SEE ALSO:
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
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.
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