All Creatures Great and Small sees Tristan given a special mission
It's not exactly the special project that Tristan is expecting!
'Tis the season for all the cosy TV, and none do it quite as well as All Creatures Great and Small, which is returning to our screens for another festive special.
We already know from the synopsis of the upcoming episode that Tristan (Callum Woodhouse) is set to "embark on an important wartime mission", but it seems as though the mission in question isn't quite as action-packed as we (or Tristan) may have assumed.
In an exclusive clip of the episode (which you can watch above), Tristan is taken to one side by his commanding officer to be told that he's been selected for the special project in question.
He tells Tristan that a number of classified operations are coming up, and for them, they'll need Tristan to source some pigeons.
He says they need "a dozen of the fittest and fastest for breeding", and it's safe to say that Tristan is more than a little surprised at the request.
But the officer continues, saying: "I reckon you might be surprised. They're bloody heroes, these little birds."
While birds may not be Tristan's direct area of expertise, we're sure the request won't be too much for him with all of his prior veterinary experience.
Read more:
- All Creatures Great and Small festive special is "very Christmassy despite heavy overtones"
- All Creatures Great and Small gives first look as Mrs Hall receives devastating news
The official synopsis for this year's Christmas special is as follows: "Beloved vet James Herriot is balancing the excitement of their son Jimmy’s first birthday with the festive season alongside Helen, while the capricious Siegfried Farnon is guiding Tristan in the right direction as he embarks on an important wartime mission.
"Meanwhile, Mrs Hall is busy preparing for Christmas when she is shaken by unexpected news."
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
And while the episode is once again set during the Second World War and sees Tristan continuing to deal with what he saw while fighting, the actor has stressed that the Christmas episode will remain as "uplifting" as ever.
Speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com, Woodhouse said: "It's just a really clever bit of storytelling that with All Creatures, we can still make a really heartwarming and uplifting episode, even in the midst of such uncertainty and tragedy, for want of a better word.
"It's still about family coming together and being there for one another. And I think it is still a very Christmassy episode despite the very heavy overtones that it has."
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.
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
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
