Sometimes, a television show comes along just exactly when you need it. It’s not that the British series “All Creatures Great and Small,” the latest adaptation of James Herriot’s books about life as a veterinarian in the 1930s-’50s Yorkshire Dales, was hiding anywhere; I vaguely knew that it had been around for a few years (the first season premiered in the U.S. in early 2021, and the fifth is currently streaming), and that it sounded charming. But a few weeks ago, dealing with aching sadness due to the recent loss of a loved one, I was looking for something comforting to watch and decided to give “All Creatures” a try. And now I think the universe specifically sent this show to me, and to all of us who might be need of something utterly sweet and kindhearted and uncomplicated — the televisual equivalent of a hug from a friend, if that hug came with breathtaking country scenery and a generous dose of horse obstetrics.

“All Creatures” revolves around three vets, all of whom live together in a ridiculously cozy and fireplace-laden home that I want to move into immediately. James (Nicholas Ralph), a young Glaswegian, has newly arrived in Yorkshire at the series’ start for his new job in the longtime veterinary practice owned by Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West) in the fictional village of Darrowby. They’re soon joined by Siegfried’s charmingly irresponsible younger brother Tristan (Callum Woodhouse), and yes, I very much want to know whether Siegfried and Tristan have a sister named Brunnhilde and a family tree filled with misbegotten characters from minor Wagnerian operas, but the show withholds this information.

The men, and the house, and a perfectly behaved resident dog named Jess are supervised by the wise live-in housekeeper, Mrs. Hall — or, in the Yorkshire tones of most of the villagers, Mrs. ‘All (the delightful Anna Madeley) — who has some vague tragedy in her past and who seems to have an extremely chaste romantic spark for Siegfried, a widower. (Love language, in this show, means that she puts his pipe in his mouth even before he asks for it, and that the two of them often sit companionably together in the parlor, not needing to speak.) The quartet soon becomes a quintet: Helen Alderson (Rachel Shenton), a local farmer introduced in the first episode as The Person Who Is Obviously Going To Be James’ Romantic Partner (seriously, she’s practically wearing a name tag), rounds out the human cast.

The nonhuman cast is vast and delightful — this is the sort of show where scenes get stolen by random groups of geese walking purposefully through the shot, like they’re on their way to the bus stop — and I definitely need to shout out my favorite four-legged character, a Pekingese named Tricki Woo, played by an extremely self-possessed canine actor named Derek who clearly deserves a BAFTA. Tricki is owned by a local rich lady and lives in splendor at her Downton Abbey-like mansion, where he has his very own teeny chaise longue, and Derek is awfully good at conveying Tricki’s sense of high-strung entitlement. In one scene, a visiting Tricki takes Jess’ doggy bed for himself, and his determined expression tells us that poor Jess hasn’t a prayer of getting it back.

“All Creatures” does frequently delve into conflicts more serious than dog-bed thievery, and — as to be expected when a show deals with farm life — we do see illness and occasional deaths among the animal kingdom. But these stories are approached with kindness and dignity (well, maybe not the time Tristan accidentally offed someone’s budgie), and a respect for the characters’ love of their animals. And, more often than not, the vets perform their magic and all turns out OK. I was very nervous during an episode when Siegfried, taking postoperative overnight care of a local dog, settled the pooch into a dog bed and turned on a portable heater next to him — because anyone who’s seen a few movies knows that this dog is about to burn to death, right? Nope; the heater worked fine, and the faint whimpers from the dog during the night simply meant that he was lonely, a problem quickly remedied by the saintly Jess.

That little plotline, in some ways, tells the story of “All Creatures”: We all, animals or humans, need company, and we need to take care of each other. It’s hard to describe just how moving this gentle show is, or how quickly you start to feel that you’re part of this little Yorkshire family as they drink tea together and share the details of their days. Even as wartime looms — I am not yet finished watching the entire series, but Season 3 already brings ominous planes overhead and local boys enlisting — you sense that all will be well with these warmhearted people, who face adversity and just keep on doing the best they can. I needed this show, and I suspect many of us these days might need it, too: a beautifully filmed series that celebrates loving kindness, community and the importance of bravely carrying on.

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"All Creatures Great and Small"

Season 5 is currently streaming on PBS.

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