WATCH: Nairn star set to return as James Herriot in new season of Channel 5 show tonight
Nairn actor Nicholas Ralph will return as veterinary surgeon and author James Herriot in the latest season of All Creatures Great and Small which will premiere tonight (October 5) on Channel 5.
The 33-year-old appeared on BBC's The One Show yesterday alongside his colleague Rachel Shenton – who plays Herriot's wife Helen – for a preview of the fourth season of the programme.
A reboot of the hit 70s series based on Herriot's books, the show follows his work and life as a vet surgeon in the Yorkshire Dales.
The new season will be set in the early 40s and follows the third season's finale in which Ralph's character signed up to join the RAF.
Talking on The One Show yesterday, the actor – also known for his role in The Most Reluctant Convert and whose part in the show got him a nomination for best newcomer in the TV Times Awards – said: "There's so much humanity in this season.
"We are in the early 1940, it's the phoney war period where there is not much going on as far as early WW2 – life in Darrowby is pretty much the same as it was.
"James bumps into a lost boy and kind of becomes a father figure to him and helps him along the way whilst looking after his dog as well. It's very much one of the stories in which he does not only help the animals, but also the people.
"It's a real community vibe, especially in these periods of war, this really comes to the fore."
The actors said that fans from as far as the US travelled to the set in Grassington to watch the show being filmed.
In August this year Nicholas Ralph attended the Nairn Highland Games and presented some of the prizes to winners on the day.
All Creatures Great and Small will air tonight (October 5) on Channel 5 at 9pm.
