This year's All Creatures Great and Small will see Skeldale House much busier than last year, after the birth of baby Jimmy and with James and Tristan having returned from fighting in the war.
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Tristan, played by Callum Woodhouse, returned in season 5, having been away during season 4.
His return saw him mask his troubled psyche, from what he saw while fighting, with drinks and humour, but now Woodhouse has teased how we can expect him to unpack this trauma.
Speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com, Woodhouse said: "I definitely think he's seen some things that will probably stay with him.
"He's obviously not been on the front lines as much as the infantry or troops would have been, but there's no world in which that was going to be a walk in the park, there will have been some very tough moments.
"He will have obviously made friends over there with people who he might not have necessarily seen again, and he might have been in some pretty scary situations, some of which he alluded to, but then ends up turning into a jokey anecdote."
The cast of All Creatures Great and Small. Helen Williams / Channel 5 / Playground
He continued: "But I definitely think there's stuff he's probably not fully talked about, not fully expressed yet, which he was masking a lot of this series with drink and with jokes, which is obviously always Tristan’s way, but I'm sure more of that will get unpacked over time."
The synopsis for this year’s Christmas Special says that it "brings back Nicholas Ralph as beloved vet James Herriot, who is balancing the excitement of their son Jimmy’s first birthday with the festive season alongside his wife, Helen (Rachel Shenton)".
"Samuel West returns as the capricious Siegfried Farnon, guiding his younger brother, Tristan (Woodhouse), in the right direction as he embarks on an important wartime mission," it continues.
"Meanwhile, Anna Madeley’s Mrs Hall, the devoted housekeeper, is busy preparing for Christmas when she is shaken by unexpected news.
"The episode also features a vibrant cast of farmers, animals and townsfolk, set against the charming backdrop of 1940s Yorkshire, including guest star Duncan Preston (Coronation Street) as Enoch Sykes."
The All Creatures Great and Small 2024 Christmas special will air on Monday 23rd December at 9pm. Seasons 1-5 are available to watch on My5. You can order James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small from Amazon.
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James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
