All Creatures Great and Small's Siegfried sheepish after awkward James encounter
"I think he's having a bit of a midlife crisis."
When Mrs Hall returned to Skeldale House in the opening episode of All Creatures Great and Small season 6, you might have thought Siegfried would finally stop behaving like a teenager let loose from parental supervision for the first time.
But after last week's antics — turning up late to an appointment with a client having woken on the sofa in yesterday's clothes, whisky bottle to one side and a woman buried beneath a coat on the other — we regret to inform you all that he's at it again.
In a clip shared exclusively with RadioTimes.com ahead of episode 2, Siegfried is spotted trundling down a country lane, yet again in yesterday's outfit, minus a show, as he heads home from an all-night bridge game, supposedly, with yet another woman – when James happens to drive past.
On clocking his business partner's sorry state, he promptly reverses for answers – and a good laugh. But Siegfried, who tried doubling back on himself to dodge the encounter, remains largely tight-lipped.
You can watch the full clip at the top of this page.
"In the three or four years since we last saw him, he's turned 50, and I think he's having a bit of a midlife crisis," Samuel West said of his character's behaviour ahead of season 6.
"We finished season 5 with the sinking of HMS Repulse. Now we see someone whose increasingly effortful attempts to hold Skeldale House together – or the people in it, which is the same thing really – have failed, and he's gone a bit off the rails.
"He drinks too much, he's neglecting his work, and he's found with different people asleep on his sofa. And, of course, being Siegfried, he insists everything is perfectly fine. He has a great fear of being abandoned, which he does get to talk about – a dangerous thing for someone who doesn’t do well on his own, and whose behaviour, in any case, sometimes pushes people away."
Read more:
- In All Creatures Great and Small season 6, Mrs Hall and Siegfried's relationship remains as complex as ever
- All Creatures Great and Small actor teases that "things aren't all OK" with Tristan in season 6
Season 6 picks up with the "beloved Skeldale gang... in 1945", just as the war officially draws to a close.
"We arrive back in Darrowby to veterinary advancements, expanded families, and new faces as they all look ahead to a brighter and more peaceful future," reads the official synopsis.
And in typical All Creatures fashion, you can also expect plenty more "heartwarming human and animal tales".
All Creatures Great and Small season 6 airs on Thursdays at 9pm on 5. Seasons 1-5 are available to watch on My5. You can order James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small from Amazon.
Add All Creatures Great and Small Series 6 to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
