The BBC series orginally aired from 1978 until 1990 and featured an EastEnders star in the lead role
All Creatures Great and Small’s original James Herriot star has led an interesting life off-screen and recently appeared in Casualty.
Fans of the much-loved period drama, set in the 1930s, are waiting patiently for series seven to air on Channel 5, but this isn’t the first time the heartwarming tale has been brought to life on screen.
The rebooted series debuted in September 2020 and follows the adventures of vet James Herriot (portrayed by Nicholas Ralph) as he cares for livestock in the Yorkshire Dales and develops a relationship with a local farmer’s daughter.
The original version of the show launched in 1978 on the BBC and is based on the professional experiences of Alf Wight, the renowned Yorkshire vet who wrote under the pseudonym James Herriot.
His work and personal anecdotes were captured in a series of books that were later adapted for television.
Christopher Timothy starred as James Herriot, with Robert Hardy as Siegfried Farnon and Peter Davison as Tristan.
While creator Bill Sellars wanted Christopher to play James all along, it was down to his bosses to cast the role.
He was instead asked to play Tristan Farnon, but he refused and was eventually given the role of James.
What else has Christopher Timothy been in?
Before landing the role of James Herriot on the iconic series, Christopher had already established a successful career, having starred in a list of other popular shows in the 1960s and 70s, including: The Two Ronnies, Van der Valk, and Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle.
Between 1978 and 1990, he played James in the period drama before landing roles in Jackanory, The Bill, Lewis, and Holby City.
In 2017, Christopher arrived in Eastenders as Ted Murray, with the love of his life Joyce (played by Maggie Steed).
The couple had previously lived in Walford Towers but were rehoused in the flat below the rowdy Taylor family, headed by Karen (Lorraine Stanley), which left them mortified.
However, the clan ended up becoming friends with Ted and Joyce, and especially struck up a friendship with Bernie (Clair Norris), with Ted teaching her how to play chess.
Tragedy struck for Ted when Joyce died in her sleep in early 2018. He was ultimately set up by Patrick Trueman’s (Rudolph Walker) then-wife, Sheree (Suzette Llewellyn), with her mum, Wanda Baptiste (Anna Domingo).
Despite initial concerns about moving on from Joyce, Ted decided to throw caution to the wind, and he and Wanda headed off to travel the world. Ted made his final appearance on September 27 2019.
Between 2002 and 2024, he also played the recurring role of Brendan McGuire in Doctors for more than 900 episodes. Most recently, Christopher starred as Alan Gibson in Casualty.
Christopher’s health battle
In 2008, Christopher was diagnosed with cancer, but luckily, he was given the all-clear five years later in 2013.
Talking to The Daily Star to raise awareness of the disease, Timothy said: “I’ve had prostate cancer, but I’ve been clear for five years. There were only one or two people who knew.”
The actor also explained that he had decided not to tell his seven children because his diagnosis came shortly after their mum had died.
Christopher later told his children that when he was given the all-clear, he wanted to raise awareness of it in order to help other men get diagnosed before it is too late.
The new season of All Creatures Great and Small is available to stream on 5
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