All Creatures Great and Small Season 3: Keep up with the cast as the prospect of World War II looms over Darrowby

All Creatures Great and Small has been credited with giving Yorkshire tourism a boost this summer, after the second season of the show premiered in the US over the weekend.

The period drama, based on a series of memoirs written by vet Alf Wight under the pen name James Herriot, follows Herriot as he starts out as a vet in the small Yorkshire village of Darrowby in 1930s England.

Fans of the show will be delighted to know that two more seasons are on their way. From the plot of season 3 to who’s in the cast, we reveal what we know so far about the new series of All Creatures Great and Small, including the confirmed release date, plot, cast, filming locations and trailer.

Plus, don’t miss our period drama picks this month - from Julian Fellowes’ recent TV series The Gilded Age to Hotel Portofino on BritBox.

What's the All Creatures Great and Small season 3 release date?

All Creatures Great and Small season 3 premieres Thursday 15 September at 9pm on Channel 5 and My5.

In the US, All Creatures Great and Small season 3 premieres a few months later - starting Sunday 8 January, 2023, on Masterpiece on PBS.

UK broadcaster Channel 5 and the show’s American broadcaster, Masterpiece on PBS, have officially renewed the show for two more seasons - which also includes two more Christmas specials, one of which will air over the festive period in 2022.

When is the All Creatures Great and Small 2022 Christmas special?

All Creatures Great and Small Christmas Special 2022 premieres Friday 23 December at 9pm on Channel 5. 

The story is set in Christmas 1939, with the world at war and the folk of Darrowby coming to terms with new regulations, conditions and separations.

Executive producer Melissa Gallant said: “We are delighted to be offering the audience one more trip back to the sanctuary of Darrowby before the year is out.

"An All Creatures Christmas special always aims to deliver uplifting celebration alongside the often painful reality of Christmas for many, and this year's episode is no exception.

“This is our first Christmas during wartime and we wanted to reflect something of the reality of war for our Skeldale family.

"Ben Vanstone cooks up his signature Christmas feast full of fun, festivity, community, romance, Father Christmas, tears, and of course a resurgence of Mrs Hall's excellent sausage rolls.

"We have all laughed and cried - a lot - making it and hope it will bring a little necessary joy and catharsis to the end of a challenging year for many.”

When is All Creatures Great and Small set? 

All Creatures Great and Small is set in the 1930s.

What's the All Creatures Great and Small season 3 plot?

All Creatures Great and Small season 3 will pick up in the spring of 1939 as the prospect of another World War looms large.

Change is afoot for all the residents of Darrowby, especially James and Helen, who are embarking on the next chapter of their lives as the wider world around them heads toward a period of great uncertainty.

The official synopsis for season 3 is as follows:

"Season 3 begins in spring 1939 as James and Helen prepare to walk down the aisle. Should their wedding go off without a hitch—and what are the chances of that?—James will have a new wife and a new stake in the business to think of. The pressure is on, and while his scheme to participate in the government’s practice to test for tuberculosis in cattle will expand the veterinary practice, it could put James on the outs with local farmers. Meanwhile, war with Germany looms on the horizon, leaving everyone wondering what the future holds."

Callum Woodhouse (who plays Tristan) said he expects James and Helen's wedding to feature in the new season. Some fans, who hoped to see it in the 2021 Christmas special, may have been disappointed as it didn't feature in the storyline.

Woodhouse told RadioTimes.com: “I was thinking they might have expected [the wedding] as well, to be honest. I quite like the idea that it’s not straight into the wedding. It’d be quite nice for that to be, you know – if we are lucky enough to get a series three, then that’s going to be one of the things that happens.”

Who’s in the All Creatures Great and Small season 3 cast?

The All Creatures Great and Small cast are back at Skeldale House and they are dealing with the prospect of World War II.

• Nicholas Ralph, whose prior acting work before All Creatures was largely on stage, will return to play vet James Herriot.
• Samuel West (The Crown, Howards End) is back as James’ mentor, and owner of Skeldale House, Siegfried Farnon.
• Anna Madeley (Deadwater Fell, Affinity) returns as the matriarch of Skeldale House, Mrs Hall.
• Callum Woodhouse (The Durrells, Cold Feet) is back as Siegfried’s mischievous brother, Tristan.
• Rachel Shenton (Hollyoaks, The Silent Child) returns as local farmer, Helen Alderson.

Where is All Creatures Great and Small filmed?

All Creatures Great and Small is filmed in the Yorkshire Dales, in a small village called Grassington, that is portrayed in the series as the fictional village of Darrowby.

In Grassington, the Devonshire Inn is rebranded as the Drovers Arms and various local bakeries, homes and book shops are renamed for the filming.

Rachel and her family's farm is located in the small village of Airton, which is half an hour's drive from Grassington.

Is there an All Creatures Great and Small season 3 trailer?

There is indeed! Take a peek at what's in store for season 3 - including James and Helen's wedding - at the top of this page.

Plus, catch up on what happened in season 2, below:

Watch All Creatures Great and Small if you liked…

The Durrells, The Yorkshire Vet, Call The Midwife, Poldark, The Crown.

All Creatures Great and Small season 3 premieres Thursday 15 September at 9pm on Channel 5 and My5.

Catch up on All Creatures Great and Small Series 1 and 2 on My5.