Channel 5 has released the official trailer for the upcoming second season of All Creatures Great and Small – and it includes a first look at Patricia Hodge as the new Mrs. Pumphrey.

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The Miranda star is taking over the role from Diana Rigg after the legendary actress sadly passed away last year, and she briefly appears in the trailer feeding a biscuit to her beloved dog Tricki Woo – claiming that the Pekingese is a little less fussy than her.

The trailer begins with James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) declaring: "It was only a couple of weeks I was away, but you forgot how beautiful this place is," and also teases further romantic developments between him and Helen Alderson (Rachel Shenton) – with the pair seen dancing together after he tells her he missed her.

The series – which finished filming in Yorkshire earlier this summer – begins three months after the events of series one and will see James faced with a dilemma after returning from a trip back home to Glasgow.

According to Channel 5, "viewers can expect more heart-warming adventures of young country vet James Herriot as he joins his unconventional mentor, Siegfried Farnon, matriarch of Skeldale House Mrs Hall, Siegfried’s errant brother Tristan and independent local farmer’s daughter Helen Alderson alongside a characterful ensemble of farmers, animals and townsfolk living in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s."

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And the synopsis continues: "As Helen and James navigate their feelings for one another, Siegfried, Tristan, and Mrs Hall are also forced to consider their places in the world, while James must ultimately decide between duty and love."

The first series was a huge hit with for Channel 5 when it debuted in 2020, winning critical acclaim and becoming the channel's most-watched show in almost five years and its highest rating launch for a drama commission ever.

The second series will consist of six new episodes in addition to a Christmas special, with Ben Vanstone (The Last Kingdom) and Brian Percival (Downton Abbey) returning as lead writer and lead director respectively.

Meanwhile, Sasha Ransome (Two Doors Down) directed episodes three and four, whilst Andy Hay (The Last Kingdom) returned as director for episodes five and six, alongside the Christmas Special.

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All Creatures Great and Small is returning to Channel 5 soon. In the meantime, take a look at the rest of our Drama coverage, or check out what else is on with our TV Guide.

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