All Creatures Great And Small Characters, Ranked By Likability

All Creatures Great and Small is one of the most charming series to have come out of the UK in quite a while. Based on the series of semi-autobiographical novels by James Herriot, it focuses on the character of the same name as he begins his life as a practicing vet in Yorkshire.

Like all good series of this sort, All Creatures has a cast of characters that the audience can genuinely like, cheer for, and care about. Thus, it’s worth taking a look at them to see just which of them are the most likable.

10 Hugh Hulton

Matthew Lewis is best known for playing Neville Longbottom, one of the bravest of Harry Potter characters. In this series, however, he plays the wealthy and powerful Hugh Hulton.

While Hugh is a nice enough man, and though he clearly loves Helen, he tends to be a bit abrasive in his approach to others, particularly James, who he rightly sees as a rival for her affections. This leads him to make some very questionable choices since he likes to show off his influence over the local community.

9 Mrs. Pumphrey

The legendary Diana Rigg was famous for many iconic roles in her career, and one of her last was as Mrs. Pumphrey. She is, as one might expect, rather pompous, but she is also one of the wealthiest people near Darrowby.

However, she still manages to be a very likable character, especially since she clearly loves her little dog (even if she does indulge him in all sorts of food that he shouldn’t eat). What’s more, she takes a liking to James in particular, showing him a more vulnerable side of her personality.

8 Jenny Alderson

Jenny Alderson is Helen’s younger sister and, like her sibling, she has a free spirit that makes her incredibly likable. She doesn’t take orders very well, and she repeatedly shows herself willing to go off on her own track.

What makes her especially charming as a character, however, is her devotion to her dog, which leads her to work overtime to train him in not chasing sheep, something that could earn his death in the farming community in which they both live.

7 Dorothy

As with all great British period dramas, All Creatures Great and Small includes a number of romances, including that between Siegrief and Dorothy. From the moment that she appears, Dorothy demonstrates that she is something special as a character.

Most importantly, she shows that she has what it takes to lure Siegfried out of the mourning shell that he has erected around himself after the death of his wife. Her effortless charm and charisma enchant both the enigmatic Siegried and the viewer.

6 Maggie

There are many great secondary characters that appear during the course of All Creatures Great and Small, and one of the most charming is Maggie. As the barmaid in charge at the local drinking establishment, she has a keen eye for what goes on in the village. In particular, she has a periodic romance with Tristan.

Even though they have a connection, she’s not afraid to tell him what she thinks about his behavior (not all of which is especially honorable).

5 Helen Alderson

Helen Alderson is sure to be seen as one of the best heroines in a period drama. She manages to be both very charismatic and very feisty at the same time, and there’s no question that her romance with James is one of the most important aspects of the show.

She shows time and time again that she not only cares deeply about James–and, during their romance, Hugh–but also that she has a firm moral compass that ensures that she will never do anything that she deems to be wrong.

4 Siegried Farnon

Eccentric as he might be, there’s no question that Siegried is a very likable character. He can be brusque and demanding (of both Tristan and James), but the truth is that he sees being a vet as a very noble profession. And, as he demonstrates repeatedly, for him the most important thing is the welfare of the animals that are under his care.

Even though he may not be very flexible when it comes to new methods and techniques, that is usually motivated by his genuine desire not to harm any of the patients that they see. He’s just one of the many reasons that this series is so appealing to those who love animals.

3 Tristan Farnon

Unlike his brother, Tristan is someone who genuinely just wants to have fun and enjoy life. It’s for this reason that he engages in more than a few romances during his time on the show, and it’s also why he sometimes struggles to turn his attention to his studies.

Nevertheless, there’s no question that he is one of the series’ most likable characters, as he constantly casts his charming spell over almost anyone that he comes into contact with, whether it’s his latest romantic conquest or Mrs. Hall.

2 Mrs. Hall

As important as Siegfried is to the running of his veterinary practice, Mrs. Hall is its beating heart. She’s the one who sees to it that everything is always running smoothly, and she gives all three of the men under her care the tough love and wise advice that they sometimes need.

As a result, she is one of the series’ most likable characters, particularly as the viewer learns more and more about her and the fact that she is heartbroken that her son has never forgiven her for turning him in for crimes that he committed.

1 James Herriot

James Herriot is, of course, the most important character on the show, given that so much of it is told from his point of view. However, it is also the case that he is one of the series’ most likable people. Like Siegried, he really does care deeply about the animals that he takes under his care and, as the series goes on, he also demonstrates that he loves the people of this small town and the surrounding countryside.

His obvious love for Helen, and his willingness to accept her happiness at the expense of his own, makes him even more appealing.

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