All Creatures Great and Small renewed for series 5 and 6 as popular actor Callum Woodhouse prepares to return as Tristan Farnon

The news means that the cast and crew of All Creatures Great and Small will soon be heading back to the Yorkshire Dales to shoot on location for the hit adaptation by BAFTA award-winning production company Playground, based on the best-selling novels of real-life Thirsk vet Alf Wight, who wrote under the pen-name James Herriot.

Channel 5 says that Callum Woodhouse will return as Tristan Farnon - head vet Siegfried Farnon’s mischievous younger brother, who has been away serving in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps - when he makes an unexpected reappearance later in series five.

Meanwhile, it is confirmed that Nicholas Ralph will return for the fifth series as James Herriot, with Rachel Shenton back as his wife, Helen Herriot, and Samuel West reprising his role as the capricious and irascible Siegfried. Anna Madeley returns as Mrs Hall, housekeeper and matriarch of Skeldale House, while James Anthony-Rose reappears as young vet Richard Carmody. Also confirmed is Patricia Hodge as the wonderful Mrs Pumphrey, alongside her pampered Pekingese Tricki.

Channel 5 also said that the two new series will consist, as before, of six 60-minute episodes, plus the Christmas Specials. Season four ended in the UK with the Channel 5 Christmas 2023 episode, set at Christmas 1940, with James making it home from his RAF training to Darrowby the morning after Helen had given birth to their son, little James (or Jim).

It is thought that filming will start soon in the Yorkshire Dales where, since 2020, Grassington has been dressed up to become Darrowby for periods throughout the spring and summer, with shop frontages changed and architectural details added to give a yesteryear look. Other locations used have included Arncliffe for the back of Skeldale House, Yockenthwaite for the Alderson farm, Broughton Hall for Mrs Pumphrey’s house, plus Sawley and a host of other scenic spots throughout the Yorkshire Dales and Moors. There has also been significant investment in production in Yorkshire, with a new set built at the Summerbridge studios for The Drovers pub, which featured prominently in the festive outing.

All Creatures Great and Small is a staple in the Channel 5 schedule, and is the channel’s most popular series. Series four, which aired from October 2023, saw 4.4 million viewers tune in across the run as it grew its audience share further.

Sir Colin Callender CBE, executive producer and CEO of Playground, said: “Kindness and decency are increasingly rare qualities these days, so it is a blessing to be able to return to the sanctuary of Skeldale House and James Herriot’s beloved characters who represent all that is the best in us. There are no villains in All Creatures - just everyday folk trying to get through the day with dignity with the help of a supportive community, family and friends. It’s a lesson for modern times.”

Susanne Simpson, executive producer for MASTERPIECE, which on PBS in the US co-produces with global partner All3Media International, added: “It is such a joy to share the news of two more seasons of All Creatures Great and Small. We’re also particularly happy to welcome back Callum Woodhouse as Tristan to this incredible ensemble of actors.”

Also returning for series five are writers Debbie O’Malley (Payback, The Guilty) who will write episodes 1 and 6 and Maxine Alderton (All Creatures Great and Small, Doctor Who) who will write episodes 2 and 4. They are joined by writers Matt Evans (Phoenix Rise, A Town Called Malice) who will write episode 3 and Robin French (Cuckoo, The Great) will write episode 5. Brian Percival (All Creatures Great and Small, Dark Angel) returns as lead director and executive producer of Episodes 1 and 2, Stewart Svaasand (Tin Star, Outlander) returns to direct episodes 3 & 4, and Andy Hay (All Creatures Great and Small, The Last Kingdom) will direct Episodes 5, 6 and the Christmas Special. Yvonne Francas (The Syndicate, Our Girl) also returns as producer.

Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, Drama, Channel 5 and Paramount+ said: “We’re so pleased that All Creatures Great and Small will be returning to Channel 5 for two more series. The show has captured the hearts of our audiences and we are committed to bringing even more of James Herriot’s unforgettable stories to our viewers. We can’t wait to share this next chapter.”

The Channel 5 reboot of All Creatures launched in 2020. The first season saw James land at Skeldale House in Darrowby (filmed in Grassington) in 1937. Each of the following three seasons has been set a year later.

James Alfred Wight OBE FRCVS was a veterinary surgeon who graduated from Glasgow Veterinary College at the age of 23. He headed to a veterinary practice in Thirsk, Yorkshire, in 1940 where he fell in love with the Dales and the woman he would marry, Joan Danbury. Wight later wrote stories based on his own adventures as a young country vet, under the pen name James Herriot, quickly becoming one of Britain’s best-loved authors. Never out of print, the books have become a global cultural phenomenon with devoted fans around the world. With a sharp focus on community and its importance in our lives, Channel 5 says that Herriot’s world and spirit is a very much needed antidote to the challenges of our modern times, transporting viewers to a gentle past, populated with wonderfully observed characters, adding: “The series reminds us all that belonging to a community makes us part of something much greater than ourselves.”