The War Soldiers on in 'All Creatures Great & Small' Season 5's Final Trailer

It's an early Christmas present (or Hanukkah gift, if you prefer) as Masterpiece releases the full official trailer for All Creatures Great & Small on the Monday before Christmas, the last workday for many Americans before the holiday commences. For those who have been impatiently waiting since the season aired on Channel 5 in the U.K. in September or are desperately trying to avoid this year's Christmas Special spoilers (it airs in the U.K. on Monday, December 23), it's a perfect blend of what's the come without giving too much away.

Season 4 was All Creatures' first run at trying to balance an ensemble where multiple characters were away at war. However, it struggled with too much Siegfried and not enough of any other character to even it out. Season 5 is luckier — in real life, James Herriot returned to the homefront not long after basic training, which occurred around the same time Siegfried's younger brother Tristan completed his tour.

The Season 5 trailer —which is a full two minutes, a rarity from Masterpiece, which still tends to favor the old-school 30- and 60-second trailer cuts — brings both characters back to Yorkshire, though, in James' case, the trailer indicates his return (for now) is due to the christening of his son, James Jr.