All Creatures' Samuel West says Siegfried's behaviour with Dorothy puts "strain" on Mrs Hall relationship

A certain section of the All Creatures Great and Small fandom has long wondered if the 5 period drama will ever develop a romance between Siegfried and Mrs Hall. But for the time being, the vet is seemingly settled in his relationship with Dorothy, a friend of Mrs Hall's who returned from Malta in last year's Christmas special.

The pair had shared a kiss previously before she left Darrowby, with any hope of a relationship quickly evaporating. But this time Dorothy is staying put, which means they can finally make a proper go of things, courtesy of some necessary guidance from Mrs Hall.

But naturally, Siegfried's reliance on her does complicate matters.

"I think 'evolve' is the right word," said Samuel West when asked how Siegfried's relationship with the housekeeper develops in season 7. "I'm not sure if it necessarily progresses, but it does evolve.

"Principally, she's a check on his more selfish behaviour. Siegfried is very often ahead of people in the way he thinks. His own mind will race ahead of the situation and react as if everybody else is absolutely up to speed, and sometimes they’re not, he's left them all behind and confused.

"But while he may be ahead in his thoughts, he's almost always behind in his emotions. He very rarely knows what he feels about things and sometimes discovers it weeks, and series, after the audience, which is interesting and a pleasure to play."

While fun for West to play, however, it's far from fun for poor Dorothy and the likes of Mrs Hall, who's invested in her friend's wellbeing.

"In this case, Mrs Hall is Dorothy’s dear friend and she introduced us, so she wants the relationship to work for her own reasons," explained West.

"When I'm neglectful of Dorothy, she's annoyed, as she would be and as she should be. That puts a strain on our relationship, but it should. It leaves me disappointing her, which I don't like, obviously."

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But despite Siegfried's tendency to spiral, we meet the vet and his new beau on good terms, for the time being.

"I think we're in the honeymoon period," he revealed. "We're dating, we're walking out and it's lovely. We don’t have exactly similar tastes, but we're willing to indulge one another.

"Even when she dismisses Gilbert and Sullivan, I'm going, 'Well, that's interesting.'"

But, as West teases, Siegfried will eventually 'do a Siegfried', which has consequences.

"I think it's all great until I start taking her for granted," he said. "I don't think that’s a function of Siegfried's thoughtlessness, and it's certainly not a function of his malice. I think something subconscious makes itself felt in his behaviour towards Dorothy, which brings on a really honest appraisal of what’s going on."

But while it's not set to be smooth sailing for the couple, it was a different picture behind the scenes.

"As ever, playing with Maimie [McCoy] was a real pleasure" he continued. "It seems extraordinary that she was away for five years, from Series 1 to series 6. It was like she'd hardly been away."

West also praised her acting ability, describing her as "extraordinarily good".

"I loved working with her and we had some very good scenes together," he added. "At the beginning, as I said, an attractive, intelligent, stylish, funny woman is looking at me with great regard and possibly love. Who wouldn’t be blooming under that sort of regard?"

Season 7 of All Creatures Great and Small opens in 1946, with "Skeldale House once again full – and livelier than ever – as familiar faces reunite under one roof and look ahead to a hopeful new chapter".

According to the logline, "James is excited about new developments in veterinary medicine, but a new vet in the area (pictured above) threatens the status quo.

"The world at large may be changing, but inside this slice of Yorkshire, the Dales will always offer the same perfect escapism. Packed with warmth, humour and community spirit, the series brings more heartwarming tales of people and animals alike."

Retuning cast includes Nicholas Ralph as James Herriot, Samuel West as Siegfried Farnon, Anna Madeley as Mrs Hall, Rachel Shenton as Helen Herriot and Callum Woodhouse as Tristan Farnon.

Also reprising their roles are Patricia Hodge as Mrs Pumphrey, her beloved pooch Tricki, Tony Pitts as Helen's father Richard, Imogen Clawson as her sister Jenny, Maimie McCoy as Dorothy, Mollie Winnard as Maggie and Gaia Wise as Charlotte.

Caolan McCarthy has also joined the cast as rival vet, Granville Bennett, alongside a raft of new guest stars.

All Creatures Great and Small seasons 1-6 are available to stream on 5, with season 7 coming soon.

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