All Creatures Great and Small 2020

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All Creatures Great and Small (2020 TV series)

Based on             If Only They Could Talk

by James Herriot

Written by          Ben Vanstone

Directed by        Brian Percival

Original network             Channel 5

PBS

All Creatures Great and Small is an upcoming 2020 television series based upon the books about a Yorkshire vet, written by Alf Wight under the pen name of James Herriot. The series, which also consists of a special Christmas episode, has been filmed in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the publication of the first book in the James Herriot series.

The show revolves around a trio of veterinary surgeons working in the Yorkshire Dales. Siegfried Farnon (described as an "eccentric), reluctantly hires James Herriot into his veterinary practice at Skeldale Hall. Besides Siegfried and James, there is Siegfried's younger brother, Tristan, and Mrs Hall, the housekeeper at Skeldale Hall.

Cast

Nicholas Ralph as James Herriot

Samuel West as Siegfried Farnon

Anna Madeley as Mrs Hall

Callum Woodhouse as Tristan Farnon

Rachel Shenton as Helen Alderson

Diana Rigg, Matthew Lewis and Nigel Havers are also in the series in as yet undisclosed roles.[4]

Production

The series, which was shot in the Yorkshire Dales, is a being produced by Playground Entertainment for Channel 5 in the United Kingdom, and PBS in America. The BBC series which was broadcast between 1978 and 1990, was filmed largely in the northern part of the Dales (Wensleydale and Swaledale), whereas the new series has been filmed further south in the national park (around Nidderdale). Grassington in Wharfedale has been used as the setting for the fictional town of Darrowby (Askrigg was used in the BBC series).

A six-episode series and a Christmas special were filmed in 2019 and also in early 2020.

Channel 5 to revive TV drama All Creatures Great and Small

 This article is more than 8 months old

Series based on James Herriot books about life as a Yorkshire vet given a fresh interpretation

Mark Sweney

@marksweney  Email

Thu 27 Jun 2019 13.10 BSTLast modified on Fri 28 Jun 2019 00.45 BST

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/jun/27/channel-5-to-revive-all-creatures-great-and-small

The television drama All Creatures Great and Small is making a comeback. The series, based on the real-life adventures of the Yorkshire vet James Herriot, originally ran on BBC1 from 1978 to 1990, and is now being given a fresh interpretation by Channel 5.

The six-part series, a co-production with the American broadcaster PBS, is due to start shooting on location in Yorkshire this year. The series, which includes a Christmas special, will air next year to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the original publication of Herriot’s much-loved books.

Sebastian Cardwell, the digital channel controller at Channel 5, said: “James Herriot has a special place in the heart of the public and the commission of this iconic drama series, against the stunning backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales, is set to bring joy to a new army of TV viewers.

“The original books affectionately captured a unique slice of British life. In challenging times we hope the charming and heartwarming stories of community and compassion will resonate with new audiences.”

The production has not yet announced the casting for the lead role. Christopher Timothy played Herriot in the original series, which also starred Robert Hardy, Peter Davison, Lynda Bellingham and Carol Drinkwater. At its peak, All Creatures Great and Small pulled in audiences of more than 13 million.

The new series will be created by Playground, the production company behind the hit dramas Howards End and Wolf Hall, with a promise to remain faithful to the books of Alf Wight, James Herriot’s real name.

 “It is a responsibility we take very seriously,” said Colin Callender, chief executive of Playground. “The series will embrace the fun and nostalgia of revisiting the England of the past, while celebrating Herriot’s values that, despite all our current upheaval, still underpin British life today.”

The bucolic depiction of country life seems a far cry from the Channel 5 of old, the former home of Big Brother. Its schedule was once described as “films, football and fucking”.

However, the broadcaster has made a return to quality drama in the past year under Ben Frow, Channel 5’s director of programmes. This includes Cold Call, which is set in a woman’s prison, and 15 Days, a murder mystery set at a Welsh farmhouse.

In 2010, the BBC commissioned a three-part series, Young James, based on the earlier years of Herriot’s career. It was filmed and set in Glasgow, the city where Wight learned his trade.