'All Creatures Great and Small' Returns for Season 5! First Look + Premiere Date

There are plenty of TV-G shows out there but it is sometimes difficult to find one the whole family can enjoy. Shows that have found family-friendly fans from young to old include When Calls the Heart, Little House on the Prairie and The Great British Baking Show. MASTERPIECE on PBS also offers a lot of family-friendly content including a fifth season of All Creatures Great and Small.

Returning to the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, All Creatures Great and Small Season 5 continues with timeless tales and heart-warming stories. The new season picks up in the midst of World War II.

With the birth of their first child, Helen (Rachel Shenton) must deal with being a single parent while James (Nicholas Ralph) is away serving in the British military. Read on for more about the new season of All Creatures Great and Small.

What is All Creatures Great and Small about?

All Creatures Great and Small is based on real-life veterinarian James Alfred Wight, who under the pen name James Herriot, documented his experiences with animals and their owners in the fictional small town of Darrowby, England.

Is All Creatures Great and Small based on a true story?

Yes! Set in the Yorkshire Dales, All Creatures Great and Small is adapted from a series of books (If Only They Could Talk being the first book) written by James Alfred “Alf” Wight about Wight’s experiences as a veterinary surgeon in the 1930s to 1950s. The books spawned the movie All Creatures Great and Small in 1975 and a sequel in 1976. A TV series of the same name debuted in 1978 on BBC and ran for 90 episodes until 1990. The current PBS series is a prequel series to the events in the original book and series.

Is there a Christmas episode for Season 5 of All Creatures Great and Small?

Yes! The Christmas special of All Creatures Great and Small premieres on Monday, Dec. 23 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS.

When will Season 5 of All Creatures Great and Small premiere?

The regular season of All Creatures Great and Small will premiere on Sunday, Jan. 12 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS with a new season of Miss Scarlet as a lead in at 8 p.m. ET. You can also stream episodes with a PBS Passport or PBS subscription on the Masterpiece Amazon Prime channel.

Related: Miss Scarlet Returns But Without A Major Character! Find Out Who and Check Out First Look Images!

Meet the cast of All Creatures Great and Small

Nicholas Ralph (James Herriot)

James is hired by Siegfried Farnon to be an additional veterinarian in his growing practice in Darrowby in the Yorkshire Dales. During his time there, he falls for Helen who becomes engaged to another man.

Newcomer Nicholas Ralph landed his first TV role as James Herriot just two years after graduating from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Ralph had been engaged in theater work before auditioning for All Creatures Great and Small. Born in South Africa, Ralph grew up in Scotland and visited his cousins in the U.S. when he was a child.

Like his character on All Creatures Great and Small, Ralph is Scottish and it’s his real Scottish lilt you hear on the show.

Rachel Shenton (Helen Alderson)

Helen is a farmer’s daughter who is instantly attracted to James. In the first season, she was dating (and eventually engaged to) Hugh (Matthew Lewis) when she first meets James. On the day of her nuptials, she’s gets cold feet and calls off the wedding just as James rides into to town to stop the wedding himself.

American audiences might recognize Shenton from her role as Lily Summers on ABC Family’s 2011 series, Switched At Birth. Between work and school, Shenton volunteered at Deaflinks, a nonprofit organization in England for the hearing impaired. She co-produced a short film, The Silent Child with her husband, Chris Overton based on her experiences growing up with a parent who was deaf. The film won Best Live Action Short Film at the 90th Academy Awards in 2018. In keeping a promise to Maisie Sly, who plays the titular character in the film and is also deaf, Shenton signed her acceptance speech. Watch The Silent Child here.

Samuel West (Siegfried Farnon)

Siegfried is the elder Farnon brother and the town’s most experienced vet. He brings James into his growing veterinary practice.

West has appeared in such films as Howard’s End, Notting Hill and Van Helsing. On television, he has appeared on Midsomer Murders, Mr. Selfridge and The Crown.

Related: Relax on the Italian Seaside in PBS’ Period Drama, Hotel Portofino

Callum Woodhouse (Tristan Farnon) 

Tristan is Siegfried’s younger brother and an assistant at the practice. In the first season, believing he had passed his medical exams, Tristan is looking to upstage his brother as the best vet in town only to find out Siegfried had been lying about his failing test scores. At the end of Season 3, Tristan left to serve in the war and was absent from the show for all of Season 4. Callum Woodhouse, returns to the role for season 5.

Woodhouse is best known for playing Leslie Durrell for four seasons on the series The Durrells.

Anna Madeley (Mrs. Hall)

Mrs. Hall is the caretaker of the Farnon household.

Madeley has appeared in many productions on television and stage, including The Crown, Mr. Selfridge and Poirot.

Patricia Hodge (Mrs. Pumphrey) and Derek (Tricki Woo)

The eccentric Mrs. Pumphrey and her dog, Tricki, will make their presence known again in Season 4. The character was originally played by Dame Diana Rigg in Season 1. Hodge took over after Rigg died just a week after the show premiered in the U.S.

James Anthony-Rose (Richard Carmody)

Richard is an undergrad vet student who comes to the Dales to learn under James and Siegfried. Anthony-Rose previously appeared in Slow Horses and Pennyworth.

Related: Get the Scoop on Season 5 of Slow Horses

How many seasons are there of All Creatures Great and Small?

There are currently five seasons of the show.

Will there be a Season 6 of All Creatures Great and Small?

Yes! PBS Masterpiece picked up the series for Seasons 5 and 6!

What cast will be returning for Seasons 5 and 6 of All Creatures Great and Small?

The entire cast is set to return, including Callum Woodhouse, who plays Tristan Farnon on the show.

Where is All Creatures Great and Small filmed?

All Creatures Great and Small is filmed in Yorkshire county in northern England.

Have they begun filming Season 6 of All Creatures Great and Small?

There’s no word yet on filming for Season 6. The show typically films two seasons at the same time so it’s likely production has already wrapped on Season 6 of All Creatures Great and Small.

What will happen in Season 5 of All Creatures Great and Small?

The world is in the midst of a war and even those living far, far away from it are affected. James is off serving as a pilot while Tristan has been fighting on the front lines. Despite there being a war, the vets of Yorkshire Dales must continue treating animals and livestock that come into their care.

The episode titles are:

Episode 501 – “To All Our Boys”
Episode 502 – “Holding the Baby”
Episode 503 – “Homecoming”
Episode 504 – “Univited Guests”
Episode 505 – “Pair Bond”
Episode 506 – “Glass Half Full”

Check out this preview for season 5 of All Creatures Great and Small.

How to watch Season 1-4 of All Creatures Great and Small

The first four seasons of All Creatures Great and Small can be streamed on pbs.org with a PBS Passport. You can also purchase or rent episodes on sites like Amazon or iTunes.

UPDATED: For a limited time (now through Dec. 23), viewers in the U.S. can watch the first four seasons for free on the PBS app.

How many episodes of All Creatures Great and Small are there?

There are six episodes each of the four seasons with an additional Christmas episode for each season totaling 28 episodes. Seasons 5 and 6 will also contain the same number of episodes— six each plus the bonus Christmas episodes.

What channel is All Creatures Great and Small on?

All Creatures Great and Small is on your local PBS station.

Related: Sanditon Is Here for Final Season 3! Here’s What We Know and If There’s a Season 4!

How can I watch All Creatures Great and Small?

You can watch new episodes of All Creatures Great and Small on PBS (check local listings). Alternatively, you can purchase individual episodes or watch the show through subscriptions on PBS Passport, Amazon Prime Video, Apple+ TV and other streaming services.

Is there bonus material for season 5 of All Creatures Great and Small?

Sign up for the PBS Insider e-newsletter for All Creatures Great and Small. You’ll get episode-themed newsletters with exclusive video, interviews, and behind-the-scenes sneak peeks. Go to pbs.org/allcreaturesinsider to sign up.

Is there a trailer for season 5 of All Creatures Great and Small?

Take a look at this preview for Season 5 of All Creatures Great and Small.

Check out these images from Season 5 of All Creatures Great and Small

We only have a handful of images from Season 5 currently, but be sure to check back here for updates.

Next: Find Out Where the Duke is on Miss Scarlet Season 5