All Creatures Great and Small is back on our screens for season 6, and fans of the cosy period drama couldn't be more excited.
Based on the book series of the same name by Alf Wight (using the pen name James Herriot,) the stunning Yorkshire Dales scenery and memorable characters keep audiences coming back for more.
When a series becomes as long-running as the popular Channel 5 show, it's unsurprising that characters will come and go - or leave altogether.
Fans have previously raised concerns over Tristan leaving and even the horror of whether James could leave All Creatures Great and Small.
With season 6 airing from September 25 on Channel 5, attention has turned to whether Richard Carmody will appear in the latest outing, after the character left just before the conclusion of season 5.
Will Carmody be in season 6 of All creatures Great and Small?
Sadly, Richard Carmody (James Anthony-Rose) will not be returning to All Creatures Great and Small for season 6.
James Anthony-Rose joined the show in season 4, with his character, Carmody, taking over veterinary duties as a trainee vet when Tristan was away and James had to leave for military training.
In conversation with the Masterpiece Studio Podcast, James was asked whether he felt any trepidation joining the series for its fourth season, when viewers knew and loved the existing characters, and the cast had been bonding for so long.
However, the actor says he was welcomed "with open arms," adding, "I can quite genuinely say. It’s a real family unit that exists in the world of All Creatures, both on and off screen."
He continued, "I was incredibly lucky to find myself being very, very quickly osmosed into this group. The costume and makeup people are the first people you usually meet, and they were incredibly welcoming and very encouraging."
The 44-year-old concluded, "So, it was an incredibly warm atmosphere to be welcomed into. And yeah, I felt very supported by everybody."
Despite the warm welcome and settling in so brilliantly, Carmody later exited All Creatures Great and Small during season 5, episode 5, in the episode titled Pair Bond.
The character departed after accepting an offer to undertake a research program at Imperial College London. Although he displayed some initial trepidation over leaving, Carmody's exceptional final exam results led to the opportunity, and he decided to take it.
Although he doesn't appear in the original book series, it's believed the character of Carmody is based on a real friend of Alf Wight's, named Oliver Murphy.
A link between the two has been made, after something Wight's son, Jim, wrote in his memoir, The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father, came to light.
Describing Oliver Murphy, Jim Wight penned, "Oliver, a serious-minded young man who was also bound for an academic future, stayed only four months in the practice."
He added, "Although having little idea of how to handle farm stock, and becoming involved in some frightful rodeos, he was a pleasant young man and the farmers liked him."
"They liked him because he was a trier; he never gave up." This description, is very reminiscent of Richard Carmody.
Now we've reached the point of the show making a comeback for season 6, and despite Carmody having previously found a place in viewers' hearts, some might be sad to find he's definitely not part of the lineup.
Although James Anthony-Rose hasn't spoken openly about his departure from the show and maintains a very quiet presence on social media, he has revealed his latest project.
On October 11, he's set to appear in James Blades: Pandemonium of the one-man band at the Britten Studio in Suffolk.
The synopsis for the show reads, "Acclaimed actor James Anthony-Rose brings legendary percussionist James Blades back to the stage in this piece of theatre magic being developed for BBC Radio 3."
The actor has also previously suggested hopes to develop and explore opportunities for writing and theatre performance, as well as continuing to seek out TV work.
