WATERTOWN, NY; January 4, 2023 – Wedding bells chime and animal ailments abound as MASTERPIECE presents the highly anticipated third season of All Creatures Great and Small, based on the bestselling memoirs by veterinarian James Herriot and starring a beloved ensemble cast led by Nicholas Ralph. Season 3 of the acclaimed series airs in seven episodes, on Sundays from January 8th through February 19th, 2023, on WPBS.
All Creatures Great and Small has been lauded by critics and audiences alike, with more than 10 million viewers tuning in across its first season. The second season garnered a similarly enthusiastic reception, with Variety praising the “stunning Yorkshire setting, warm storytelling and animal hijinks” and Vulture hailing the series as “extremely heartwarming.”
Ralph (The Devil’s Light) stars as the young James Herriot who, in season 3, is struggling to balance his growing responsibilities at the veterinary practice with his responsibilities as the newly wedded husband to Helen Alderson, played by Rachel Shenton (Academy Award® winner, The Silent Child). Helen, herself, faces difficulties letting go of her old life on the family farm with her father and sister and finding her new place within the walls of Skeldale House. Callum Woodhouse (The Durrells in Corfu) returns as Tristan Farnon who has at last passed his exams and must now face the world as a qualified vet, while Anna Madeley (Mr. Selfridge) returns as motherly housekeeper Mrs. Hall who is beginning to open herself up to a future outside of her duties managing the household.
As war with Germany looms on the horizon, Siegfried Farnon, the irrepressible but unpredictable proprietor of Skeldale House, played by Samuel West (Hyde Park on Hudson), contends with painful memories of his own experiences during the First World War, when he served in combat with the Army Veterinary Corps. And Patricia Hodge (Roadkill) is back as Mrs. Pumphrey, the wonderfully eccentric owner of Tricki, the pampered Pekingese.
Season 3 begins in spring 1939 as James and Helen prepare to walk down the aisle. With a new stake in the business, James is trying to expand the veterinary practice by joining a government program to test for tuberculosis in cattle. The initiative pays well, but it is looked upon with suspicion by the local farmers who run the risk of their farms being shut down if a positive case is found.
Audiences returning to Herriot’s heartwarming depiction of the fictional town of Darrowby will be treated to more of his life-affirming stories that have seen the series touch the hearts of millions since its launch in 2021. As the New York Times observed, All Creatures Great and Small “is a frame for a series of small but important moments for the principal characters: a first kiss, a rapprochement between brothers, a gesture of kindness toward a rival… a cheerful, optimistic tone prevails despite the distant rumblings of war.”
EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS
Episode One – “Second Time Lucky” – Sunday, January 8, 2023; 9-10 pm
A missing ring is just one snag as James and Helen’s wedding date approaches. For one thing, a farmer’s cow may have TB.
Episode Two – “Honeymoon’s Over” – Sunday, January 15, 2023; 9-10 pm
James and Helen enter married life, while James settles in uneasily as Siegfried’s partner at the clinic. Tristan too must make new adjustments.
Episode Three – “Surviving Siegfried” – Sunday, January 22, 2023; 9-10 pm
Siegfried’s First World War experiences resurface as he struggles to save a racehorse. Helen faces a decision over James’s TB testing plan.
Episode Four – “What A Balls Up!” – Sunday, January 29, 2023; 9-10 pm
TB testing mistakenly puts a prize cow in danger. Helen struggles with her lifelong vocation. Mrs. Hall and Tristan have brushes with love.
Episode Five – “Edward” – Sunday, February 5, 2023; 9-10 pm
Mrs. Hall conquers demons from her past. While she is away, Tristan discovers the challenge of housekeeping. Meanwhile, Helen is at loose ends.
Episode Six – “For Whom The Bell Tolls” – Sunday, February 12, 2023; 9-10 pm
As war comes in September 1939, everyone faces decisions small and large. Romance beckons for Tristan and Mrs. Hall. TB plagues Helen’s farm.
Episode Seven (UK Christmas Special) – Sunday, February 19, 2023; 9-10 pm
Description Coming Soon
All Creatures Great and Small is a Playground production for MASTERPIECE and Channel 5 in association with All3Media International. The Executive Producers are Colin Callender and Melissa Gallant for Playground (Golden Globe® and BAFTA-winning Wolf Hall, Little Women), Ben Vanstone, Rebecca Eaton and Susanne Simpson for MASTERPIECE, which is presented on PBS by WGBH Boston and Louise Pedersen for All3Media International. The producer is Richard Burrell. The lead writer is Ben Vanstone (The English Game, The Last Kingdom). The lead director is Brian Percival (Downton Abbey, The Book Thief), with Stewart Svaasand (Tin Star, Grantchester) and Andy Hay (Jamestown, The Last Kingdom) also directing episodes.
About MASTERPIECE
Winner of 83 Primetime Emmys® and 18 Peabody Awards, MASTERPIECE has been essential Sunday night viewing for millions of fans since 1971. MASTERPIECE is the longest-running drama anthology series on television. Susanne Simpson is the executive producer and Rebecca Eaton is the executive producer-at-large for the series. Series funding for MASTERPIECE is provided by Viking Cruises, Raymond James, The MASTERPIECE Trust, and public television viewers. Produced for PBS by GBH Boston, MASTERPIECE is known for hits such as All Creatures Great and Small, Sherlock, Downton Abbey and Victoria, and beloved classics such as Upstairs Downstairs, Prime Suspect, The Forsyte Saga and Poldark. More information is available at pbs.org/masterpiece.
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 650,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario via cable, satellite, Internet and over-the-air distribution. WPBS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, inform, and engage its two-nation region with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of extraordinary public media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and borders. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
