There are few television shows right now that are as effortlessly charming as All Creatures Great and Small, which focuses on the character of James Herriot and his experiences as a new vet in the Yorkshire region of England. While he is arguably the series’ most important character, it is also the case that there are many people that he encounters that are just as fascinating.
Most of them also demonstrate that they are very intelligent as well, though how they demonstrate their intelligence varies widely from person to person.
10 Mrs. Pumphrey
Mrs. Pumphrey will surely come to be seen as one of Diana Rigg’s best roles. As a scion of local wealth, she has a great deal of influence in the local area. However, she also shows that she is very intelligent. She is not the type of person that suffers fools lightly, which is why she is very particular about who she allows treating her beloved dogs.
And, while she is willing and able to spoil her pet, she is also intelligent enough to heed the vet’s advice when necessary.
9 Tristan Farnon
Unlike his elder brother, who is very committed to the practice of veterinary medicine, it can often be difficult to get Tristan to focus on much of anything for a long period.
However, despite that, he also shows that he is a very intelligent young man, particularly when he can keep his attention on the matter at hand, as he demonstrates when he works with James to develop a new type of surgery to save a sick cow’s life.
8 Maggie
The mark of a successful period drama is its ability to create secondary characters that are just as appealing and interesting as the main cast. In this regard, All Creatures succeeds quite well, and Maggie is one of the better creations. As a barmaid at one of the local taverns, she has to have the type of intelligence that allows her to deal with the many rowdy customers she encounters.
What’s more, she also has the type of emotional intelligence that allows her to understand Tristan for who he is rather than what she wants him to be.
7 Dorothy
Dorothy is another of the successful and fascinating secondary characters in this series. At first, she is little more than Mrs. Hall’s friend who tries to cheer her up when she is feeling down, but she gradually shows that she is more than that. Like Maggie, she shows that she has a unique kind of emotional intelligence, which allows her to see in Siegfried something that calls to her.
Above all else, she knows that he needs to allow himself to move on from the death of his wife and to find happiness with someone else.
6 Hugh Hulton
For a long time, Matthew Lewis was best known for portraying Neville Longbottom, one of the bravest Gryffindors of Harry Potter. Recently, however, he’s broken out of that mold and into new characters, including Hugh Hulton.
Though he can be something of a jerk at times, it’s nevertheless true that Hugh is a very intelligent sort of person, someone who knows what it takes to appeal to a woman like Helen, even if their romance doesn’t ultimately work out.
5 Jenny Alderson
Like her elder sister, Helen, Jenny is something of a free spirit, always willing to do whatever she wants whenever she wants. Time and again, she shows that she has a fierce sort of intelligence. She is so intelligent that Mrs. Hall, and others, think that she might have the makings of a veterinarian herself someday.
Considering how young she is during the series, that is a testament to just how precocious and skilled she is.
4 Helen Alderson
Every good period drama needs its romantic heroine, and Helen Alderson fits easily into that role. She is fierce and feisty and intelligent, and she is always willing to go her way, no matter what others might say to her.
Given the fundamental importance of farming to her family, she has to have a good head on her shoulders, and she shows time and again that she has a good head on her shoulders and that she will do whatever it takes to make sure that her family keeps its good reputation in the area.
3 James Herriot
When the series begins James Herriot is something of an outsider, and he is very inexperienced. Very quickly, however, he demonstrates that he is one of the series’ smartest characters and that this allows him to be just the kind of vet that the area needs.
He performs several risky procedures, but they almost always turn out for the best and end up helping the animal in question. What’s more, he’s also intelligent enough to recognize when nothing can be done and when ending an animal’s suffering is the only thing to be done.
2 Siegfried Farnon
As intelligent as James is, he is a little exceeded by Siegfried, the man who hires him on as a junior vet and then promotes him. Though he can be prickly and at times eccentric, there’s still no question that Siegfried is a very intelligent man, someone who is devoted to his patients and will do anything he can to help them.
He’s just one of the many reasons that this series has shown itself to be a must-watch for animal lovers of all varieties.
1 Mrs. Hall
In many ways, Mrs. Hall is the conscience of this series, the one person that everyone knows they can go to when they need love or support or advice. She thus has many different types of intelligence, as she shows time and time again.
On top of the emotional support that she gives many of the characters, she also shows that she has the skills to keep a veterinary practice going, and it’s clear that without her none of the men would know what to do with themselves.
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