All Creatures Great And Small is returning to our screens!

All Creatures Great and Small are a series of books based on the real-life Yorkshire vet James Herriot, and is set to be brought to the small screen by Channel 5.

A television series based on the books was originally shown on BBC1 from 1978 to 1990 starring Robert Hardy, Peter Davison, Lynda Bellingham and Carol Drinkwater.

The new six-part series will be a co-production with the American broadcaster PBS, and will start on location shooting in Yorkshire this year. The series will include a Christmas special, and will air in 2020, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the original publication of Herriot’s books.

Sebastian Cardwell, the digital channel controller at Channel 5, said in a statement: “James Herriot has a special place in the heart of the public and the commission of this iconic drama series, against the stunning backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales, is set to bring joy to a new army of TV viewers. The original books affectionately captured a unique slice of British life. In challenging times we hope the charming and heartwarming stories of community and compassion will resonate with new audiences.”

Carol Drinkwater and Peter Davidson in the original television series of All Creatures Great and Small.

The new series will be brought to Channel 5 by production company Playground, the team behind the hit drama Wolf Hall (an adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s award-winning book) and they have promised to remain faithful to the original books.

“It is a responsibility we take very seriously,” said Colin Callender, chief executive of Playground. “The series will embrace the fun and nostalgia of revisiting the England of the past, while celebrating Herriot’s values that, despite all our current upheaval, still underpin British life today.”