Samuel West and Anna Madeley will co-star…

It’s been announced that newcomer Nicholas Ralph will play the new James Herriot in Channel 5’s All Creatures Great And Small reboot. He’ll be joined by Samuel West (Mr. Selfridge), Anna Madeley (In Bruges), Callum Woodhouse (The Durrells) and Rachel Shenton (The Silent Child).

The new adaptation will once again be based on the books of British veterinary surgeon Alf Wight, who wrote the majority of them under the Herriot pseudonym in the 1970s.

West will play Siegfried Farnon, “the wonderfully eccentric veterinary surgeon and proprietor of Skeldale House who reluctantly hires the recently qualified Herriot into his rural practice”, Madeley will star as Mrs Hall, “the resident housekeeper and matriarch of Skeldale House”, Woodhouse is Tristan, “Siegfried’s errant and charismatic younger brother” and Shenton is Helen Alderson, “an independent local farmer’s daughter who helps her father manage the family farm and care for her younger sister.”

Downton Abbey‘s Brian Percival will direct the series.

“This is an exceptional cast made up of a wonderful mix of exciting new and established talent”, said executive producer Colin Callender in a statement. “Re-visiting the world of All Creatures Great And Small is like going home and re-discovering old friends whom we haven’t seen in years. We’re thrilled to be bringing James Herriot’s beloved characters back to life with Sam, Anna, Callum, Rachel and Nicholas.”

“Growing up I, like many others, adored this show”, added Percival. “It was very much a part of Sunday evenings at home. So I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to revisit such a much loved story. I am so excited to have such a fantastic cast and crew filming in such a beautiful area of the UK. Sam, Anna, Callum, Rachel and Nicholas will have a whole new audience falling in love with James Herriot’s world.”