Season 7 arrives January 2027

All Creatures Great and Small returns to PBS Masterpiece on January 17, 2027, giving fans a new reason to revisit the beloved Skeldale House crew.

Young James Herriot goes back further

The 2011 BBC series Young James Herriot follows the character during his time at Glasgow Veterinary College in Scotland, before he arrived at Skeldale House.

Iain De Caestecker plays young James

In the 2011 series, actor Iain De Caestecker portrays James Herriot as a student forming friendships, navigating tough professors, and developing his veterinary skills.

Creator knew the real Herriot well

Johnny Byrne, who created Young James Herriot and worked on the original 1978 series, knew James Alfred Wight and his family personally and learned the story of how Wight became a vet.

“Through his friendship with Alf he also came to know this wonderful story of how Alf became a vet.”

Based on real books by Alf Wight

Both the modern TV series and Young James Herriot draw from James Alfred Wight's books, written under the pen name James Herriot, which chronicle his life as a veterinarian in Yorkshire.

Five books to read while waiting

Wight's beloved book series includes All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All, and Every Living Thing.

Young James Herriot is hard to find

Unfortunately, the 2011 BBC prequel series is not currently available to stream, making the original James Herriot books the best way to explore the character's early years.