Doc Martin

Doc Martin is as close as it gets to perfection. Martin Clunes and Dominic Minghella should (and I'm sure do) take intense pride over their creation. The writing is the best in the business, the director Ben Bolt is amazing, and the acting is subtle, natural, hilarious and touching. In addition to Martin Clunes, Caroline Catz has shown herself to be one of the best of her generation. And the scenery and music, of course, are beautiful.

Pleeeeeeaaaaaaaase, please, please Mr. and Mrs. Clunes: Don't sell out to us Yanks. Let the American version of Men Behaving Badly be your guide...Don't do it, ever, under any circumstances!

"Doc Martin" focuses on Dr. Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes), a surgeon who develops hemophobia and moves to the fictional quaint town of Portwenn on the Cornish coast. Portwenn is full of quirky characters, a perfect contrast to Martin's straightforward attitude. As the series progresses, more and more about the various characters gets revealed. And there are always some neat secrets in store.

One of the best things about "Doc Martin" is that there are no commercial breaks. Each episode lasts almost an hour, during which Martin always carries out his duties to the community, but has no shortage of run-ins with the locals. But more than anything, it demonstrates what a TV show can be when it relies on plot (and clever jokes) rather than a series of gags. It's definitely one that I recommend.

Being an ex-pat Brit, I am well aware of how the country has changed in many ways not to my liking, but one thing they still do so well in the UK has not changed, and that is dramas of this genre. I lived in various parts of the English countryside as a kid, and I know that eccentric characters like this really do abound. As for the comment about the local lovelies, you should try the seaside towns of Cardigan Bay in Wales, a goodly number of beauties there, I assure you, it must be the bracing sea air. Regarding another comment, I too went to the church and lit a candle to pray that nobody in Hollywood will even think of making an American version of this very charming drama. Looking forward to the fourth series and also hoping for a happy ending, soppy romantic that I am.

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.