All Creatures Great and Small Christmas: what time is classic special on - how to watch?

• BBC4 will air a classic All Creatures Great and Small Christmas episode.
• It is the festive special from 1983 and will get you in the holiday spirit.
• Christopher Timothy plays James Herriot in this classic series.

If you are excited for the All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special then the BBC has a real treat in store for you. While the revival series will air a festive episode during the holiday period, fans can get in the spirit early with a classic seasonal throwback from the 1980s.

Long before the modern series debuted on Channel 5, James Herriot’s beloved books were adapted into a decades spanning show on the BBC. Originally started in 1978 it ran - across two spells - until 1990.

During the 1980s it aired a pair of Christmas specials - and BBC4 has dug into its archives to pull out this festive cracker. Make sure you don’t miss out on this classic episode - as it is bound to get you in the spirit of cheer and goodwill.

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What time is the classic All Creatures Great and Small on tonight?

All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special from 1983 is on BBC4 this December | BBC

The All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special from 1983 will air on BBC4 from 8.25pm tonight (December 21). It is a feature length episode and is approximately 90 minutes long.

How to watch it?

The episode will be airing on BBC4, which requires a TV licence to watch. BBC iPlayer has the first season from 1978 available, and the Christmas episode will join the on-demand service after airing on TV.

Who plays James Herriot in the classic series?

Christopher Timothy stepped into the shoes of the famous Yorkshire vet for the original TV adaptation. He played the role in all 90 episodes across the BBC shows’ 7 series - including the Christmas specials - from 1978 to 1990.

What is the 1983 Christmas special about?

On its website, the BBC has the following synopsis for the episode: “Demobbed from the army, James Herriot returns to Yorkshire and his day-to-day dramas of a country veterinary practice.”

It was the first episode to air since 1980. It was followed by a second Christmas special in 1985.

What are you most excited to watch on the TV this Christmas? Let me know your picks by email: [email protected].