All Creatures Great and Small Season 6 Pushes Siegfried and Tristan's Relationship to Surprising New Heights

All Creatures Great and Small season 6 is sticking with what works: bickering brothers, big feelings, and a Darrowby that is finally peeking out from under the shadow of the war. If you come for Siegfried and Tristan calling each other out and then making up over a whiskey, good news — that is still the house style.

Siegfried and Tristan: same chaos, deeper heart

Callum Woodhouse (Tristan) says the Siegfried–Tristan dynamic is not changing anytime soon. The petty squabbles are still front and center, and yes, that is the point. He also teased more of the softer stuff between the Farnon brothers — the kind of scenes that have been building since the war storyline kicked off.

"I always call them an old married couple... You only bicker like that with the people you truly love."

For anyone keeping score: back in season 3, when James and Tristan enlisted and Tristan was later conscripted, the brothers finally said the L-word out loud and hugged — a payoff the show made you wait three seasons for. Season 6 brings that energy back. Think: they snipe at each other, then an hour later they are sharing a whiskey, talking cricket. Peak Darrowby. Peak brothers-who-are-fine, everything’s fine.

Woodhouse is high on the scripts this year, calling them some of his favorites across six seasons. The writers keep threading heartfelt moments and undercutting them with very on-brand bickering — which, if you watch this show, you know is basically its secret sauce. Expect the brothers to be nudged together by a few outside forces and to show up for each other in ways only they can. In other words, the bond moves forward, not sideways.

James and Helen: back on one team

Nicholas Ralph (James) says that with James settled back in Darrowby for good, his marriage to Helen has found its groove again. The fun is back — now with two kids in the mix: little Jimmy and Rosie. It is not just date-night fun anymore; it is family-of-four chaos and joy, which feels right after a few seasons of long-distance strain, RAF duty, and James struggling to actually say how he feels. With Helen’s help, he finally did, and season 6 plays the relief of that.

Where season 6 lands

We are in 1945, right as the war in Europe is winding down. That shift matters. The new season leans into a community looking forward: veterinary advancements, families growing, and a few fresh faces around Darrowby. The show’s signature mix of human and animal stories is still the backbone — just with a postwar glimmer of optimism it has not been able to fully embrace until now.

Season 6 at a glance

• Siegfried and Tristan keep the bickering — and double down on the brotherly heart-to-hearts
• Callbacks to their season 3 wartime arc, when they finally told each other they loved each other
• James and Helen are solid again, now parenting Jimmy and Rosie as a family of four
• Set in 1945, with the European war ending and Darrowby looking ahead
• Expect veterinary progress, expanded families, and new faces in town
• Writers are leaning into that sweet spot: tenderness undercut with sharp, funny squabbles

Where to watch and read

All Creatures Great and Small seasons 1–5 are available on Channel 5. If you want to go back to the source, James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small is available to order on Amazon.