Lending a farm hand: Reboot of ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ airs on PBS

Hot on the heels of hits such as “Downtonabbey” and “Grantchester,” PBS has done it again! There’s a new bingeable British drama ready to warm your heart — “All Creatures Great and Small” is coming to the network on Sunday, Jan. 10, and is slated to follow the adventures and misadventures of a wellmeaning veterinarian’s assistant in Northern England during the 1930s.

The show is based on a series of semi-autobiographical books by Jamesalfred Wight (who wrote under the pen name James Herriot), which delved into his own life as a country veterinarian in Yorkshire during the ‘30s and ‘40s.

In a fairly unusual move, the lead role, James Herriot, named so for the author himself, will be played by newcomer Nicholas Ralph. Despite not having any previous on-screen credentials, it appears from the trailers that Ralph, who graduated from the highly respected Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama), is the perfect fit. As the story goes, Herriot is reluctantly taken on by the quirky Dr. Siegfried Farnon (Samuelwest,“mr Selfridge”) to help with a rural veterinary practice’s day-to-day responsibilities and gain some valuable new experience.

Rounding out the cast of main characters is Mrs. Hall (Anna Madeley,“the Royal”), the resident housekeeper of Skeldale House, and the lovely and likable — albeit moderately less integral — Helen

Alderson (Rachel Shenton,“hollyoaks”). But on a sadder note with regard to character news, the current remake is one of the last shows to feature actress Diana Rigg (“Theavengers”), who played the eccentric Mrs. Pumphrey in just two episodes before her death this past September.

All the action takes place in the breathtaking English countryside, which has become a character in its own right, but it looks like Herriot will be falling in love with more than just the pleasant farmland and attractive waterfalls in this series remake. It’s pretty clear from the trailer that Helen has captured his attention, though her current boyfriend, Hugh Hulton (Matthew Lewis,“harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” 2011), might have something to say about that.