PBS MASTERPIECE viewers will soon be able to watch the new British period series “All Creatures Great and Small,” based on the memoirs of James Herriot. And now there’s more good news: the Yorkshire veterinarian and his furry friends will be back for a second season.
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Season 1 of “All Creatures Great and Small” premieres on MASTERPIECE on PBS on January 10, 2021 with the first of seven episodes.
At the close of November this year, Channel 5 and MASTERPIECE on PBS announced that a second six-part season of “All Creatures Great and Small” has been commissioned.
Based on best-selling author James Herriot’s cherished and iconic collection of stories, the first season of the brand new adaptation from BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning production company Playground (Howards End, Wolf Hall) will premiere on MASTERPIECE as part of the anthology series’ 50th anniversary 2021 line-up.
When it aired in the UK on Channel 5, the new television drama “All Creatures Great and Small” was enthusiastically received by viewers, becoming the channel’s highest rated drama commission ever.
And critics were enchanted, praising the show as “’irresistible’” escapism” (The Daily Mail); “perfect… heartwarming… a much needed balm” (The Daily Telegraph), and the Times noted that it “reminds us of the basic values of human decency in the most pleasant way possible.”
Viewers can expect more heartwarming and humorous adventures of young country vet James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) as he joins his unconventional mentor, Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West), matriarch of Skeldale House Mrs Hall (Anna Madeley), Siegfried’s errant brother Tristan (Callum Woodhouse), and independent local farmer’s daughter Helen Alderson (Rachel Shenton), alongside a colorful ensemble of farmers, animals and townsfolk living in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s.
“Working… on the first series has been an absolute joy,” says Colin Callender, Executive Producer and CEO of Playground.
“All Creatures Great and Small has struck such a chord with audiences worldwide who were hungry for an entertaining, family-friendly show that provided some respite from the complicated and messy times we live in. We’re very excited to return home to our family at Skeldale House and to transport viewers back to Darrowby for more veterinary antics in the Yorkshire Dales!”
“We can’t wait to premiere the first season of All Creatures Great and Small in January – the perfect time for our audience to enjoy the humor and warmth of the series,” says MASTERPIECE Executive Producer Susanne Simpson. “Knowing there’s a second season will make watching and engaging with these characters even better.” Period drama fans disappointed by the non-renewal of their favorite shows like “Sanditon” will certainly agree.
Watch the trailer for “All Creatures Great and Small” here.
The second series will return to shoot on location in the Yorkshire Dales in Northern England in 2021.
James Herriot’s books were previously adapted by the BBC into a 7-season TV series, starring Christopher Timothy as James Herriot.
If you enjoyed this post, wander over to The Period Films List. Also see Masterpiece Classic Period Dramas on Prime. For a look at all the period dramas that have aired on MASTERPIECE, season by season, see this page.
