The All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special will prove “a turning point” and wake-up call for ladies-man Tristan Farnon (Callum Woodhouse), the younger brother of Siegfried.
When we left him at the end of season two, Tristan had retaken his veterinary exams and was waiting for his results – while also enjoying a ‘casual’ relationship with the local barmaid Maddie (or at least, that’s what he assumes).
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Callum Woodhouse teased that the Christmas special would be an “even bigger turning point” for his character than season two episode six, during which Tristan finally realised that he truly wanted to be a vet.
“Yeah, it was [a turning point]. I guess episode six was as well, and [Tristan] deciding that he enjoys helping the people as much as the animals. But this is an even bigger turning point,” he said.
Asked about his character’s relationship with Maddie, he teased: “I think he’s always gonna have a soft spot for Maddie, as she will for him as well. But yeah, this is a turning point isn’t it, in the sense that he’s just maturing a bit. He’s just realising a lot of things. Yeah, I think ‘maturing’ would probably be the right word.”
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At the end of season two, the threat of World War Two lingered over Darrowby’s residents. Does Woodhouse think that the war will impact the show’s feel-good factor in the future?
“It will in some way, yeah. There’s no way of denying it. It [World War Two] wasn’t the happiest of times. But I definitely think, you know, you’ve got those characters who all look out for each other. And… they have the family relationship that will always bring joy to people.”
In the meantime, the Christmas special (airing on Christmas Eve on Channel 5) will see romance in the air, with the newly engaged James and Helen (Nicholas Ralph and Rachel Shenton in the All Creatures Great and Small cast) deciding where to spend Christmas Day together.
And could that be housekeeper Mrs Hall lingering under the mistletoe?
You can order James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small from Amazon.
The All Creatures Christmas Special will air on Christmas Eve at 9pm on Channel 5. Take a look at the rest of our Drama coverage, or check out what else is on with our TV Guide.