbitt wrote: ↑Sun Jan 04, 2026 4:13 pm
All Creatures Great and Small (Der Doktor und das liebe Vieh), the Masterpiece Series from 2020, is currently available for streaming by ARD 1 and can be watched in the original English or, as I am doing, in German.
BTW Both versions are available with subtitles too.
Sadly, it is not the master piece from the 1970ies... I loved that one...
Thanks for pointing out, anyway!
But one question is left,how did you manage to watch it in/select English? The only option ard.de offers to me is German (and,yes, German subtitles)?
Yes. It’s a remake. And I enjoy both versions. Es ist so schön in den Dales. As I mentioned above I watched it in German. Now I call my 3 yo grandson “du kleine Schlawiner” (you little rascal) and use Grundgütiger (good gracious). I watched it in the ARD Mediathek. A pair of my British friends were semi-horrified that I watched it in German, but I learned new German words and sayings by doing it and knitted 4 scarves over 6 days (38 hours of binge-watching time!). I view little in English as I’m always in a frantic race to improve my German, whereas my English is excellent, if I do say so myself.
Last edited by bethannbitt on Wed Jan 14, 2026 10:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
The new season of The Great Pottery Throwdown has just shown up on YT with a new bunch of competitors. I do hope the rest appear, I binge watched past series when I discovered them. Really makes you appreciate the skill and artistry that goes into handmade pottery.
I have also compulsively watched the Landscape and Portrait Artist of the year series, LAOTY and POATY, as they get uploaded. In LAOTY you get to see all aspects of the wonderfully varied landscapes of the British Isles, both natural and built, with a little background history gently thrown in.
These shows are always so well done, the presenters are quietly funny and supportive without being OTT and 'so excited' about everything. The competitors too are positive and generous about each others' work. The standard of work produced in a limited amount of time is astounding and only reflects the tip of the iceberg of talented and serious artists out there, both amateur and professional.
I haven't seen an equivalent of these art-type competitions here, wonder if it's been tried?
Franklan wrote: ↑Tue Jan 13, 2026 6:57 pm
Sadly, it is not the master piece from the 1970ies... I loved that one...
But one question is left,how did you manage to watch it in/select English? The only option ard.de offers to me is German (and,yes, German subtitles)?
Yes. It’s a remake. And I enjoy both versions. Es ist so schön in den Dales. As I mentioned above I watched it in German.
OK, I watched S01E01 yesterday evening, and I am hooked. I usually despice remakes,but this one works great.
Now that I found out where ARD has the original versions, I am downloading like a mad man (Season 3 will be removed from their servers within a few hours!).
The original first series off All Creatures is available on YT but no later ones sadly.
But the Audiobooks on YT are wonderful, read by Christopher Timothy the original James Herriot actor. Beautiful writing, accents perfect. You'll shiver along as t'vet tramps over frozen fells at 2 a.m. of a winter's night, ending shoulder-deep up some distressed creature's bum....
Franklan wrote: ↑Wed Jan 14, 2026 10:27 am
OK, I watched S01E01 yesterday evening, and I am hooked. I usually despice remakes,but this one works great.
Now that I found out where ARD has the original versions, I am downloading like a mad man (Season 3 will be removed from their servers within a few hours!).
Thanks for pointing it out.
Try https://www.dailymotion.com for the new one (got it there) and archive.org or youtube.com for the original series.
Thanks so much Franky! ARTE have other good English stuff. Wolf Hall! Amazing. I recntly ballsed up all my dodgy UK connections when VPN failed. But have something to watch that will keep me occupied until I figure out how to hoodwink them all again.
snowingagain wrote: ↑Thu Jan 15, 2026 11:00 am
I recntly ballsed up all my dodgy UK connections when VPN failed. But have something to watch that will keep me occupied until I figure out how to hoodwink them all again.
I am not sure if you're talking about social connections or technical connections. If it is the later, I certainly might be able to help...
I loved that one... 
I watched it in the ARD Mediathek. A pair of my British friends were semi-horrified that I watched it in German, but I learned new German words and sayings by doing it and knitted 4 scarves over 6 days (38 hours of binge-watching time!). I view little in English as I’m always in a frantic race to improve my German, whereas my English is excellent, if I do say so myself. 
