All Creatures Great and Small is being revived with a new TV adaptation marking the 50th anniversary of James Herriot’s classic tales.
Six hour-long episodes and a Christmas special are being made by the US co-producers of Downton Abbey and the British TV company behind BBC1 mini-series Howards End.
The new series will be shown on Channel 5 next year, marking 50 years since the 1970 publication of If Only They Could Talk, the first novel in Herriot’s series set in the Yorkshire Dales.
It has yet to be cast but it will be directed by Downton’s Brian Percival.Producers have vowed to keep it faithful to the books, which have sold 60 million copies and have never gone out of print.
Colin Callender of British TV firm Playground said: “It’s a responsibility we take very seriously. It will embrace the nostalgia of revisiting the England of the past, while celebrating Herriot’s values that still underpin British life today.”
Rebecca Heaton of US company Masterpiece added: “We promise the new series will have all the wit, warmth, and quirky charm of the original – and of course, lots of irresistible animals.”
Sebastian Cardwell of Channel 5 said: “We hope the heart-warming stories of community and compassion will resonate with new audiences.” The children of author Herriot – real name Alf Wight – were “delighted” about the revival.
It is not known if surviving original cast members Christopher Timothy, 78, who starred as James Herriot, and Peter Davidson, 68, who played Tristan Farnon, will appear in the series, which begins filming this year in Yorkshire.
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@trinitymirror.com or call us direct 0207 29 33033.
