All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special 2023: release date, cast, plot and everything we know

The All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special 2023 promises to be a dramatic affair as we await Helen and James's baby — don't worry Helen, Siegfried has offered to deliver it!

Yes, the festive episode will carry on the story from the end of All Creatures Great and Small season 4 and with James away at war there promises to be plenty of drama.

Teasing the Christmas special, Nicholas Ralph, who plays James, says: "It's action-packed! There's an onus on the community, a dusting of snow, but it'll also have a tinge of poignancy..."

Rachel Shenton, who plays Helen, adds: "It's exciting! We love having a Christmas special. When you're an actor, it's a dream to be in one!"

But with James on RAF duty, the couple are apart at Christmas. "James is feeling the separation and because I was away filming those scenes, I missed everyone too. He’s finding camaraderie on the base, but is torn between wanting to be with Helen and serving for the greater good," says Nicholas.

Rachel adds: "There's always a community theme at Christmas and Helen is usually helping people, but because she’s pregnant, she has to allow others to support her. She’s nervous and desperate for some connection with James, they need each other, so she’s vulnerable, which was nice to play."

Hopefully, we might also get an update on what Tristan has been up to. Tristan has been away at war and hasn't been a part of the recent series.

It's one of many Christmas TV highlights this year and here's everything we know…

All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special 2023 release date

The All Creatures Christmas special 2023 will be shown on Channel 5 on Thursday 21 December at 9 pm. It will also be available to stream via My5.

We don't have a US release date yet.

All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special 2023 plot

At the end of the series, Helen had feared that she had lost the baby after an incident on the family farm, but thankfully she's ok. She's now back at Skeldale with Siegfried and Mrs Hall, who decided to stay put and not to head off to the Lakes with Gerald. 

Might Siegfried finally wake up to the fact that Mrs Hall could be the one? Or will he just carry on being a bit grouchy? Knowing Siegfried we'd go with the latter, but the fact Mrs Hall is still there gives us hope of perhaps a kiss under the mistletoe for the pair. 

James is now in the RAF, just as the real-life James Herriot was. In a short clip, below, of the Christmas special James is seen calling Helen from where he's training to be a pilot.  "They’re transferring me to Brize Norton to start bomber training," smiles James. Helen, clearly not impressed by the prospect of her husband being in danger, replies: "So when you finish your training you'll be flying over there (Germany)?” 

Meanwhile, in another scene, we see Helen tell Mrs Hall she doesn't think she's ready for a baby. “Well, neither did any of the women who came before you, and yet here we all are," replies Mrs Hall. And, in possibly Helen’s worst nightmare, Siegfried says he’d be "happy" to deliver the baby if things got desperate. Clearly, Helen’s hoping that day never comes! "Not one of your best ideas," scolds Mrs Hall. 

Is there a trailer?

Yes, here it is…

Cast

Nicholas Ralph is back as James. Rachel Shenton returns as Helen, alongside Samuel West as Siegfried Farnon and Anna Madeley as Mrs Hall. Carmody (James Anthony-Rose) is also in the Christmas special.