All Creatures Great and Small season 6 confirmed to "further" relationship between Siegfried and Tristan

"They bicker like that and then an hour later, they're sharing a whiskey together in the front room and they're talking about playing cricket or something.

"But I think ever since season 3, which was when Tristan and James both signed up, and then Tristan was subsequently conscripted, they had their moment of telling each other that they love each other. They vocalised it finally, and then they had the hug, which I think is something that people have been waiting three seasons for.

"So we still have those moments of the brothers connecting like that... through the help of certain other outside forces. They do come together as brothers and support each other in the way that only one another can."

Woodhouse went on to praise those moments, teasing some particularly special moments in season 6.

"It's always beautiful to read, the way that they get these brothers to interact," he added. "I always just can't wait to see how it comes to a head between them. It's always my favourite stuff to read in the script.

"And this year has been some of my favourite I've ever read in six years, undercutting it [those heartfelt moments] beautifully with them bickering on either side of it. It's just magic, the way that the writers structure this show. I think this series absolutely furthers the brothers’'relationship."

Nicholas Ralph, who plays James, also discussed how the vet's relationship with wife Helen has shifted in season 6 now that he's a permanent fixture in Darrowby once again.

"They've managed to get back to... being on one another's team," he said. "The fun has been injected into the relationship once again, and especially with the addition of two little kids, because they're now a family of four, little Jimmy and Rosie, who keep them on their toes as well.

"So it's a different kind of fun. They have fun together, but they also have fun as this little family. So that was a real joy because obviously we saw a few series of difficulties, literal separation, James being away at the RAF, and then coming back and not being able to really process or share his feelings.

"But with the help of Helen, he managed to finally be able to do that, so it was great to come back to this."

Read more:

• All Creatures Great and Small star reveals James's recovery has been a "process"
• All Creatures Great and Small star reveals Helen’s journey in season 6 - and how she captures the spirit of real-life figure

While viewers can once again expect more "heartwarming human and animal tales" in the show's latest instalment, the narrative is set in 1945, "just as the war in Europe is coming to a close", which is a marked change from previous seasons.

"We arrive back in Darrowby to veterinary advancements, expanded families, and new faces as they all look ahead to a brighter and more peaceful future," continues the official synopsis.

All Creatures Great and Small seasons 1-5 are available to watch on 5. You can order James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small from Amazon.

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