The War Soldiers on in 'All Creatures Great & Small' Season 5's Final Trailer

It's an early Christmas present (or Hanukkah gift, if you prefer) as Masterpiece releases the full official trailer for All Creatures Great & Small on the Monday before Christmas, the last workday for many Americans before the holiday commences. For those who have been impatiently waiting since the season aired on Channel 5 in the U.K. in September or are desperately trying to avoid this year's Christmas Special spoilers (it airs in the U.K. on Monday, December 23), it's a perfect blend of what's the come without giving too much away.

Season 4 was All Creatures' first run at trying to balance an ensemble where multiple characters were away at war. However, it struggled with too much Siegfried and not enough of any other character to even it out. Season 5 is luckier — in real life, James Herriot returned to the homefront not long after basic training, which occurred around the same time Siegfried's younger brother Tristan completed his tour. 

The Season 5 trailer —which is a full two minutes, a rarity from Masterpiece, which still tends to favor the old-school 30- and 60-second trailer cuts — brings both characters back to Yorkshire, though, in James' case, the trailer indicates his return (for now) is due to the christening of his son, James Jr. 

As for Tristan, we'll let viewers decide how they feel about the facial hair.

Here's the Season 5 synopsis, such as it is:

The series will continue to bring the stories of James Herriot to life as we return to Darrowby to rejoin our unconventional much loved Skeldale Family and the colourful ensemble of farmers, animals and townsfolk living in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1940s.

The episode titles* are:

1. "To All Our Boys"
2. "Holding the Baby"
3. "Homecoming"
4. "Uninvited Guests"
5. "Pair Bond"
6. "Glass Half Full"
7. "All God's Creatures"

(*Please note Episodes 1-6 comprise the actual Season 5 run. Episode 7, "All God's Creatures," is the 2024 Christmas Special.)

All Creatures brings back the full complement of Skeldale House residents for Season 5. On the homefront, there's Samuel West as Siegfried Farnon, Anna Madeley as Mrs. Hall, James Anthony-Rose as Richard Carmody, Patricia Hodge as Mrs Pumphrey (with Tricki-Woo!), and Rachel Shenton as Helen Herriot. Returning from overseas, there's Callum Woodhouse as Tristan Farnon and Nicholas Ralph as James Herriot. 

Season 5 was written by Debbie O’Malley (Payback) and Maxine Alderton (Doctor Who), who each penned two episodes, plus Matt Evans (A Town Called Malice), Robin French (The Great), and series creator Ben Vanstone, who returned to write the Christmas Special. Directors Brian Percival and Andy Hay split helming duties across Season 5 and the Christmas Special, with Stewart Svaasand (Outlander) stepping in for Episode 4 and Yvonne Francas (Our Girl) producing. 

All Creatures Great & Small Season 5 will debut on most PBS stations, the PBS app, and the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel on Sunday, January 12, 2025, and stream/air weekly through mid-February. All seven episodes arrive on PBS Passport on release day for members to binge. 

Seasons 1-4 are streaming on most local PBS Passports; as always, check your local listings. Season 6 is already greenlit and expected out in 2026.