My friend Elizabeth introduced me to Doc Martin last year and I devoured all four seasons in a few weeks. It was perfect timing because the fifth season premiered a few months later so I didn't have to endure the 2-year gap between the fourth and fifth season. Such is British television, which doesn't follow the stringent timing of most American TV, so the show has been running since 2004 with the meager output of 38 episodes. But they are 38 thoroughly entertaining episodes that will charm you from the first second.
The series is set in Portwenn (the fictional name of the drop-dead gorgeous seaside village of Port Isaac where the entire series is filmed) and tells the story of Dr. Martin Ellingham. He is a prominent London surgeon, but suddenly stricken with hemophobia (i.e. the fear of blood, which is not ideal for a surgeon), he is forced to relocate to sleepy Portwenn and become the village GP. Now surgeons are never renowned for their bedside manner, but Doc Martin, as the locals insist on calling him, is clearly more socially challenged than most. In fact, he might have a dash of Asperger's that makes him particularly incapable of handling his patients with any modicum of tact.
In essence, Doc Martin is the British version of House (admittedly an odd comparison since really, Hugh Laurie is the British version of House) but with a far more comic touch and an emphasis on ordinary lives and events. The Doc might not win admirers with his gruff manner but from the first episode he quickly establishes himself as an astute diagnostician. The diseases he faces are very commonplace but present themselves in odd ways and are diagnosed with very simple tests unlike the endless array of MRIs, surgeries, and unnecessary interventions one might see on House.
If you don't care about the medical aspects of the show, there are plenty of other reasons to watch. Portwenn is filled with cheerful Cornish folk who are never going to stop being friendly busybodies that insist on chatting aimlessly with the Doc and attempting to make friends. These characters include Martin's Aunt Joan, a sympathetic and lovely woman who serves as a reminder that at least someone is capable of loving and relating to this seemingly unloveable man. Other characters include a thoroughly incompetent series of receptionists, the plumber (and later restaurateur) Bert Large and his son Al, and the bumbling local policeman who always seem to land himself and the doctor in hot water with startling regularity. And finally, we come to the local schoolteacher, Louisa Glasson, who becomes the Doc's love interest in a tumultuous relationship that would rival that of Ross & Rachel. These assorted characters burrow their way into your heart and their assorted trials and triumphs make for compulsively watchable television.
Like with all my beloved British series, the acting is top notch. Martin Clunes and Caroline Catz as Martin and Louisa provide a reliable dose of witty banter and romantic tension that never gets stale. I was particularly surprised when I first saw Martin Clunes in a TV interview because he turned out to be an incredibly cheery, agreeable man; quite the contrast to the dour, perpetually argumentative Doc Martin. The supporting cast are equally funny and warm, and after you watch a few episodes, everyone will start to feel like family.
US viewers can catch the fifth season of Doc Martin airing on PBS right now. But if you don't want to be spoiled and wish to experience the series from the beginning (which I highly recommend), Hulu has every episode available for your streaming pleasure. Otherwise, some assiduous YouTube searches might prove helpful. I guarantee everyone will find something to love in this show. It has the power to both amuse and touch you and there are several dramatic moments that underlie the gentle comedy. Even though the sixth (and possibly final) season is only slated to begin filming in the spring of 2013, I already can't wait.
The series is set in Portwenn (the fictional name of the drop-dead gorgeous seaside village of Port Isaac where the entire series is filmed) and tells the story of Dr. Martin Ellingham. He is a prominent London surgeon, but suddenly stricken with hemophobia (i.e. the fear of blood, which is not ideal for a surgeon), he is forced to relocate to sleepy Portwenn and become the village GP. Now surgeons are never renowned for their bedside manner, but Doc Martin, as the locals insist on calling him, is clearly more socially challenged than most. In fact, he might have a dash of Asperger's that makes him particularly incapable of handling his patients with any modicum of tact.
In essence, Doc Martin is the British version of House (admittedly an odd comparison since really, Hugh Laurie is the British version of House) but with a far more comic touch and an emphasis on ordinary lives and events. The Doc might not win admirers with his gruff manner but from the first episode he quickly establishes himself as an astute diagnostician. The diseases he faces are very commonplace but present themselves in odd ways and are diagnosed with very simple tests unlike the endless array of MRIs, surgeries, and unnecessary interventions one might see on House.
If you don't care about the medical aspects of the show, there are plenty of other reasons to watch. Portwenn is filled with cheerful Cornish folk who are never going to stop being friendly busybodies that insist on chatting aimlessly with the Doc and attempting to make friends. These characters include Martin's Aunt Joan, a sympathetic and lovely woman who serves as a reminder that at least someone is capable of loving and relating to this seemingly unloveable man. Other characters include a thoroughly incompetent series of receptionists, the plumber (and later restaurateur) Bert Large and his son Al, and the bumbling local policeman who always seem to land himself and the doctor in hot water with startling regularity. And finally, we come to the local schoolteacher, Louisa Glasson, who becomes the Doc's love interest in a tumultuous relationship that would rival that of Ross & Rachel. These assorted characters burrow their way into your heart and their assorted trials and triumphs make for compulsively watchable television.
Like with all my beloved British series, the acting is top notch. Martin Clunes and Caroline Catz as Martin and Louisa provide a reliable dose of witty banter and romantic tension that never gets stale. I was particularly surprised when I first saw Martin Clunes in a TV interview because he turned out to be an incredibly cheery, agreeable man; quite the contrast to the dour, perpetually argumentative Doc Martin. The supporting cast are equally funny and warm, and after you watch a few episodes, everyone will start to feel like family.
US viewers can catch the fifth season of Doc Martin airing on PBS right now. But if you don't want to be spoiled and wish to experience the series from the beginning (which I highly recommend), Hulu has every episode available for your streaming pleasure. Otherwise, some assiduous YouTube searches might prove helpful. I guarantee everyone will find something to love in this show. It has the power to both amuse and touch you and there are several dramatic moments that underlie the gentle comedy. Even though the sixth (and possibly final) season is only slated to begin filming in the spring of 2013, I already can't wait.
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