All Creatures Great and Small star Samuel West has opened up about his father Timothy West's reaction to his performance in the Channel 5 drama.
Chatting to HELLO! and other journalists at a round table ahead of the Christmas special, Samuel, who plays Siegfried Farnon, revealed whether his father would appear as a guest star in the future if the show were to be renewed.
When asked if his parents critique his acting on the show, Samuel joked: "I don't get as many notes as I used to. It's mostly about my dad wondering when we're going to invite him to be in the show.
"He put a hand on my knee and said 'terrific' after last year's episode," the actor added.
© Dan Wooller/ShutterstockOn whether fans can expect a cameo from Timothy any time soon, Sam quipped: "He's quite busy and he's not cheap!"
The 57-year-old, whose mother is actress Prunella Scales, also revealed how much it meant to him to hear his father praise the drama. "When I was 14 I remember watching him in The Monocled Mutineer and I just said to him, 'If I ever become an actor and I'm half as good as you are in this, then I'll be happy'," he said.
"I've admired both [parents'] performances for so long so if they think I'm doing ok, of course that means a lot."
© Channel 5In the upcoming Christmas special, which airs on Thursday 21 December, James Herriot is away at the RAF training base whilst his pregnant wife Helen is back at home in Skeldale House with Siegfried and Mrs Hall.
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"Helen is due to visit James and she's desperate to see him but she's had a couple of twinges and is just generally feeling unwell," said actress Rachel Shenton. "Siegfried and Mrs Hall play the mum and dad figures in the house at that point and contribute to the decision that it's best for Helen to stay where she is.
"She is desperate for that connection with him but nature got involved there and it wasn't to be," she added.
© Channel 5Meanwhile, James is "called into action" at the RAF base to treat the injured mascot. "The mascot at the RAF base is unwell," explained James actor Nicholas Ralph. "James has been called into action to try and help this bird because the men who are flying are getting a little bit uneasy without the mascot flying. So he's called into action to try and help the situation."
While James is keen to fulfill his duty, he's also desperate to get home to Helen. "It's a long time to be away from your significant other and he misses Helen hugely," said Nicholas.
"When he signed up, Helen wasn't pregnant, things were very, very different. And if she was back then, who knows what decision he would have made?"
The Christmas special arrives on Channel 5 on Thursday 21 December at 9pm.
