'All Creatures Great & Small' Season 2 Images Show the New Mrs. Pumphrey

All Creatures Great and Small was PBS’ unexpected hit of 2021, arriving at a moment when fans needed the comfort and warmth of a friendly Yorkshire vet who is all about saving people’s cows. The PBS-Channel 5 co-production was renewed for Season 2 even before the series debuted on Masterpiece, but the new round of episodes has not yet had a U.K. premiere date, let alone one in the states. But there is good news for fans, as the first photos from the new season have arrived.

Part of the issue, of course, was the upending of the filming schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But though the delay was longer than the production wanted, the series used the extra time to its advantage. Speaking to the RadioTimes, executive producer Colin Callender called it “a bizarre, slightly odd silver lining for us, because we are using this time to commission [writer] Ben Vanstone and the writing team to work on season two... So we’re able to use this lockdown period to work on the development and script development.”

As for the cast, everyone is expected to return, with one obvious exception. The late Dame Diana Rigg passed after filming her role as Mrs. Pumphrey in the show’s first season. In April of 2021, the series announced the part would be recast with Patricia Hodge in the role. The new photos include one of Hodge and the love of her life Tricki Woo, allowing fans to get used to the changeover.