The Doctor and the Little Dog will soon return to Channel 5 for its fifth season and, due to its success, the first season has been added to Netflix. Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis has his eye on the heart of Helen Alderson (played by Rachel Shenton) as Hugh Hulton.

In the series, he fails to win over Helen as her heart belongs to James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph). His time on the show was short, but he reflected on his own experiences during filming and talked about what made his character so likable.

Matthew explained how much he enjoyed that Hugh “doesn’t maliciously ignore his privilege” and “he’s a really nice guy.” Fans were shocked at how much the star had changed since his breakout role as Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films.

In an interview with Masterpiece for PBS, the 35-year-old said he liked that Hugh was “very different from what I’ve done before,” explaining that he was able to play with the character and tease out some more lovable and charming qualities.

He added: “Plus, I enjoy losing myself in characters that are very unlike me and Hugh was so different from me.”

The Leeds-born actor said he had always wanted to imitate a new accent and admitted he found it more difficult to play characters from his own hometown.

He described it as a “constant struggle” to ensure he stays true to his role.

He has the most fun when he has the opportunity to completely lose himself in a new character.

He explained: “I get to embody that person and play around. And when you’re fully in a scene, something just happens and you think, ‘Wow, that was incredible. I didn’t expect that to happen, but it felt real, it felt right’ and you get a really giddy feeling. I got a lot of that with Hugh.”

Matthew had high praise for the rest of the cast and the show’s ethics, saying everyone wants to be themselves and do their best.

“It was a very selfless production,” he recalled.

All Creatures Great and Small returns to Channel 5 later this year