New All Creatures Great and Small season is ‘great advert’ for Yorkshire

The second season of All Creatures Great and Small, which premieres tonight, has been described as a “great advert” for Yorkshire.
The second season of All Creatures Great and Small premieres tonightThe second season of All Creatures Great and Small premieres tonight
The second season of All Creatures Great and Small premieres tonight

Various locations in the Yorkshire Dales provide the backdrop for the six-episode series of the hit Channel 5 show, which is based on the memoirs of iconic vet Alf Wight, who wrote under the pseudonym James Herriot.

Set three months later, in spring 1938, it sees Mr Herriot, who is played by Nicholas Ralph, travel home to Glasgow to help out his old mentor and see his family. But when he returns to the Dales he has to confront his complicated feelings for Helen Alderson, who is played by Rachel Shenton.

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The team at Screen Yorkshire, who provided funding and support for the production, say the crew filmed at various locations including Grassington, which is used as the fictional village of Darrowby, Broughton Hall in Skipton, The Ritz Cinema in Thirsk, The Tetley in Leeds, Studley Royal Cricket Club in Harrogate and The North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Chief executive Sally Joynson said: ‘’We were thrilled with the reception to ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ when it returned to the screen last year.

“The warmth and humour of James Herriott’s characters, set against the backdrop of the glorious Yorkshire Dales, seemed to hit the spot with audiences both in the UK and US.’’

‘’The series is such a great advert for the region. Our financial investment reaps returns beyond the job created and production spend of the drama, to its potential for attracting visitors to Yorkshire for many years to come.”

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Ms Shenton said she was “absolutely thrilled” to return for the second series but bad weather in the Yorkshire Dales proved to be a challenge.

She said: “I had thermals on all the time, we all had hand warmers, none of us could believe it.

“We were so excited to be shooting in the Spring, we shot at Heston Grange (The Alderson’s farm) at the beginning of April and the wonderful man that runs the farm is now a friend.

“I said ‘Well Stuart the next time we are up here, it will be May, so the weather’s going to be better then!’ and he just laughed and said ‘Lass, you’ve not spent much time in’t Dales.’ and he was spot on.

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“We didn’t have nice weather until we were into June, but when the sun has come out, it’s been perfect. However, we have had lots of scenes where we have been holding lambs and they’re just gorgeous, so that makes the weather troubles easier.”