All Creatures Great and Small will return to screens for its seventh season in just weeks, with Channel 5 confirming the series will begin on Thursday, September 17 at 9pm.
The period drama, which first aired in 2020, has been off-air for a year after its sixth instalment premiered in September 2025. Set in the 1930s and 40s, the show follows Yorkshire veterinary surgeon James Herriot as he navigates the challenges of his rural practice.
1946 setting and new veterinary threat
The broadcaster teased: “Series 7 of All Creatures Great and Small returns viewers to the beautiful Yorkshire Dales in 1946.
“With the war finally over, Skeldale House is full once again and livelier than ever as our beloved characters reunite under one roof and look ahead to a hopeful new chapter. James is excited about new developments in veterinary medicine, but a new vet in the area threatens the status quo.
“The world at large may be changing, but inside our slice of Yorkshire, the Dales will always offer the same perfect escapism. Packed with warmth, humour and community spirit, the series brings more heartwarming tales of people and animals alike.”
Cast returns for new series
Nicholas Ralph will reprise his role as James Herriot, with Samuel West as Siegfried Farnon, Anna Madeley as Mrs Hall and Rachel Shenton as Helen Herriot. Callum Woodhouse will also return as Tristan Farnon alongside Patricia Hodge as Mrs Pumphrey.
Viewers last saw the characters during the 2025 Christmas special, which took place at the end of the war during Christmas 1945. It saw Darrowby prepare for its first peacetime festive season, with the synopsis confirming that Rachel Shenton’s character Helen would return after being notably absent from portions of previous seasons following the birth of her first child.
Co-star tribute to Rachel Shenton
Rachel reprised her role in season six, but had been away on maternity leave behind the scenes, having welcomed her baby in April 2025. Nicholas previously paid tribute to his co-star and spoke about how much he missed having her on set.
He shared: “There was definitely a little Rachel-shaped hole on set during this series. We all really missed her – but of course, she had far more important things going on than we did!
“It was the same for James, really. Helen is his other half, his missing piece. She supports him, guides him, pushes him when he needs it. She’s a real rock for James, just as he is for her.
“So that separation was felt both onscreen and off. James really feels it, and we, as a company of actors, felt it too. We missed her hugely.”
All Creatures Great and Small is based on the short story collection by Alf Wright and is a reboot of the original programme that aired from 1978 to 1990. The new series starts from Thursday 17th September at 9pm on 5.
