All Creatures Great and Small Season 6: James's Recovery Is Taking Longer Than Expected

Good news for anyone who worried about James Herriot after last season: he is not just okay, he is thriving. And yes, the show is jumping ahead in time, which helps a lot.

Where season 6 picks up

We rejoin the Skeldale gang in 1945, right as the war in Europe is winding down. Darrowby has moved on a bit in the years we have not seen: the practice is catching up with new veterinary techniques, families have grown, and there are a few fresh faces around. The tone? Classic All Creatures: people and animals getting each other through life, with a little postwar hope in the air.

James after brucellosis

Nicholas Ralph says James has pushed through that brutal brucellosis stretch that hit both body and mind last season. The fallout is not erased, but it is no longer running his life. The show has quietly moved the timeline forward by four years, and James has used that space to do the work, with Helen very much in his corner.

"He is in a much better, solid, grounded place."

Back on his rounds, James now has a pint-sized assistant: little Jimmy. Yes, the kid has a mini vet coat and bag, and apparently even throws around a few proper veterinary terms with a tiny bit of swagger. It is exactly as adorable as it sounds, and for James, it is a genuine thrill to share his world with his son.

James and Helen, back on the same team

Ralph says the marriage has settled into a good rhythm now that James is home in Darrowby for real. After seasons of rough patches, actual time apart while James served with the RAF, and a tough homecoming where he could not quite open up, Helen helped him get there. The fun is back, just in a different flavor: they are a family of four now, with Jimmy and Rosie keeping things lively. They still find time for each other, but they also enjoy the chaos together.

Season 6 in a nutshell

• Timeline: 1945, as the European war draws to a close, with a four-year time jump from where we left off.
• James: past the worst of his illness, steadier and more himself, working alongside son Jimmy.
• Helen and James: united again, enjoying the marriage and the mayhem of two small kids.
• Darrowby: new veterinary advances, expanded families, a couple of new faces, and the usual human-and-animal heartwarmers.

Where to catch up

All Creatures Great and Small seasons 1-5 are available to watch on 5.