It was a show which somehow defined a gentler age.

As Britain suffered first the Winter of Discontent and then the horrors of the early years of Thatcherism, viewers by their millions to tuned in to a Scottish tale of funny animals and the even funnier people who looked after them.

For seven seasons starting in 1978, All Creatures Great and Small mesmerised almost everybody with its stories of an Edinburgh vet who found himself thrown in to so often wonderfully eccentric Yorkshire Dales of the 1930s.

Now the classic drama, based on the novels of James Herriot, is to come back to the small screen.

Timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Herriot's first books, Channel 5 will show a new series of All Creatures Great and Small and a Christmas Special.

Sebastian Cardwell, digital channel controller at Channel 5, said: "James Herriot has a special place in the heart of the public and the commission of this iconic drama series, against the stunning backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales, is set to bring joy to a new army of TV viewers.

"The original books affectionately captured a unique slice of British life; in challenging times, we hope the charming and heart-warming stories of community and compassion will resonate with new audiences."

James Herriot's All Creatures Great And Small is to be adapted for a new TV series and Christmas special ahead of the 50th anniversary of the original publication of the books.

The episodes will be filmed on location in Yorkshire later this year, Channel 5 has announced. James Herriot was the pen name of real-life veterinary surgeon James Alfred Wight and also the chief protagonist of the stories, a fictional young country vet. Though first published in 1970, they were set in the 1930s - and the spectre of war and depression often sits behind the light-hearted and innocent stories of Herriot, who had to visit farms in a clapped-out car.

First published in 1970, they followed the cast of farmers and townsfolk who lived and worked in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s. Forty years ago the rural world portrayed would have been that of their childhood. Now the nostalgia will be for 1970s TV, not 1930s farm life.

The adaptation will be made by production company Playground, which was responsible for Howard's End and Wolf Hall.

Colin Callender, executive producer and chief executive of Playground, said: "Revisiting James Herriot's beloved stories is an immense privilege and we are honoured that Alf Wight's family have entrusted us with his legacy.

"It is a responsibility we take very seriously. At a time when the country feels more divided than ever, Herriot's glorious books remind us how to connect and belong again.

"The series will embrace the fun and the nostalgia of revisiting the England of the past, while celebrating Herriot's values that, despite all our current upheaval, still underpin British life today."

Jim Wight and Rosie Page, Wight's children, said: "The books of James Herriot have enchanted millions of readers worldwide for almost half a century.

"We are delighted that our father's work will be brought to life once again for a new generation of viewers Great and Small."

This is not quite the first attempt to bring the series back. It originally ran from 1978 to 1980 over three series based directly on the Herriot books. But it returned for four more series from 1988 to 1990 based on original scripts.

The original All Creatures Great and Small - which drew audiences of 13 million and a kind rarely seen today was to bring stardom to Welsh actor Christopher Timothy, who played Herroit, as well as the late Robert Hardy, who acted as his boss, Seigfried, Farnon, and the future Dr Who Peter Davison, who starred as Seigfried's unreliable younger brother Tristan.