Everything to Remember Ahead of 'All Creatures Great and Small' Season 6

All Creatures Great & Small will return to our screens with Season 6 on January 11, 2026. Are you ready? Put on the kettle and bring out the scones!

Based on the immensely popular books by James Herriot, the pen name of Yorkshire veterinarian J. Alf Wight, the BBC first aired its adaptation in the late 1970s and ran it until the 1990s. The initial cast included Shakespearean star Robert Hardy as Siegfried Farnon, with Peter Davison (who later left to star as the Fifth Doctor in Doctor Who) as his brother Tristan, and Christopher Timothy as James Herriot. The series aired on many local PBS stations, so it wasn’t surprising that Masterpiece picked up the new version, a 21st-century reboot.

Set in mid-1941, Season 5 depicts a community dominated by war. James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) has formed a bond with his RAF crew, and they’re about to fly a long-range practice mission, where they may well encounter the Luftwaffe. But as they are about to board their plane, James collapses, and wakes up to find himself in sick bay, suffering from brucellosis, which damaged farmers’ herds and terrified Helen during her pregnancy. It’s the end of his flying service, and an end to his camaraderie with his crew.