THE first pictures have been released of Patricia Hodge as Mrs Pumphrey in the new series of All Creatures Great and Small.

The actor, well known for her parts in Miranda and A Very English Scandal, has joined the cast following the death last year of Dame Diana Rigg, who played Mrs Pumphrey, the eccentric owner of pampered Pekingese, Tricki Woo, in the first series of the Channel 5 show.

The second series, adapted from the books of James Herriot, finished filming earlier this summer. Much of it took place in Grassington, across Upper Wharfedale and at Broughton Hall, Skipton.

Channel 5 says series two is ‘coming soon’ and viewers can expect more heart warming adventures set in the 1930s of country vet, James Herriot, played by Nicholas Ralph, as he joins his mentor, Siegfried Farnon, played by Samuel West; matriarch of Skeldale House, Mrs Hall, played by Anna Madeley; Siegfried’s brother, Tristan, played by Callum Woodhouse, and farmer’s daughter, Helen Alderson, played by Rachel Shenton.

Series two starts three months after events in the first series. A trip back home to Glasgow presents James with a dilemma that will mean choosing between the people he loves.

As Helen and James navigate their feelings for one another, Siegfried, Tristan, and Mrs Hall are also forced to consider their places in the world, while James must ultimately decide between duty and love.