All Creatures Great and Small (2020 TV series)

Lore & Background

The show revolves around a trio of vets working in the Yorkshire Dales in the late 1930s. Siegfried Farnon hires James Herriot for his veterinary practice at Skeldale House, alongside Siegfried's younger brother Tristan and housekeeper Mrs Hall. The first series, consisting of six episodes and a special Christmas episode, was filmed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the publication of the first book in the James Herriot series. It premiered in the UK on Channel 5 on 1 September 2020. Following a second series in late 2021, the programme was renewed for two further series, each comprising six episodes and a Christmas special. Filming on the third series began in March 2022, and the first episode aired in the UK on 15 September 2022 and in the US on 8 January 2023. The fourth series began airing on 5 October 2023 in the UK and on 7 January 2024 in the US. In 2024, the series was renewed for a fifth and sixth series, and Callum Woodhouse returned as Tristan Farnon. The fifth series began airing on 19 September 2024 in the UK. In November 2025, it was announced that the series was again renewed for a seventh and eighth series.

Reader's Guide

The series is significant as a modern adaptation of the beloved James Herriot books, bringing the stories to a new generation. It was filmed in the Yorkshire Dales, often around Nidderdale, with the village of Grassington used for the fictional Darrowby. Significant changes were made from the source material, such as Siegfried Farnon being shown as a heartbroken widower and a dramatically increased role for Mrs Hall, who has been reimagined as a young, live-in housekeeper. The role of Helen was also greatly expanded. Actor Nicholas Ralph used his Scottish accent for the role of James Herriot, unlike the neutral speech used in the original BBC series. The production used animal prosthetics and well-trained animals for many scenes, with Ralph receiving training in veterinary procedures for authenticity. The series has been renewed through eight series, indicating its continued popularity.

Did You Know?

• Actor Nicholas Ralph used his Scottish accent for James Herriot, while the original BBC series actor was instructed to keep his speech neutral.
• The production used animal prosthetics, such as a fully functional back end of a cow, for some scenes.
• The village of Grassington in Upper Wharfedale was used for the fictional village of Darrowby.

A Legacy of Adaptations

The 2020 Channel 5 series represents the latest chapter in a long tradition of bringing Alf Wight's veterinary memoirs to the small screen. Writing under the pen name James Herriot, Wight chronicled the daily life of a Yorkshire veterinary surgeon in the 1930s and 1940s. Before this iteration, the BBC produced a 90-episode run spanning 1978 to 1990, and various films and other television adaptations followed. The new Playground Entertainment production was deliberately timed to mark the 50th anniversary of the first book's publication, premiering in the UK on 1 September 2020. Its longevity has been striking: after a second series in late 2021, the programme was renewed for two further series in January 2022, with filming on the third beginning in March of that year. By 2024, the show had been extended again for a fifth and sixth series, and in November 2025, a seventh and eighth series were confirmed, with Callum Woodhouse returning as Tristan Farnon throughout the run.

Reimagining the Characters

While the 2020 series draws on Wight's original narratives, it introduces notable departures from both the source material and the earlier BBC adaptation. Siegfried Farnon, played by Samuel West, is presented as a heartbroken widower rather than the character depicted in the books. Mrs Hall, portrayed by Anna Madeley, has been reimagined as a young, live-in housekeeper with a warmer personality than her literary counterpart. Helen Alderson, played by Rachel Shenton, receives a greatly expanded role as a farmer's daughter who falls in love with James and eventually marries him. The core trio of vets—Siegfried, James (Nicholas Ralph), and Tristan (Callum Woodhouse)—anchors the narrative at Skeldale House. Supporting characters add depth: Mollie Winnard's barmaid Maggie has an off-and-on romance with Tristan before marrying another man, while recurring figures like Mrs Pumphrey and her Pekingese Tricki Woo provide continuity across series. In series four and five, James Anthony-Rose steps in as Richard Carmody, a vet who replaces Tristan after he volunteers for the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.

Authenticity and Animal Work

Nicholas Ralph undertook extensive preparation for his portrayal of James Herriot, researching Wight's life and even meeting the author's son and daughter, Jim and Rosie. They noted that Wight served as an observer to the larger-than-life personalities of Donald and Brian (the real Siegfried and Tristan), making Ralph's task particularly demanding. On-set veterinary adviser Andy Barrett guided the cast through hands-on training with horses, sheep, and cows, including learning proper stethoscope technique on a cow's heart, lungs, and stomach. Despite this, Ralph acknowledged that for roughly ninety percent of animal scenes, the creatures were absent, replaced by prosthetics—such as a fully functional cow's back end—or carefully selected, well-trained animals. A calf birth sequence was filmed separately and spliced seamlessly into the main footage. Ralph also chose to use his natural Scottish accent, a deliberate contrast to Christopher Timothy, who was instructed to keep his speech neutral in the original BBC series for broader accessibility.

Production and Setting

Filmed in the Yorkshire Dales with funding from Screen Yorkshire, the series grounds its narrative in the late 1930s Northern England countryside. The production was made by Playground Entertainment for Channel 5, and each series consists of six episodes plus a Christmas special. The show's domestic and professional setting centers on Skeldale House, where the three vets practice and live alongside their housekeeper. The era is further enriched by recurring local figures: Tony Pitts plays Richard Alderson, Helen's father; Imogen Clawson portrays her sister Jenny, an aspiring nurse; and Will Thorp appears as Gerald Hammond, a local man who grows close to Mrs Hall across multiple series. The New York Times observed that Donald Sinclair, the real-life inspiration for Siegfried, possessed more rough edges than his fictional counterpart, noting his real-life eccentricity such as discharging a shotgun during a dinner party to signal it was time for guests to leave.