Doc Martin

I do not understand why some people do not understand why they love this series nor understand why they love Doc Martin. Some dedicated viewers really don't understand why they are so hooked! So I shall tell them why they love Doc Martin. Doc Martin is real. I am a registered nurse and have worked in the Operating Room (theater, if you are picky) and I can tell you this man exists. That is why I switched to the Medical Floor, to get away from the Doc Martins of the hospital. Good grief, they are intimidating. It takes years to find out how weak and vulnerable and sad they are. When a patient codes and doesn't make it, the Doc Martins of the world are left to handle their grief and feelings alone. Isn't that sad? We notice (and love) Doc Martin first of all because he oozes alpha male chemistry and we react to that with a mixture of love and hate, contempt and admiration. We love him second of all because he has transcended most of his feelings (unlike us) and has moved to a higher plane of capability because of it and we benefit from his capability and confidence. We love him thirdly because he needs our love and he has been so mistreated and has such voids within him. There are all kind of subtle clues that Doc Martin is wonderful, but none so telling as the fact that dogs love him and are not impressed by his screams and sneers. You cannot fool a dog! Why does America love this series so much? Because the British do a much finer job than we do at so many many film endeavors. From the impeccable casting to the brilliant writing and believable dialogue to the ability the British have to plumb the depths and soar the heights of human drama and comedy without having holes and gaps that need filled with obscenity or worse. Thanks to the British for their genius. They are even brilliant in the way they use color to match the characters to the environment and create an ambiance that disarms the viewer. I love British films and "Doc Martin" best of all. I suspect another reason America is enthralled with the Doc Martin series is because we Americans are having socialized medicine crammed down our unwilling throats, and watching socialized medicine in action adds a certain little touch of horror spice to the story that Brits probably do not even notice.

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.

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!

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

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.