| Doc Martin | |
|---|---|
 Series title card |
|
| Format | Comedy Drama |
| Created by | Dominic Minghella |
| Starring | Martin Clunes Caroline Catz Stephanie Cole Ian McNeice |
| Theme music composer | Colin Towns |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 21 x 50 min, 1 x 120 min |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Philippa Braithwaite |
| Running time | 50 mins |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV |
| Original run | September 2, 2004 – present |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
Doc Martin is a British television comedy drama starring Martin Clunes. Created by Dominic Minghella, it is filmed on location in and around the fishing village of Port Isaac, Cornwall, with filming of most interior scenes and production carried out in a converted barn at a local farm. So far, there have been three series of the show, with a two-hour special that first aired on Christmas Day 2006. Shooting for the third series, which is seven episodes in duration, finished in July 2007, and the new series began on 24 September, 2007 on ITV.
Contents |
Synopsis
Clunes plays Portwenn's local GP, Martin Ellingham, who was once a successful surgeon until he developed a phobia of blood that prevented him conducting operations. After retraining as a GP, he applied for a post in the sleepy Cornish hamlet of Portwenn, where he spent childhood holidays. Much of the show's humour revolves around Ellingham's interaction with the local Cornish villagers. Despite his surgical brilliance, Ellingham lacks vital personal skills and a bedside manner, and often fails to understand other people. Dr Ellingham, or Doc Martin, as the locals refer to him (because of his first name being Martin, thus making the village into a more 'big family' kind of place), much to his disgust, finds the surgery is in disarray. The medical equipment is beyond repair, and the patients’ records are a mess. To top it all he inherits the world’s most incompetent receptionist, Elaine Denham, who clearly resents Doc Martin moving in. As the village's new doctor steps into the village he is encountered by a dog who seems to become besotted with him, following him into his house, car, surgery and even in his bed throughout both Series 1 and 2. Despite Doc Martin's bitterness towards the dog, he ends up reluctantly liking it and follow after giving up with the villagers thinking Doc Martin is its owner. The community is united in horror at their miseryguts of new GP. Doc Martin soon finds he needs all the allies he can get as he tries to negotiate his way around village life with humorous consequences. Martin is joined by a cast which includes Stephanie Cole as his Aunt Joan, who provides him with emotional support in the face of the disquiet among the villagers. Caroline Catz plays pretty primary school teacher Louisa Glasson. Doc Martin is attracted to her, but he is hopeless at personal relationships. In the third series, he and Lousia become engaged, but break it off in the final episode after realising that they would never make each other happy.
Background
Clunes' character was originated as Dr. Martin Bamford in the 2000 film Saving Grace. He then appears in two "prequel" television films made by BSkyB, Doc Martin and Doc Martin and the Legend of the Cloutie, in which viewers learn that Bamford, a successful obstetrician, finds that his wife has been carrying on extra-marital affairs behind his back with his three best friends. After confronting her with the news, he decides to leave London and heads for Cornwall, which he remembers fondly from his youth. Shortly after he arrives, he gets involved in the mystery of the "Jellymaker" and, following the departure of the village's resident GP, decides to stay in Port Isaac and fill the gap himself. Although the original deal was to produce two television films per year for three years, Sky Pictures folded after the first two were made, so Clunes' company tried selling the franchise to ITV who generally liked it, but felt the character of Martin Bamford needed a little something more to him than just being a "townie" who is a little out of his depth in the country. ITV wanted something a little more edgy, so Clunes came up with the idea of the doctor being unusually grumpy. In the process, the doctor's last name was changed from Bamford to Ellingham, (perhaps for copyright reasons, perhaps to avoid confusion for those who remembered the previous telefilms) and a new writer, Dominic Minghella, was brought in to re-work the Doc's backstory and create a new village of supporting characters. The surname "Ellingham" is an anagram of "Minghella". Quite often during the series there are references to people being "a bit Bodmin". This is a reference to the fact that Bodmin was once the centre of mental health care for the South West, and was based at the former St Lawrences Hospital site and now at Bodmin Hospital. Although Clunes' character is the only one to carry over (with significant back-story changes) from the telefilms, Tristan Sturrock joins Clunes as the only actor (thus far) to appear in both versions of Doc Martin.
Commissioning
As of August 2007, ITV have put their Doc Martin page back online. On the website, there are several cast interviews (Clunes, Catz and McNeice) where they discuss the filming and some plot detail of the third series. Also, according to an article about her wedding, actress Louise Delamere has been added to the cast.[1] ITV have recently confirmed that they have commissioned a fourth series, and when interviewed on This Morning, Martin Clunes stated very definitely that he is not taking a year off. In the UK the show has been a ratings success for ITV1, the third series achieving ITV1's best midweek drama performance in the 9pm slot since December 2004.[2]The final episode of the third series was watched by over 10 million viewers.[3]
Regular cast
- Martin Clunes as Doctor Martin Ellingham
- Caroline Catz as Louisa Glasson
- Stephanie Cole as "Auntie" Joan Norton
- Ian McNeice as Bert Large
- Joe Absolom as Al Large
- Stewart Wright as PC Mark Mylow (2004-2006)
- Felicity Montagu as Caroline Bosman
- Lucy Punch as Elaine Denham (2004)
- Katherine Parkinson as Pauline Lamb (2005-)
- Tristan Sturrock as Danny Steel (2005)
- Angeline Ball as Julie Mitchell (2005)
- John Marquez as PC Penhale (2007-)
- Jazmine Simpson as Natalie Turner (2007-)
Guest stars
The programme has featured many notable guest stars including: Celia Imrie, John Alderton, Hugh Lloyd, Jeff Rawle, Doreen Mantle, Christian Rodska, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Mary Woodvine, John Woodvine, Ben Miller, Chris O'Dowd, Kenneth Cranham and Selina Cadell.
Quotes
 |
This section is a candidate to be copied to Wikiquote using the Transwiki process. If the content can be changed to be more encyclopedic rather than just a list of quotes, please do so and remove this message. Otherwise, you can help by formatting it per the Wikiquote guidelines in preparation for the duplication. |
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: [speaking to a patient] Portwenn has one doctor and 966 people who know better.
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: [to a crowded patients' waiting room] Is there anyone here who has a genuine medical problem?
- Elaine Denham: Your stuff's arrived at the pharmacy, you'd better go and get it.
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: Er, no Elaine...
- Elaine Denham: Just don't talk to me now, innit!
- Elaine Denham: I'm sorry. I cannot tolerate imbeciles.
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: Elaine, when we agreed you'd start at 8.30 you did realise I meant a.m.
- Elaine Denham: Buying biscuits at the supermarket, right, and this bimbo won't let me through on six items or less. All baps up to here and stick-on nails she was. Get this -
[imitates the check-out girl] "Sorry. Six items or less".
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: And you had?
- Elaine Denham: 20, but all the same, d'you see?
- Louisa Glasson: This is Miss Glasson from the school, Mrs Richards. I'm just checking on Bobby. Oh, dear, well, I'm sure the doctor will, he's...
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: [grabs phone from Louisa] Mrs Richards? Dr Ellingham here. Is his temperature still elevated? Right, I'm on my way, what's the address? Yep. Yep. I'll be with you in 15 minutes.
- Louisa Glasson: Half an hour.
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: 30 minutes. Goodbye.
[to Louisa] Do you know where the...
- Louisa Glasson: Map.
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: Thanks.
- Bert Large: Son, I know it's your phone bill and you've got your own money coming in, but those mobile phones damage your head membranes.
- Al Large: Dad, I've got Bluetooth.
- Bert Large: There you go, exactly my point.
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: Can you give me his phone number then, please?
- Pauline Lamb: No. Don't have it.
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: Remind me what your job is again?
- Pauline Lamb: He didn't leave a number. He left in a rush, looking like a frightened rabbit. Like all your patients, actually.
- Patient: And you reckon these will work, do you?
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: No - I just prescribe them for fun.
- Louisa Glasson: Underneath the gruff, monosyllabic, well-meaning but rude surface you're... gruff, monosyllabic and, well, rude.
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: How about well-meaning?
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: Pauline, I can't have patients' records filed under their first names.
- Pauline Lamb: It was good enough in Newlyn.
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: Well, what kind of surgery was it? A vets?
- Pauline Lamb: Still a surgery.
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: [answering phone] Ellingham? [to Elaine] It's for you.
- Elaine Denham: I'm not here.
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: Elaine's not here.
- Elaine Denham: Hang on. Is that Greg?
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: Are you Greg? Elaine for you.
- Elaine Denham: [whispers] I'm not talking to Greg.
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: Bert, it's been a long day. Take two aspirin and insult me in the morning.
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: You know, when I told my father that I wasn't going to follow him into the navy, we didn't speak for three months.
- Bert Large: Yeah, but now you're older, you can understand his point, can't you? I mean, that's what I was trying to say to Al.
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: No, we still don't speak actually.
- Joan Norton: Look, Marty, you do realise that the villagers are dusting off their pitchforks, don't you?
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: Yes. Exactly how many generations ago did the inbreeding start with these people?
- Dr. Martin Ellingham: [Recurring, exasperated phrase] It's not my dog.
- Joan Norton: Please, Marty, don't apologise. It would give either one or both of us heart failure.
<*Dr. Martin Ellingham : [To Peter] Have You Done A Medical Dgree? <*Peter Cronk : [To Martin] No <*Dr. Martin Ellingham : [To Peter] Well Shut Up Then
International broadcasters
- In Australia, Doc Martin airs on the ABC on Saturday nights.
- In New Zealand, Doc Martin airs on TV One on Saturday nights.
- In Canada, Doc Martin airs on VisionTV and Knowledge Network in British Columbia.
- In Germany, Doc Martin airs as Doktor Martin, the name of the Doc is Martin Helling, on ZDF on Wednesday evenings. It's an adaption of the original series with Axel Milberg as Doktor Martin Helling a surgeon from Berlin.
- In Italy, Hungary, Russia, Malaysia and other countries where available, Doc Martin airs on the Hallmark Channel.
- In Belgium, Doc Martin airs on the public channel één.
- In Finland, Doc Martin airs on the public commercial channel MTV3.
- In Norway, Doc Martin airs on the public channel NRK1.
- In Denmark, Doc Martin airs on the public commercial channel TV2 Charlie1 on Thursday evenings.
DVD Releases
Series 1 and 2 have been released on region 2 and region 4, and series 3 is due to be released on 18 February 2008. The feature-length Doc Martin 2006 Christmas special has not been released on DVD in the UK, but is available in some countries e.g. Australia. It may be possible that it is included on the Series 3 UK DVD set.
Awards
In 2004 Doc Martin won the British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Drama, having also been nominated as Best New TV Comedy. In the same year, Martin Clunes won the Best TV Comedy Actor award, primarily for his portrayal of Doc Martin. (He had also starred in 'Beauty', part of the Trapped trilogy on ITV.)
Doc Martin, in the form of 'Doc Martin's path to love' has been nominated as one of ITV's Clips of the Year for 2007 at itv.comThe winner is determined by public vote.
References
- ^ Time Lord Tennant promises to perform Proclaimers hit at actress pal's reception. Bad Wolf One.
- ^ "Doc Martin breaks 9m barrier", Media Guardian, 2007-10-30. Retrieved on 2007-11-1.
- ^ "Weekly viewing summary", BARB. Retrieved on 2007-11-22.
External links
- Doc Martin at itv.com
- Doc Martin at the Internet Movie Database
