Doc Martin

I thought that the story of an arrogant top-flight London surgeon trying to run a practice in a chummy town in Cornwall would make for a one-note fish-out-of-water series, but instead it has been a delight every week. Doctor Martin Ellingham, for a reason that will be revealed later in the series, decides to transplant himself to a seaside village in Cornwall where he spent a few summers as a child with an aunt, who presently runs an organic farm there. Being a terse, intensely closed, firmly impersonal fellow, he is appalled at the ways of the village people who consider themselves as one big, happy, nosy family. Of course, in a series like this, we expected the clash of cultures between the coldly efficient doctor and the quirky little town to be the main storyline, but it is the diversity of their quirkiness (some of which will surprise you!) and the inventive medical cases that call the doctor's attention, and the personal incidents that test his patience, that will keep you coming back for more each week. While there is a lead cast -- Doctor Ellingham (who intensely dislikes the too familiar "Doc Martin" that people insist on calling him), the head schoolteacher who develops an interest in him, despite herself, the affable teddy bear of a police constable, the exasperating receptionist with a chip on her shoulder, and the jokey, prank-loving plumber played by the wonderful Ian McNeice -- none of the characters that show up fleetingly in the beginning is actually a one-off. Eventually, everyone's back story is brought to the fore. This makes the town more and more three-dimensional and you may find yourself caring quite a lot for the individuals that make up this engaging little village; yes, even for the irascible doctor, whose own back story is rather quite poignant and makes his unbending personality more understandable. The best thing about the series is that it accomplishes all this without the schmaltz that usually ruins programs of this genre. For intelligent, humorous and charming entertainment, spend an hour in the village by the sea of Doc Martin. Who knows? Maybe someday, people will be trying to find Portwenn in the same way that fans of veterinarian-writer James Herriot have been looking for his fictional Darrowby. I would certainly give it a try.

This is a question as well as a comment. Following the final episode of the Doc Martin series just shown by the Australian Broacasting Commission was the caption "Dedicated to John Coleman". I can find no reference to John Coleman on the Doc Martin website. I am guessing he was one of the writers. Am I right? By the way, I loved the series, but one or two things bothered me. The plots were interesting enough and the most of the characters were beautifully drawn, but to some extent some of them were a bit two-dimensional. For example the professionally super-efficient Doc Martin was so rude to everyone that one could hardly believe that any of his patients would ever come back for more. The policeman was (at least until the final episode) unbelievably inept, if not dim-witted. Sorry but I couldn't accept the snake bite episode, when the Doc displayed more patience with the mad forest ranger than he had with the entire village of (reasonably) sane people. The final episode was by far the most believable and the best. On the credit side I found the casting perfect, the setting idyllic and the photography exquisite. The whole thing was so beautiful it made me wonder why I ever left the dear old place. Is there to be more? Dennis Mitchell.

A prominent London surgeon suddenly begins to suffer from haemophobia, and therefore leaves surgery and goes to the small coastal village to be a general practitioner. But neither he feels good about local mentality and customs, nor villages like his uptightness and arrogance. Martin Clunes is brilliant in the role of a socially handicapped doctor who is clumsily trying fit into, for him, a totally abnormal environment. The series is slow paced and very relaxing, moderately colored by drama, comedy, and romance, and although it is far from the masterpiece of television, it is incredibly addictive. Last night I finished the first season and so far I rate it

7,5/10

I love a good TV series/drama, and Doc Martin is exactly that and more. Every time it comes on, it always makes my night, and is consistently wonderful and engrossing.

Doc Martin has some beautiful production values. The photography is always skillful, but I just love the beautiful, almost picturesque scenery. The music is lovely too, not just the accompanying music in scenes but the main title theme too.

Where Doc Martin also scores is in the writing. Of all the shows on ITV, this for me is one of the most consistent in terms of written quality, always being funny, subtle, honest and touching. The story lines are also very well explored, any issues or problems the characters face are done in a gripping way that doesn't patronise or offend.

The direction is great too, while the pace is never too rushed or too slow and each episode is a perfect length and leaves you satisfied when it ends.

The characters are always engaging, especially the title character, who is really quite lovable once you get to know him. The acting helps to make these characters likable, Caroline Catz and Ian McNiece are always great, but it is Martin Clunes who holds the show together and he is brilliant. I quite liked Clunes even before this show, especially in Goodbye Mr Chips, but after seeing him here I confess I love him even more now.

All in all, just wonderful and I am amazed how consistently strong it is. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This gem of a series is lifted out of the sickly-sweet genre of medic/policeman in small quirky country community (often with 'heart' somewhere in the title and 'heartwarming' in the reviews - ugh!) by the spectacular social ineptness of the lead character, Doc Martin, perfectly played by Martin Clunes. Imagine the series if Doc Martin was an ordinary GP, and you'll see what I mean. I was first attracted by the wonderful scenery of Port Isaac in Cornwall (Port Wen in the series)but quickly got interested in how he was going to put his foot in it this week. The story lines are average I would say, some better than others, usually centred on a different medical incident each week, but the real interest is in the relationships between the villagers and the doctor, and how they develop over time. It is always entertaining (and even the not-so-good plot lines are enlivened by the beautiful landscape) and sometimes extremely funny - something to look forward to.