Find out more about season 3 of All Creatures Great and Small, including the cast, where they filmed the TV series, and also more about the previous adaptations of James Herriot's books.
When James (aka Alf Wight) first sat down to write about the uncooperative cows, gruff farmers with bewildering accents and funny village life around his North Yorkshire practice, little did he realise that half a century later, millions of fans would still be talking about his tales.
James Herriot’s If Only They Could Talk, the first of his many semi-autobiographical novels, was published 50 years ago this year, but since then, his stories have continued to be told.
His books have never gone out of print, selling 60 million copies internationally. There’s also been countless dramatic adaptations of his stories, from the 1975 film, the much-loved 1978-1990 BBC drama, to the new version of the show released earlier this year.
All Creatures Great and Small Season 3
We caught up with actors Nicholas Ralph who plays vet James Herriot, Callum Woodhouse (Tristan Farnon) and Rachel Shenton (Helen Alderson) to find out what this third season of All Creatures Great and Small has in store for us when it hits screens on 15 September.
It's an open secret that James and Helen get married in All Creatures Great and Small season 3.
Producer Ben Vanstone adds,"In season three, Helen and James have become engaged, so I think it’s fair to say there may be a marriage on the horizon, perhaps. It's 1939, so it will come as no surprise that war is looming and that will increasingly cast a shadow over our characters’ lives.
"Ultimately, our show is about Darrowby and the world of the Yorkshire Dales and the farmers within it."
While the trailer (see below) has given us a sneak peak at Helen's wedding dress, we can't wait to see the full costume – it's certainly a change from Helen's usual practical outfits.
“Helen loves dungarees, corduroys and two-pieces," says Rachel. "Some of Helen’s clothes are originals from the Thirties while others, such the wedding dress she wears when she marries James in this series, were specially made.”
Callum also loves the outfits he gets to wear as Tristan, “I really love his clothes,” he says. “I wished men still dressed like him. I’d like to wear his suits in real life. They are mainly hired but a couple of his signature tank tops were actually knitted for me and sent in by viewers. I’m thinking of wearing them as myself – perhaps to a Sunday brunch or something.”
Callum says one of his favourite scenes in this series is when he is woken up by Tristan’s Labrador, Jess – played by canine actor George – licking his face. “I smeared cheese paste on my cheek; it worked a treat,” he laughs.
Top dog is, of course Tricky Woo, Mrs Pumphrey’s Pekingese pooch, played by doggy actor, Derek.
“He’s a natural,” says Nicholas. “He seems to perform on cue. One minute he’s being quiet in the background and then when the camera’s on him and Patricia Hodge, who plays Mrs Pumphrey, starts talking to him, he’ll start doing his little grumbles and making his unique Tricky noises.”
Talking of food, Rachel, Callum and Nicholas get a little misty-eyed when talking about the grub that’s served up when the residents of Skeldale House sit down for a Full English, High Tea or Sunday Roast.
“It’s just delicious and you can’t stop eating it,” says Rachel (34).
“Often when the scene’s been wrapped up, we all still carry on eating. I put on weight during filming because of the delicious farmhouse-style food and I had to go on a bit of a detox afterwards,” adds Callum (28).
Nicholas (32) also over-indulged on one occasion. “While Cal was the one who really got stuck into the Yorkshire puddings, I remember being absolutely starving while we were filming one particular scene around the kitchen table. It was groaning with loads of fresh bread, local cheese and pork pies, and I just couldn’t stop eating. I was absolutely stuffed by the end of the scene!”
All Creatures Great and Small 2021 series
A hit with viewers, the beloved TV show returned to our screens in 2021 for a second season.
Episode 1 of season 2 aired on 16 September and just like the first season there were six episodes altogether, which will air on Channel 5 at 9PM, as well as another Christmas special.
During the second season of the show three months have passed since the events of series one. A trip back home to Glasgow presents James with a dilemma that will mean choosing between the people he loves. As Helen and James navigate their feelings for one another, Siegfried, Tristan, and Mrs Hall are also forced to consider their places in the world, while James must ultimately decide between duty and love.
Many familiar faces from season 1 returned in season 2, apart from Dame Diana Rigg, who played the character of Mrs Pumphrey, and sadly died in September 2020 shortly after filming on the first season finished.
Working with so many animals of course has its memorable moments. Nicholas Ralph, who plays James Herriot in the series, shared some funny moments while filming with the animals in season 1:
"You wouldn’t think it would be one of the easier moments, but I just had to call Jess the dog over. She was like, 20 yards away, and I’d say 'Jess, Jess' and she would come running over. Then I just had to pat her because I was in a bit of a morose mood or whatever.
"So I'm calling her over for the shot and every time she would come back to me and then clean past me! She would go to my left, then she went to my right. Eventually I was determined to get her, so I was shuffling making sure I could block her this time, and she went straight through my legs! Just calling a dog over 20 yards – that was the hardest thing I did!" he laughs.
"Another funny moment were any scenes with the dog actor that plays Tricky - he is actually called Derek, which is really not the name you would think for this little ball of fluff. So we used to call him Little Del Boy, and he suited it absolutely perfectly. Because not only was he so placid that, you know, you could lie him on his back on his sides for all these operations and things that he had to go through. But also in the scenes, he would give you a little something back. So you'd be speaking to him, and be saying ‘Oh Tricky, I think you've been eating too much’ and he’d do this little grumble in response. Which you hear in the series, throughout – so yeah that was really funny, he was fun to work with."
All Creatures Great and Small 2021 cast
Nicholas Ralph
Nicholas Ralph plays the young vet, James Herriot, who is taken under the wing of renowned veterinary surgeon Seigfried Farnon, played by Samuel West, in the stunning countryside of 1940s Yorkshire. Nicholas had big boots to fill in this re-imagining of the beloved series, and has received critical acclaim for his performance in the gentle Yorkshire drama. Nicholas was also nominated as Best Newcomer in the TV Times Awards.
However the actor admits he had never heard of James Herriot until the casting call came for the Channel 5 series.
"I got the audition material, and was immediately drawn to the role. Instantly the writing was so good, the dialogue - everything like that," says Nicholas. "I also instinctively had an idea of how I would go about playing the character, James. It’s very rare that you get something through that is that good, that well written - the characters, the relationships, it had everything. It had funny moments and there were more touching scenes, all within this snippet that they sent through. From the off, I was just completely absorbed by the material."
He said: “My parents knew of and had seen the series in the 70s so I spoke to them about it. In addition, my uncle is a massive fan of the books and had read them all as a boy. He was beside himself when I got the role."
Nicholas immediately felt a connection with the character of James Herriot, which is just as well that he's back for a second season.
"I think I just understood who he was, and maybe it's because I was at a very similar point in my career, you know, starting out in the acting industry, I'd been graduated two years, at that point. I sort of got that that he was trying to impress a lot, and then sometimes he is a bit too overeager, and then he gets on well, things like that. There were these little things that I identified with."
After such a brilliant performance in season 1, it's hard to believe the show is Nick's first role in a TV series, and a lead role at that. "I tried to prepare in what ways I could, but of course it's nothing compared to when you're actually on set doing it. That first day was a little bit nerve-wracking beforehand! But as soon as I landed on set, it sounds a bit corny to say, but I did feel at home. It was what I’d wanted to do for so many years, and then to be there doing it, just landing on set, looking around and seeing just the sheer amount of people that go into making something. I just find it so inspiring. I got a total thrill from just being there."
Playing a vet is also quite a technical role, you have to look like you know what you're doing. So what sort of preparation did the team go through?
"We got up quite close and personal with the animals, we did a boot camp before we started," says Nick. "We went out with the local vet who was on set with us on day one - we got up close personal with cows, horses, sheep - kind of going through the motions of some of the procedures that we were going to be performing.
"So I was straight in, had the horses hoof up between my legs, getting underneath the horse. And then with the cows, you're taking the heartbeat, listening to the stomach, the lungs. Really just getting trained on how to approach them, the best way to approach them, how to handle the animals, and then some of the basic procedures that you need for the series.
"We can’t do anything like they did back in the 70s, hand up the backside and things like that! So what we had was a mixture of the live animals and prosthetics. But we did get up close and personal with the animals, which is a lot of fun as well."
Samuel West
You may also recognise Samuel from Darkest Hour and Mr Selfridge. He takes on the role of experienced vet, Seigfried Farnon.
Anna Madeley
Anna does a fantastic job of bringing to life the stern housekeeper Mrs Hall. Anna has also been in Deadwater Fell and Patrick Melrose.
Rachel Shenton
Rachel plays a beautiful lady farmer and love interest Helen Alderson, who becomes James Herriot's wife in season 3.
“I think it’s fair to say that my character Helen has the best wardrobe in the show,” says Rachel Shenton. “The real Helen – Joan Wight – was something of a trendsetter. She was the first woman in her village to ever wear trousers and in the Thirties that was pretty bold."
Callum Woodhouse
Siegfried’s unruly younger brother Tristan is taken on by Callum Woodhouse (The Durrells, Cold Feet).
“It’s always a marvel how the animal department get the cows, for instance, to perform in a certain way,” says Callum. “Say a cow is supposed to have a problem with their foot, they’ll train the cow to not put weight on that foot. I have no idea how it’s done! We also have a vet, Andy Barratt, who’s constantly on set. He worked with the real Siegfried Farnon, played by Sam West, so there’s a really strong link between the real-life past and our production.”
What happens when an animal needs surgery in the drama? They’re surely not operated on for real?
“We use prosthetic models for close-up shots of animal surgery,” Callum continues. “The woman who makes the models also makes dead bodies for police dramas! She’s amazing. I don’t think you can tell we’re using models instead of real animals. It’s seamless.”
Patricia Hodge
Patricia will step into the role of Mrs Pumphrey, who was played by the late great Diana Rigg in the first series, and has said she's put her own spin on the character.
“My opening question to the makers of the drama was, did they literally want me to try to step into Diana’s shoes and do a kind of imitation or version of her Mrs Pumphrey? They said no and told me I should make of it what I wanted and what felt right. So, I’ve done my own take on her. She’s not like Diana’s version nor Margaretta Scott’s portrayal of the character in the original TV series.”
Where is all Creatures Great and Small filmed?
All Creatures Great and Small is set in the Yorkshire Dales and is filmed across a range of locations in Yorkshire, including the historic market town of Grassington, which plays a central role in the drama as 'Darrowby' Village. There's also been some new locations too, including Little Germany in Bradford and Kettlewell.
“One afternoon during filming, I was invited by some local ladies to join them for a G&T,” says Nicholas. “I couldn’t accept because I was working but I will take them up on the offer at some point!
“The lovely market town of Grassington doubles for Darrowby village where All Creatures is set and, when we’re shooting, areas of the main square are closed off and the shops done up to look like Thirties stores.
“All in all, though, the residents embrace it. We’re a boost to the economy – the local hotel was choc-a-bloc when we were there. Quite a few tourists visit the area because of the show and they’re thrilled when they see us filming.”
1978-1990 BBC series
In 1978 James’ stories were catapulted to new heights as the BBC adapted them into a TV series, All Creatures Great and Small, that would become a much-loved staple of British life.
Christopher Timothy slipped comfortably into the wellies of James Herriot, playing the novice vet who finds himself elbow deep in some pretty unfortunate-smelling situations on a daily basis. In fact, it became a running joke among the cast that Christopher often had to do his share of the vet work for real, however grim.
Carol Drinkwater played Helen Herriot in the television adaptation of the James Herriot books, which led to her receiving the Variety Club Television Personality of the Year award in 1985.
Speaking to Yours, the actress said her time on the show was one of the happiest of her life. “I have such wonderful memories of it,” she recalls. “It was such an iconic show. I can’t ever remember thinking that I didn’t want to go to work. I remember feeling so happy, setting off in my car – music blaring - and driving from London to Yorkshire at the beginning of each series. I looked forward to every day and that’s quite rare, I think.”
During her time on the series she also says she and actor Robert Hardy, who played senior vet Siegfried Farnon, enjoyed a special bond.
“I was extremely fond of him and I think that was mutual. He was very charismatic. He was always immaculate, too, with those wonderfully twinkly eyes. He was always there for me and if we were going anywhere, he’d always take my arm and ensure that I wasn’t just looked after, but escorted,” she laughs.
Robert Hardy was a brilliant Siegfried Farnon, the eccentric and irascible senior vet alongside Peter Davison as his fun-loving younger brother Tristan. Tristan was meant to be an occasional character but when Christopher Timothy was involved in a car accident, his role was bumped up to fill some scenes that Christopher would have done as James.
All Creatures Great and Small seemed to come to an end in 1980 with James and Tristan heading off to the Second World War and all James’ original stories used up.
Two Christmas specials followed in 1983 and 1985 but public pressure eventually succeeded in bringing about a whole new series in 1988 as the show’s producer obtained James’ permission to create new stories in the same vein as his originals.
This time a new vet, Calum Buchanan, played by John McGlynn, had joined the practice and the character of James’ wife Helen Herriot was played by Lynda Bellingham.
The BBC series of All Creatures Great and Small came to a final halt with a high-rating Christmas special in 1990.
All Creatures Great and Small film
The film version of All Creatures Great and Small is from 1975. It was directed by Claude Whatham and starred Simon Ward and Anthony Hopkins as the Yorkshire vets James Herriot and Siegfried Farnon.
It is based on James Herriot's first two novels, If Only They Could Talk (1970) and It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (1972), and was given the same title as the 1972 US compilation volume of these two novels.