All Creatures Great and Small delivered an early Christmas present for fans – specifically the Tristan Farnon fan club – in tonight's festive special, when it was revealed that the character isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Advertisement

The character was absent from both season 4 and the 2023 Christmas episode after he was called up to serve in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, which saw him stationed in Cairo.

But he returned in season 5, and in an interview with RadioTimes.com, actor Callum Woodhouse confirmed he'd be staying put for the time being.

"He's going to be another permanent fixture at Skeldale for a while," he said. "And it's been really nice being back with the family, and obviously Siegfried, in his own way, is very happy to carry on having him around as well."

Woodhouse went on to say Tristan has "found his niche in doing his instructing work" in Doncaster.

"And I think he's really enjoying it and still feeling like he's contributing to the war effort, even though he's not technically on the front line anymore," he added.

"So it's been a nice full-circle journey for him."

Read more:

Woodhouse also praised the fans' "outpouring of love" when he returned to the show, describing their reaction as "really sweet" and "very affirming as an actor".

"It's really nice to know that people relate and really enjoy the character that you play and what you bring to the table," he said.

"So that was really lovely, and it's nice that Tristan is going to carry on bringing joy to people."

Callum Woodhouse and Samuel West smiling at the camera, dressed in suits and ties while standing outside.
Callum Woodhouse as Tristan Farnon and Samuel West as Siegfried Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small. Channel 5

Season 6 of All Creatures Great and Small has already been confirmed, with filming expected to commence at the "end of February", according to Woodhouse.

"But I think it'll be a while before we get scripts," he added. "We usually get them at the start of the year, so get Christmas out of the way and then we'll get to see what we’re doing next."

He also said they've had "a few little teasers" about what's in store, but there's every chance there could be rewrites.

"At that stage, you don't know if it is going to change," he explained. "So when they give you these teasers, you don't want to take it as gospel, like, 'OK, that's definitely what I'll be doing next season,' because anything could change between then and there."

All Creatures Great and Small seasons 1-5 are available to watch on My5. Season 5 is airing new episodes on Thursdays at 9pm on Channel 5 and My5. You can order James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small from Amazon.

Advertisement

If you're looking for something else to watch, visit our TV Guide or take a look at the rest of our Drama coverage. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Abby RobinsonDrama Editor

Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement