Peter Davison, who played Tristan Farnon in the original All Creatures Great and Small, went on to become the fifth Doctor Who – and his family is just as star-studded, with daughter Georgia married to David Tennant
Tristan Farnon in the original All Creatures Great and Small.(Image: BBC)
The original All Creatures Great and Small star who played Tristan Farnon is related to a very famous television star.
The reimagined version of the beloved period drama is set to return to Channel 5 later this year for its seventh series, accompanied by a Christmas special which has already wrapped filming, according to Siegfried actor Samuel West.
The revamped programme premiered in September 2020, following the adventures of veterinary surgeon James Herriot (portrayed by Nicholas Ralph) as he navigates relationships with local farming folk and cares for their livestock throughout the Yorkshire Dales, while developing feelings for a farmer’s daughter.
Spirited assistant vet Tristan Farnon is brought to life by Callum Woodhouse in the contemporary version, who has previously featured in Cold Feet, The Durrells, and, more recently, The Fortune.
Running from 1978 to 1990, the original All Creatures Great and Small series premiered on the BBC, inspired by the working life of Alf Wight, the renowned Yorkshire veterinary surgeon who adopted the pseudonym James Herriot, reports Wales Online.
His real-life encounters and anecdotes were chronicled in a collection of books that were later transformed into the television phenomenon.
What happened to the original Tristan from All Creatures Great and Small?
In the first adaptation, when James Herriot, brought to life by Christopher Timothy, relocated to the Dales, he secured employment with no-nonsense veterinary practitioner Siegfried Farnon (Robert Hardy) at Skeldale House.
This brought James into contact with numerous colourful personalities in the village, including Siegfried’s younger brother, Tristan Farnon, an eager member of the practice and a character viewers adored throughout the programme’s 12-year duration.
Tristan was played by none other than actor Peter Davison, who has enjoyed a decades-long career.
The 75-year-old, hailing from London, is perhaps most recognised for his portrayal of the lead role in the science fiction series Doctor Who.
From 1981 to 1984, Peter embodied the fifth Doctor, who became instantly famed for his cricket-themed attire. He held the mantle of the legendary Time Lord for three years before actor Colin Baker took over.
He’s also celebrated for portraying David in At Home with the Braithwaites, DC Davies in The Last Detective, and CPS Director Henry Sharpe in Law and Order: UK.
Beyond Paradise viewers will recall Peter as Richard Baxter in the second series of the BBC detective programme, which broadcast in 2024. His latest appearances include The Gold, The Larkins, and Gentleman Jack.
Family life
Off-screen, Peter is married to actress and writer Elizabeth Heery. The pair tied the knot in 2003 and have two sons together, Louis and Joel.
Both lads have pursued careers in acting like their parents, with Louis appearing in Holby City as Parker Whitfield, Poldark as Geoffrey Charles, and in Vikings: Valhalla as Prince Edmund. Most recently, Louis portrayed Leo Quinn in the BBC series Death in Paradise, which broadcast earlier this year on BBC One.
Meanwhile, his brother Joel has appeared in the series Mammoth, The F1rst Team, and the podcast series Doctor Who: Stranded.
Peter isn’t the sole Doctor Who star in his family, as his daughter, actress Georgia, is wed to the tenth Doctor, David Tennant. Peter had Georgia with his ex-wife, Sandra Dickinson, an American actress who has featured in Batman.
Following an audition for an earlier episode of the sci-fi series, Georgia, 41, secured the role of Jenny in the 2008 episode, ‘The Doctor’s Daughter’ – a rather fitting coincidence.
Throughout filming, David, 55, relished working alongside her on set, and following their introduction, Georgia was particularly taken. In 2020, the couple featured on That Gaby Roslin Podcast, where they discussed the beginning of their relationship.
“I very much forced it into happening, didn’t I?” said Georgia. “I was very much the driving force. Had I not worked quite so hard, it might not have happened.”
David responded: “That makes it sound like I was resistant, which was not what happened. I thought we were an unlikely life partnership, I suppose. There is a bit of an age gap.
“Because Doctor Who had run through my life like a stick of rock, to end up marrying the daughter of one of the Doctors, it all felt a bit stupid… that wasn’t really likely to happen. So there were a lot of things against it.”
The pair shares five children together: Olive, Wilfred, Doris, Birdie, and Georgia’s eldest child, Ty.
All Creatures Great and Small is available to stream on Channel 5