The fourth season of All Creatures Great and Small has now wrapped up, and with another Christmas special on the way, the show's creator has explained what he thinks had led to the series' enduring popularity.
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As the series was awarded the Stress Buster Award at the Radio Times Screen Test Awards 2023, the show's writer and creator Ben Vanstone spoke to Radio Times magazine.
On the show’s appeal, Vanstone said: "I think, and I'd hope, it's the humanity in it. I think that its values are about kindness, and about coming together.
"And I also think that it deliberately eschews huge dramatic stakes sometimes – the very small things become very big, which I think is relatable for most people.
"I don't think everyone's in life and death situations everyday, but they might have a problem with their pet, and we find our stories operate in that space rather than high drama. And, you know, there's obviously space for all of that in the TV landscape, but we're really happy to be telling stories about people and a community with heart and kindness."
The fourth season of the show has just wrapped up on Channel 5, with this latest outing unfolding across 1940, with Winston Churchill in office.
James star Nicholas Ralph previously explained this absence when speaking with RadioTimes.com, saying: "Tristan's away at war, so he doesn't feature this year. And within the world of All Creatures Great and Small, we miss Tristan a lot.
"And James in particular, he's his best friend. He's his brother in the surrogate family, so he's hugely proud of him for becoming his own man, spreading his wings and getting out from underneath Siegfried's watchful eye."
Read more about the Radio Times Screen Test Awards 2023 in the new issue of Radio Times magazine.
Season 4 of All Creatures Great and Small is available to stream on My5. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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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.
