All Creatures Great and Small

All Creatures Great and Small is a British television franchise based on the works of veterinarian and author James Herriot (Alf Wight).

All Creatures Great and Small is a British television franchise based on the works of veterinarian and author James Herriot (Alf Wight). The best-known adaptations are the BBC series that ran from 1978 to 1990 and the Channel 5/PBS series that premiered in 2020.

Origin

The franchise originates in James Herriot’s veterinary books, especially the first two novels later issued together as All Creatures Great and Small in some markets. The works are set in rural Yorkshire and draw on Herriot’s experiences as a country veterinarian.

1978 BBC television series

The BBC adaptation starred Christopher Timothy as James Herriot, Robert Hardy as Siegfried Farnon, and Peter Davison as Tristan Farnon. It ran from 1978 to 1990 and became the best-known screen version for many viewers.

2020 television series

A new adaptation premiered in the UK on Channel 5 in September 2020 and in the United States on PBS. It revisits the Yorkshire setting with a cast led by a new interpretation of Herriot and the Skeldale House veterinary practice.

Cultural significance

The franchise helped make Herriot’s memoir-based stories widely known beyond the original books. It has remained a long-running British television property with continued international broadcasts and revivals.