Channel 5, PBS Masterpiece Team for All Creatures Great and Small

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Channel 5 has commissioned All Creatures Great and Small, a new adaptation based on best-selling author James Herriot’s collection of stories, with Masterpiece on PBS to co-produce.

Produced by Playground (Howards End, Wolf Hall), the commission is for an initial six episodes plus a Christmas special. The series will shoot on location in Yorkshire, England, as 2020 sees the 50th anniversary of the original publication of the beloved books.

The books, first published in 1970, have sold 60 million copies internationally. They chronicle the heartwarming and comedic adventures of a young country vet, with a cast of farmers and townsfolk who lived and worked in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s.

All Creatures Great and Small will be distributed by all3media international. The production will also receive funding and support from Screen Yorkshire.

Sebastian Cardwell, Channel 5’s digital channel controller, commented: “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.”

“Revisiting James Herriot’s beloved stories is an immense privilege and we are honored that Alf Wight’s family have entrusted us with his legacy,” said Colin Callender, executive producer and CEO of Playground. “It is a responsibility we take very seriously. At a time when the country feels more divided than ever, Herriot’s glorious books remind us how to connect and belong again. The series will embrace the fun and the nostalgia of revisiting the England of the past, while celebrating Herriot’s values that, despite all our current upheaval, still underpin British life today.”

“When it originally aired on public broadcasting, All Creatures Great and Small captured the hearts of millions of television viewers,” added Rebecca Eaton, executive producer of Masterpiece. “We promise that the new series will have all the wit, warmth, and quirky charm of the original—and of course, lots of irresistible animals.”

Executive Producer Hugo Heppell, head of investments at Screen Yorkshire, commented: “People all over the world know Yorkshire through James Herriot and All Creatures Great and Small and we are thrilled to see the warmth, the down to earth wit and the generosity of spirit that infuse his stories brought back to the screen for a new generation.”