All Creatures Great and Small season 6: What to expect from new season after emotional end

Viewers have just witnessed an emotional finale to the fifth season of All Creatures Great and Small on Channel 5, which saw James Herriot, portrayed by Nicholas Ralph, confiding in his wife Helen (Rachel Shenton) about his wartime experiences while struggling with brucellosis.

The heartfelt moments didn't end there as Siegfried Farnon, played by Samuel West, and his brother Tristan, brought to life by Callum Woodhouse, enjoyed a candied conversation over drinks about their desire for more family time.

As fans bid adieu to the season, they are eager for another round of heartwarming tales from Skeldale House. Their wishes will be granted with a Christmas special set to brighten screens later this year, typically gracing the airwaves just before the festivities of Christmas Day.

And those already longing for more can rejoice at the news that a sixth season is in the pipeline, having been greenlit alongside the fifth season in February.

With plans for all the principal cast to return for six new episodes, anticipation is mounting. In a Radio Times interview, Samuel West dropped hints about the upcoming storyline, revealing: "We're about to have some discussions about that. I mean, one of the things that the books do is dramatise the fact that Tristan leaves."

"Brian, the original Tristan, left the practice. And I don't think we'll be doing that. I hope not. So at that point, I think we will be non-canonical."

This suggests Tristan enthusiasts have reason to celebrate, as he is likely to stay put at the veterinary practice for the foreseeable future.

Mrs Hall star, Anna Madeley, remarked on the show's distinctiveness in adaptation: "Yeah, because our adaptation is so very different to both the '70s adaptation, but also how the book's written."

She elaborated on the uniqueness of their approach: "It's quite a different journey that we're on, even though those stories are obviously the main source of inspiration, the journey and the arc for those characters is very different. So we shall see."

Shooting typically kicks off in spring, around March, hence it's expected that season six will follow suit.

Channel 5 is poised to give an update on filming early next year as they gear up for the forthcoming sixth season.

All Creatures Great and Small is available to watch on My5. A Christmas special will air on Channel 5 later this year.