WHILE those who live and work in the Dales village of Grassington have been sweltering in the June heatwave, Christmas has arrived in the community.
It’s a wartime Christmas for the residents of Darrowby - the setting for Channel 5’s hugely popular drama All Creatures Great and Small, which is currently filming a fourth series in Craven and Wharfedale.
Streets and shop fronts of Grassington, which doubles as Darrowby, have been given a 1940s makeover and a Christmas tree has been installed for a festive special of the hit show.
Based on the collection of stories by Alf Wight, writing as James Herriot, about the life of a Yorkshire veterinarian, Channel 5’s reboot of All Creatures Great and Small first aired in 2020. The show became an international hit, and each series has been largely filmed in Grassington, Arncliffe, Yockenthwaite and at Broughton Hall, Skipton.
Grassington locations include The Devonshire, used as The Drovers Arms, The Stripey Badger bookshop and coffee shop, which is GF Endleby’s greengrocers, and The Rustic Rabbit gift shop, which is Higgins Bakery.
Linda Furniss, owner of The Stripey Badger, had a photo taken with actor Samuel West, who plays Seigfried Farnon, when he popped into the shop. Said Linda: “It was chaotic at times, but Grassington as usual looked wonderful transformed into Christmas in the 1940s.”
Linda was impressed with the attention to detail on set: “The vegetables in GF Endleby were ‘minimalistic’ this time, as food was rationed. The outside of buildings were somehow dirtier - the dark blue paint of GF Endleby was ‘roughed up’ compared to the paint of pre-war times. Very realistic, I suppose.”
The series is a huge hit in America, and Grassington has become popular with American tourists, with several of them interviewed for a documentary going behind the scenes of the new series.
The fourth series of the much-loved show, plus a Christmas special, will air in autumn. Returning to the Dales are Nicholas Ralph as James Herriott, Rachel Shenton as his wife Helen, Samual West as James’s capricious mentor Siegfried Farnon, proprietor of Skeldale House surgery, and Callum Woodhouse as his younger brother, Tristan Farnon.
Also reprising their roles are Anna Madeley as Mrs Hall, matriarch of Skeldale House, and Patricia Hodge as the delightfully eccentric Mrs Pumphrey, alongside her pampered Pekingese Tricki-Woo.
And new casting was this week announced for the six-part series, which picks up in 1940 as Churchill takes office and Europe is under serious threat. James and Helen are happily married, following their romantic wedding in the last series, and with Tristan away serving in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, Siegfried and James bring in extra hands to help around the practice. Neve McIntosh arrives as efficient bookkeeper Miss Harbottle and James Anthony-Rose is studious undergraduate Richard Carmody, who arrives at Skeldale on a placement under the guidance of James.
A colourful ensemble of farmers and townsfolk, including James Bolam, Tony Pitts, Imogen Clawson, Paul Copley, Cleo Sylvestre, Will Thorp and Sam Retford, also star in the period drama.
All Creatures Great and Small is a Playground production for Channel 5 and MASTERPIECE in association with All3Media International. Series three, which aired earlier this year, marked a triumphant return for the show, averaging 3.8 million viewers, making Channel 5 the most popular terrestrial channel during the slot.
Sir Colin Callender, executive producer and CEO of Playground, said: “We are thrilled to be back in the glorious Yorkshire Dales for a fourth season of family, community and, of course, animal hijinks. Our wonderful cast and crew are all delighted to be returning to adapt more of James Herriot’s joyful and life-affirming stories.”
Louise Pedersen, CEO of All3Media International, added: “Over three seasons All Creatures Great and Small has offered heartwarming, escapist viewing that has connected with audiences and become a firm fan favourite all around the world, and as Playground’s wonderful series enters its fourth season I am delighted to continue to build the brand globally.”
All Creatures Great and Small is a timeless classic, loved by generations. Never out of print, the James Herriot books have sold 60 million copies worldwide. The spirit of Herriot’s world is, some might say, a much needed antidote to the challenges of modern life, reminding us that belonging to a community makes us part of something greater than ourselves.
The original TV series of All Creatures Great and Small aired was produced by the BBC, with 90 episodes over seven series, from 1978 to 1990. It starred Christopher Timothy as James Herriot, Robert Hardy, as Siegfried Farnon and Peter Davison as Tristan.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here