Hit Channel 5 drama’s return date confirmed after double commission from bosses
CHANNEL 5’s All Creatures Great and Small is returning to screens in two weeks.
The series, which is a reboot of the original ‘70s show of the same name, first aired in September 2020 and has quickly developed a devoted fan base.
All Creatures Great and Small is returning to Channel 5 for a fifth series this month, but it received a double commission and series 6 is also in the works.
On the exciting double series order, Paul Testar, commissioning editor of Drama at 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 series is, of course, based on the bestselling collection of stories by author and real-life vet James Herriot, and there are plenty more stories left to tell.
Picking up from the event of the dramatic 2023 Christmas Special – where James sadly missed the birth of his son – All Creatures Great and Small takes viewers back to Yorkshire for more dales drama on Thursday 19th September.
The latest series is set in Spring 1941 in Darrowby where young baby Jimmy keeps our favourite Skeldale House family on their toes.
According to the official synopsis: “Helen is getting the hang of motherhood with James away at RAF Abingdon.”
Meanwhile, “Mrs Hall and Siegfried are enjoying having a little one around, and Carmody is now part of the furniture.”
“With World War II now fully underway, Siegfried is taking up the slack at the surgery, Mrs Hall and Helen are considering their contribution within the community, and Carmody is eager to step up.”
Episode 1 of series 5 will air at 9pm on Channel 5 and My5.
It’s set to be a dramatic one as the effects of World War II are felt by the Darrowby community.
In episode one, “Mrs Hall and Helen attend a community meeting about the local war effort. Siegfried is under pressure to keep the surgery going in James and Tristan’s absence and leans on Carmody for more help.”
Meanwhile, James is still away at RAF Abingdon preparing for an important flight training with his crew – but James is unexpectedly grounded.
James will then undergo a medical examination which reveals “some surprising and disappointing news.”
Top Channel 5 dramas
Channel 5 has become a hub for gripping drama, these are some of the best My5 has to offer.
- All Creatures Great and Small – Based on the best-selling novels by real-life vet Alf Wright, the show revolves around a trio of vets working in the Yorkshire Dales in the late 1930s. Eccentric Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West) hires James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) for his veterinary practice at Skeldale House alongside himself and his younger brother Tristan (Callum Woodhouse). There James settles into his new life and even finds love with local farmer’s daughter Helen (Rachel Shenton).
- The Ex-Wife – New parents Tasha (Céline Buckens) and Jack (Tom Misson) seem to have the perfect life, but the constant presence of Jack’s overly friendly but suspicious ex-wife Jen (Janet Montgomery) puts pressure on the couple. But as the series progresses it becomes less clear who the bad guy really is and how far everyone will go to get the life they think they deserve.
- Heat – EastEnders alum Danny Dyer leads this four-part action thriller, set in Australia, which sees two families holidaying together during bushfire season. But instead of rest and relaxation, secrets and lies start to unravel — and not everyone will make it out alive…
- Lie With Me – Another soap legend jets off to Australia, this time its EastEnders alum Charlie Brooks who takes as a married woman trying to saving her marriage by moving halfway around the world after her husband had an affair. However it’s far from plain sailing, as a young and attractive live-in nanny comes to work with the Fallmont family, and tensions soon build and eventually, someone ends up dead.
- The Drowning – Jill Halfpenny plays Jodie, a woman whose life is shattered following the disappearance of her beloved four-year-old son, Daniel. However, ten years later, the grieving mother thinks she’s finally found her missing child, and embarks on a journey to discover the truth about him. But has she really just found the son she has been missing for so long?
He initially decides to stay the course at RAF training, but his “dismay only deepens when the flight he should have been piloting comes under enemy fire.”
Unable to fly, James is sent to do farm labour, but his job description quickly changes when a cow is having a difficult calving.
Ultimately, it proves to be just what James needed as he “is reinvigorated, remembering his purpose as a vet.”
The main cast will all be reprising their roles for the upcoming fifth season.
This includes Nicholas Ralph as vet James Herriot, Samuel West as Siegfried Farnon, Anna Madeley as Mrs Hall, Rachel Shenton as Helen Herriot, Patricia Hodge as Mrs Pumphrey, and series 4 newcomer James Anthony Rose as Richard Carmody.
Callum Woodhouse is also returning to the cast for series 5.
Callum, who plays beloved vet Triston Farnon, was absent from the show’s fourth season.
The character was missing because he was called up to serve in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.
However, it has not been confirmed that he’ll be making his way back to Yorkshire soon.
Channel 5 confirmed Tristan will make an “unexpected return later in the series,” but it won’t be without some drama.
“Siegfried is keen to have everyone back, but Tristan’s surprise return won’t be quite as straightforward as he hoped,” the synopsis teases.
Series 5 of All Creatures Great and Small premieres on Thursday 19 September, with episodes airing weekly. Series 1-4 are available to stream on My5, with limited episodes also on Netflix.