All Creatures Great and Small star says new arrival “ruffles feathers”
Rachel Shenton and Nicholas Ralph spoke exclusively with RadioTimes.com about new arrival Mrs Harbottle, played by Neve McIntosh.
As we head back to the Yorkshire Dales for All Creatures Great and Small season 4, fans can expect a few change-ups in the cast, including the arrival of new character Mrs Harbottle.
Mrs Harbottle is played by Neve McIntosh (Doctor Who), and has been described as the "highly efficient bookkeeper" that Siegfried and James bring in as one of the extra pairs of hands to help around the practice.
However, it seems she will also be stirring things up Skeldale House, as the cast revealed when speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com.
Helen star Rachel Shenton said: "Certainly Mrs Harbottle’s arrival is one that ruffles feathers really early on. Siegfried meets her at a dance and brings her back unannounced, so nobody knows who she is and it’s a real shock to everybody. And then we're told that she's coming in to restore order and how they manage things."
She continued: "And at first, I think people think that it’s a good idea, and then very quickly we all realise that we kind of like the obscurities of the way that we run it. And if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But even though she brings friction, she also manages to unite them as well, which is really interesting.
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"She's just such a brilliant actress and it's a really fun character, so everybody's in for a treat with that."
Meanwhile, Nicholas Ralph, who plays James in the series, spoke about the addition of Richard Carmody, played by James Anthony-Rose (Slow Horses, Pennyworth), who is a studious undergraduate vet student who arrives at Skeldale as part of his placement.
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Ralph said: "James thinks 'I'll get a young intern and he'll be a mini me. It'll be absolutely brilliant and I'll take him under my wing. It’ll be fantastic.' But it doesn't go quite as planned. He turns out to be kind of a mini Siegfried and they get on like a house on fire and James feels a bit relegated, and I think even says to Helen at one point: ‘When did I become Tristan?’"
The first trailer for the new season was unveiled last week, and it saw Richard struggling to adapt to countryside living, slipping and falling on what appears to be his first day on the job.
All Creatures Great and Small season 4 will start at 9pm on Thursday 5th October on Channel 5 and My5. If you're looking for something else to watch, visit our TV Guide or take a look at the rest of our Drama coverage.
Like this? You might want to try Outlander. Available now on Lionsgate+.
You can order James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small from Amazon.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
