Harsh Vardhan
PBS and Channel 5 have renewed the period drama ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ for a fifth season. The highly anticipated British show will be shot in the Yorkshire Dales early next year.
Creator Ben Vanstone continues to serve as the lead writer of the series. The screenwriter’s popular credits include Netflix’s historical shows ‘The Last Kingdom‘ and ‘The English Game.’ Brian Percival, who is known for helming the 2013 war film ‘The Book Thief,’ will direct the episodes of the upcoming installment.
The fourth season unfolds in 1940 amidst Winston Churchill’s assumption of office as the British Prime Minister and the escalating threats across Europe. In the concluding episode, Helen grapples with a sense of redundancy at Skeldale, while Mrs. Hall expresses concern for Siegfried. Both women are on the verge of discovering where their true belonging lies. In the fifth round, Helen and James may face new challenges that threaten their relationship, all the while awaiting their child.
In season 4, Nicholas Ralph returned as the young country vet James Herriot, now married to Rachel Shenton’s character Helen. Samuel West continued to play James’ mentor Siegfried Farnon, along with Anna Madeley, who portrays Mrs. Hall, the matriarch of Skeldale House. Patricia Hodge returned as the eccentric Mrs. Pumphrey, accompanied by her Pekingese Tricki. Neve McIntosh joined the cast as the highly efficient bookkeeper Miss Harbottle and James Anthony-Rose appears as the studious undergraduate vet student Richard Carmody, arriving at Skeldale under James’ guidance. The fifth season is expected to feature all of the familiar cast members.
Before the premiere of the fifth round, admirers of the period drama can await a Christmas special to air on an undisclosed date in December, continuing the tradition. The series is crafted by Playground Entertainment, producing for Channel 5 in the United Kingdom and PBS in the United States. In 2023, Yorkshire has emerged as a bustling filming hub for several prominent productions, including Marvel’s ‘Secret Invasion‘ and the Netflix miniseries ‘Bodies.’ The shooting destination is well-favored by historical productions. ‘The Crown,’ ‘Bridgerton,’ ‘Peaky Blinders,’ and ‘The Witcher’ are some of the other period dramas filmed in the region.
