‘All Creatures Great and Small’ Season 3 Episode 1 recap: ‘Second Time Lucky’

All Creatures Great and Small is back!

Based on author James Herriot’s much-loved collection of stories, Channel 5’s period drama follows the heartwarming and humorous adventures of a young country vet in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s.

Three months on from the end of the last season, it’s now spring 1939 as the hit series returns for its third run.

Watch the trailer:

 

Some big changes are happening at Skeldale and everyone has to learn how to adjust. Tristan is now a qualified vet while James enters into a new stage of his life with Helen and at the practice.

After being made joint business partner by Siegfried, James pushes to take on more responsibility via the Ministry of Agriculture’s new bovine TB testing scheme, but its unexpected challenges risk pushing him to breaking point.

And as a potential Second World War looms, all of our Skeldale family have to consider their purpose in Darrowby and beyond.

Watch a clip from this week’s episode here:

 

Here’s a plot recap for the first episode of Season 3 – ‘Second Time Lucky’ – which premiered on Channel 5 at 9pm on Thursday 15th September 2022:

Siegfried decides to give James a poorly timed reminder about his responsibilities as a vet while he prepares for his honeymoon with Helen, leaving James feeling torn between his professional and private life.

James feels further challenged when he encounters farmer William Henry at the Drovers, who worries that his cows have tuberculosis.

After a heavy night, James finds himself high up in the Dales at Henry’s to perform a second round of TB testing far from where he’s supposed to be on his wedding day.

Despite Tristan being given an important task by James and Helen, Siegfried decides to take charge of things on his brother’s behalf.

An unforeseen mishap at the practice involving Mr Mulligan’s vomiting dog Clancy leaves Siegfried scrambling to resolve things before James, Helen and Tristan find out.

Tristan is sent to convince James to put down his work at Henry’s and come back to Skeldale.

When one of Henry’s cows emerges to be more unwell than initially thought, James feels unable to leave the farm. A word from Mrs Hall helps Siegfried realise the influence that his words have on James.

Siegfried shows him that sometimes difficult choices have to be made and recognises James’ dedication to his job by making him junior partner at the practice.

He feels grateful that as vets, James and Tristan are in protected jobs so unable to volunteer to fight in the potential war.

All Creatures Great and Small is available on DVD on Amazon.