All Creatures Great and Small Series 5 filming begins: Samuel West jokes he's not been sacked

Filming has started for the fifth series of All Creatures Great and Small and in typical fashion, actor Samuel West has celebrated its return with poetry.

Posting on his X (formerly Twitter) account, the actor, who plays mercurial Darrowby head vet Siegfried Farnon, wrote: “#AllCreaturesGreatAndSmall is starting. It’s always such sweet sorrow parting: Four series now begun in pun daze, On all the previous happy Mondays. Today I must confess, I’m sinning - I missed our new #ACGAS beginning.”

He posted the words with photos of clapperboards from the first day of filming for the previous four series. Then he added: “Don’t fret, not sacked; just not in scenes, Our Call Sheet Number One convenes. But see! Rejoice! The Two Wise Men Brian and Erik are back again. We love our job. And that’s the reason, We return for each new season. And all are full of zest and drive, As we embark on Series 5.”

He completed his post with a picture of the clapperboard used for today’s first day of filming, featuring the names of Director of Photography Erik Molberg-Hansen and Director Brian Percival, who had earlier himself posted the image on X to mark the first day of filming. This was reposted by Rachel Shenton, who plays Helen Herriot.

The news of filming starting comes just three days after the official announcement from Channel 5 that All Creatures Great and Small had been renewed for series five and six - and confirming that Callum Woodhouse would be back later in Series five to reprise his role as Tristan Farnon.

Fans were delighted and relieved to learn of the joint renewal, announced on Friday, and learn that the critically acclaimed adaptation from Playground would see the two new series consist, as before, of six 60-minute episodes each plus Christmas Specials.

It was also confirmed that Nicholas Ralph will return for the fifth series as James Herriot, with Rachel Shenton back as Helen, as well as Samuel West, Anna Madeley as Mrs Hall, and James Anthony-Rose as young vet Richard Carmody. Also confirmed is Patricia Hodge as the wonderful Mrs Pumphrey, alongside her pampered Pekingese Tricki.

Channel 5 says that Callum Woodhouse will return as Tristan, who has been away serving in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, later in Series 5, when he makes an unexpected appearance. Season four ended in the UK with the Channel 5 Christmas 2023 episode, set at Christmas 1940, with James making it home from his RAF training to Darrowby the morning after Helen had given birth to their son, little James (or Jim).

Launched in 2020, the All Creatures Great and Small Channel 5 reboot has been adapted from James Herriot’s cherished stories penned by James Alfred Wight OBE FRCVS, a veterinary surgeon who graduated from Glasgow Veterinary College at the age of 23 and headed to Thirsk in 1940. There he fell in love with the Dales and with the woman he would marry, Joan Danbury. With Joan’s encouragement, Wight later wrote stories based on his own adventures as a young country vet, under the pen name James Herriot, quickly becoming one of Britain’s best-loved authors.