All Creatures Great and Small returns to Channel 5 this week with the third episode of season seven, titled The Owl and the Pussycats. The episode sees Skeldale descend into chaos as Siegfried Farnon attempts to rival Granville Bennett, with everyone else struggling to keep pace with Siegfried's new system.
Guest cast announced
Wendy Patterson joins as Irene Sparrow, a client, and Jade Greyul plays Zoe Bennett. Patterson is a seasoned actress across TV, film, theatre and radio, most recently appearing as Eileen in the TV series Exciting Times. She has previously appeared in Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go and various soaps, including Coronation Street, Emmerdale Farm and Doctors.
Her earlier career includes roles in Waterloo Road, Shameless, DCI Banks, Vera and Last Tango in Halifax. In Coronation Street, she appeared in seven episodes as various guest characters, including a prison officer, a court clerk and a registrar.
Zoe Bennett's role
Jade Greyul is known for her appearance in Coronation Street in July 2018 as Stacey, Sally Metcalfe's PA during her time as Mayor of Weatherfield. Her other credits include The Couple Next Door, Waterloo Road and The Bay.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Beauvoir enlists Tristan Farnon for his veterinary expertise with some wild cats she has grown fond of at Beauvoir Manor. When Tristan brings the cats back to the surgery for treatment, Siegfried ponders whether Tristan could do with some romantic guidance. Elsewhere, James and Helen Herriot agree to socialise with Granville and Zoe, but a last-minute babysitter crisis throws a spanner in the works.
Returning cast and what to expect
The principal cast returns for the third episode, including Samuel West as Siegfried Farnon, Anna Madeley as Mrs Hall, Nicholas Ralph as James Herriot and Callum Woodhouse as Tristan Farnon. Also back are Gaia Wise as Charlotte Beauvoir, Rachel Shenton as Helen Herriot, Isabella Ward as Rosie Herriot and Thomas Riches as Jimmy Herriot. Returning once more are Maimie McCoy as Dorothy and Caolan McCarthy as the new vet, Granville Bennett.
James actor Nicholas Ralph teased what fans can expect from the new series, saying: "Things are moving rapidly and James notices when he is down in London. Many of the things he was taught are now old hat, and the students are learning new ways and there are different medicines and advancements in surgical operations."
"And then, closer to home, the arrival of Granville Bennett with his flash car and his flash practice. He seems to have it all. And, being a small animal practice, that affords him the time to do a lot of specialised, more intricate procedures, and he is very forward thinking, so James is feeling a little bit left behind… He starts to have a bit of a crisis of confidence and wonders if he can keep up." All Creatures Great and Small airs on Channel 5 on Thursdays at 9pm.
