The cast of All Creatures Great and Small will be heading back to where it all began in a Christmas special for Channel 5.
All Creatures Great and Small Meets The Yorkshire Vet is being made by Leeds-based Daisybeck Studios and GroupM Motion Entertainment.
The one-hour cross-genre episode will feature key cast members from both shows.
The Yorkshire Vet, which has been filmed by Daisybeck Studios, since 2015, is based at Thirsk in North Yorkshire – the working home of James Herriot – and features Herriot’s apprentice, Peter Wright.
“Nearly 200 episodes have been made to date of The Yorkshire Vet, with Series 18 recently announced and we’re really proud to continue the James Herriot legacy through the title, so it seemed natural to bring the two shows together for Christmas,” explained Paul Stead, Managing Director of Daisybeck Studios.
“We’ve been blessed with the support of James Herriot’s family, and we can’t wait to celebrate both All Creatures Great and Small and The Yorkshire Vet in this special, whilst continuing to remember the man who inspired both.”
In the show, Yorkshire Vets, Peter Wright and Shona Searson, will go behind the scenes on the All Creatures Great and Small Christmas episode with actors Nicholas Ralph (James Herriot) and Rachel Shenton (Helen Herriot).
Wright will also step in front of the camera as an extra.
Later in the show, Sam West (Siegfried Farnon) and Anna Madeley (Mrs Hall), head to Thirsk to see the real people behind their characters, as well as visiting the real Drovers Arms.
“Both these series command huge audiences and we couldn’t resist putting the actors and the actual Herriot trainee and team together to create some heart-warming and entertaining TV,” said Greg Barnett, Commissioning Editor, Factual Entertainment and Unscripted, Channel 5 and Paramount+.
“In sort of a ‘job swap’ way, viewers will get to see behind the scenes at this year’s Christmas special whilst some of the actors experience Skeldale Practice first-hand and get taken to a couple of James Herriot’s favourite places. It’s a real Christmas treat.”
This episode is due to air later this year on Channel 5.
