‘All Creatures Great And Small’: Channel 5, PBS Confirm Season 2 Renewal Of Period Veterinary Drama; China’s Huanxi Media Acquires Series

ViacomCBS’s UK broadcaster Channel 5 and PBS Masterpiece have confirmed that period veterinary drama All Creatures Great And Small will return for a second six-part season.

Deadline reported last month that the renewal was all-but done, with Playground Entertainment ready to begin shooting Season 2 in the Yorkshire Dales early next year. It follows the first season premiere becoming Channel 5’s highest-rated show since February 2016 with 5M viewers.

Starring Nicholas Ralph and Samuel West, All Creatures Great And Small is a new take on best-selling author James Herriot’s humorous adventures of a young country vet. The books were previously adapted into a group of films and TV series in the 1970s.

Ben Frow, ViacomCBS’s director of programs in the UK, first teased the recommission last year when he said that he wanted a second season after watching just one episode of the first. PBS Masterpiece has come on board as a co-production partner again, while Screen Yorkshire is also providing funding.

Furthermore, distributor All3Media International has sold both seasons to Chinese streamer Huanxi Media, marking the first pre-sale for Season 2. BritBox has also picked up the show in Australia.

All Creatures Great And Small was commissioned by Seb Cardwell, ViacomCBS Networks UK’s deputy director of programs. Executive producers are Colin Callender and Melissa Gallant for Playground, Louise Pedersen for All3Media International, Caroline Cooper Charles for Screen Yorkshire, and Rebecca Eaton and Susanne Simpson for PBS Masterpiece. Ben Vanstone remains lead writer and executive producer, while Brian Percival will return as lead director and executive producer. James Dean joins the production team as producer.

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