There’s no time like the present to watch the U.K.’s most heartwarming period drama

If you’re a fan of British period dramas and you haven’t watched All Creatures Great and Small yet, take this as your sign to do so. For a limited window, seasons 1-4 will be available for FREE via PBS Masterpiece, just in time for season 5 of All Creatures Great and Small to premiere on January 12, 2025.

Channel 5’s All Creatures Great and Small follows Scottish newbie veterinary surgeon James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) as he starts his career and life anew in the Yorkshire Dales, finding a household full of love, laughter, family, and most importantly, animals. It’s an easy, romantic, funny, and heartfelt watch.

So, why, you might ask, am I imploring you to watch a remake of a show that was already based on a book? Especially since I’ve been known to bitch about the overabundance of remakes in the past?

Honestly, this version of All Creatures Great and Small is like a cup of hot chocolate during a blizzard. It doesn’t shy away from the troubles and heartache that James Herriot and Co. go through before and during World War II, but the horrors of war never overshadow their love and compassion for one another. You’ll want to be a part of this veterinary household, even if it’s just by watching it on your TV.

Now, I’ll admit that I’ve never seen the 1970s version of the show, though I know it was incredibly popular, and I’ve never read the books, either. I can tell you, however, that just because this version of All Creatures Great and Small has modern sensibilities—the women, for instance, especially household matriarch Mrs. Hall (Anna Madeley) and farmer Helen (Rachel Shenton), have a substantial role to play in the show and their own lives rather than just being there to help the men—it doesn’t shy away from the fact that this is the most quintessentially British period drama in existence. Rolling hills, lyrical accents, Christmas adventures, the village pub, the adoration of the countryside, it’s all there, wrapped up in a neat, comforting, character-driven package that is hard to let go of.

These are characters you want to know more about. Helen and James’ love story is sweet but never overly saccharine, leading veterinarian Siegfried Farnon’s (Samuel West) relationship with his much younger brother Tristan (Callum Woodhouse) is layered and complex, and James and Siegfried’s partnership is based on mutual trust and respect. They all love one another in their own unique ways, and the show doesn’t shy away from pointing out that, while all types of love are different, none are inherently more important than another.

(However, for those of you who enjoy an incredible slow-burn, “we don’t even know if they will ever end up together but wow that would be amazing,” type of ship, the dynamic between Mrs. Hall and Siegfried is genuinely to die for. She’s one of the few people he lets his guard down with. It’s truly a *chef’s kiss*).

Now that the holidays are just around the corner and the days are getting shorter and darker, this hug of a TV show may be just what you’re looking for.

All Creatures Great and Small seasons 1-4 will be available to stream for free until December 23, 2024.