The Yorkshire Vet is back for the 15th series

Back for a 15th series is this marvellous slice of midweek escapism, following the trials and tribulations of a small group of town and country vets as they care for pets, livestock and even the occasional wild animal around the counties that make up Yorkshire.

The first episode (of 11) catches up with Huddersfield vet Shona and her boyfriend James, who are just getting their project of breeding lambs at their house underway.

Talk about bringing your work home with you!

Unfortunately, the lambs are slow to arrive – and the pair are running out of time off from their jobs.

They had better hope that their ewes start lambing soon as they won’t be able to leave them alone until they do.

As any farmer will tell you, lambing season means losing a lot of sleep; it’s one of the few occasions where counting sheep actually has the opposite effect.

Meanwhile, the Green family are still mourning their much-loved old donkey, Mabel, at their farm. But they’re not the only ones – Mabel’s former stablemate Cybil also seems to be sad and lonely since Mabel’s passing, so vet Peter Wright heads over to see if he can perk her up.

Fortunately he has an idea, but has to call on a pair of old farming friends – two brothers from Barnsley – to help put the spring back in Cybil’s step.

Peter is also in action at the Kirkbymoorside practice when another local farming family rush in their pregnant ewe who seems to have complications.

The fact that she is a Texel – a rare and potentially very valuable breed of sheep – only adds to the pressure.

Vet Julian Norton, meanwhile, has to deal with a high-stakes problem of his own. He’s about to operate on Andrew and Nick’s beloved terrier, Lovejoy, who is suffering from bladder stones.

Unfortunately the pair’s previous dog had exactly the same ailment, and sadly didn’t survive the procedure.

They are understandably apprehensive this time around, and Julian does his best to reassure them. But ultimately they’ll only feel better once Lovejoy is recovered and back at home with them.

Peter and Julian did, when the series first began, run a veterinary practice together: the Skeldale surgery near Thirsk.

Peter opted to leave the area eventually after the decline in dairy herds, which are his specialism, in the area. As a consequence, Skeldale had become a more domestic practice mainly looking after pets and small animals.

Now that he’s back in his element, hopping from farm to farm administering care to large animals, the smaller beasts still need care.

This week that falls to surgeon Matt, who is preparing for a very stressful, very intricate surgery on a chameleon named Miss Pickles. She unfortunately has a large number of eggs lodged inside her and, as with any small animal surgery, Matt will need the utmost focus if Miss Pickles is to have the best chance possible.