The special will be a “one off” episode which will see the beloved reality series go behind the scenes of the popular drama and vice versa.

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Titled All Creatures Great and Small Meets The Yorkshire Vet, the hour-long special will air this Christmas and will feature the main cast of All Creatures Great and Small, plus The Yorkshire Vet stars Peter Wright and Shona Searson. 

Beside their Yorkshire setting and a shared love of animals, the two Channel 5 share a strong connection because Peter was the apprentice of the real-life Yorkshire vet, James Herriot, who Nicholas Ralph plays in the show. James, whose real name is Alf Wright, wrote the books that All Creatures Great and Small is based on. 

This connection makes the show a special treat for viewers.

Its official synopsis teases more about what fans can expect to see on their screens later this year as the two episodes blend into one. It reads: “This special show will see Yorkshire Vets, Peter Wright and Shona Searson, enter the world of Darrowby with exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the filming of the All Creatures Great and Small Christmas episode with actors Nicholas Ralph (James Herriot) and Rachel Shenton (Helen Herriot). We will also see Peter step in front of the camera as he appears as an extra in the drama.

“Later in the show, Sam West (Siegfried Farnon) and Anna Madeley (Mrs Hall), enter the world of The Yorkshire Vet, discovering the real people behind their characters, with visits to some of the now well-known haunts, including the real Drovers Arms.“

Melanie Darlastan, Executive Producer for GroupM Motion Entertainment, which works on The Yorkshire Vet, said: “This Christmas special promises to be a real treat for all animal lovers and a celebration of two brilliant shows.” 

“Both these series command huge audiences and we couldn’t resist putting the actors and the actual Herriot trainee and team together to create some heart-warming and entertaining TV,” Channel 5’s Commissioning Editor Greg Barnett added. 

Teasing more about what viewers can expect, Greg revealed the casts of the drama and reality series will be swapping places. While Peter takes a stab at acting, the All Creatures Great and Small stars will be mucking in with the animals for real. 

“In sort of a ‘job swap’ way, viewers will get to see behind the scenes at this year’s Christmas special whilst some of the actors experience Skeldale Practice first-hand and get taken to a couple of James Herriot’s favourite places. It’s a real Christmas treat,” he said. 

Alongside Nicholas, expect to see Callum Woodhouse and Samuel West putting their veterinary skills to the test. Rachel Shenton and Anna Madeley will be front and centre in the special, too. 

As an extra treat for the actors, Peter plans to introduce the cast to people who knew the real-life versions of the characters they play. 

And there’s one in particular he’s really excited about. “It’s going to be great introducing Sam West to people who knew Donald Sinclair, the real person who inspired his character Siegfried Farnon,” Peter said.

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