And so Season 5 of Doc Martin begins - making its North American debut Wednesday at 9 p.m. on Vision TV. The dramatic-comic possibilities are clearly endless. Fans of the series will not be disappointed.
For those who have yet to catch Doc Martin, you have been missing out on one of the funniest and sharpest TV series to emerge from either side of the pond. Dr. Martin Ellingham - magnificently portrayed by Martin Clunes - is not to be confused with the tender-heart TV doctors of yore like Marcus Welby or Dr. Kildare. (If the names mean nothing, ask your parents.) He even makes the truculent House seem warm and personable.
Doc Martin, as he is referred to, is cantankerous. He doesn't play well with the other children and has no bedside manner whatsoever. Talk about a stiff upper lip.
He is, however, a brilliant diagnostician. And, strangely enough, the good burghers of Portwenn have become rather attached to him - in spite of him. Doc Martin is so refreshingly odd and eccentric and difficult. He is without filter. Think Larry David as an English physician stuck on the coastal equivalent of Coronation Street. Except that we suspect Doc Martin might actually have a heart - buried deep down.
No surprise that Doc Martin's popularity has fanned out across the planet. In England, it is among the most-watched shows in recent memory. The first episode of Season 5 drew more than 8 million viewers in the U.K. two months ago. That audience jumped to more than 9 million for the second episode.
The show has won the British Comedy Award for best TV comedy drama - a distinction the Emmys don't make - and Clunes has won the award for best TV comedy actor.
And it wouldn't come as much of a surprise if the series underwent an American remake - like so many Brit hits before it.
Here's a shocker: Fatherhood has not softened Doc Martin. But he has at least made his peace with the baby's spirited though sensitive mom (played by Caroline Catz). Louisa lost her teaching job after telling a superior how she really felt about the individual, but she is not prepared to move to London with the doc to raise their child.
Medical problems abound in Portwenn. Dr. Dibbs (Joanna Scanlan), the physician hired to replace Doc Martin, turns out to be a neophyte who can't even properly diagnose herself (she has a slew of maladies, both physical and psychological), let alone the townsfolk. In fact, she appears to have received her training from her meddling hubby (Robert Davis), who isn't a doctor.
A couple of days on the job, Dr. Dibbs is carted off for surgery, likely never to return to Portwenn - much to the joy of the inhabitants.
On top of all that chaos, Doc Martin's beloved Aunt Joan has passed away, after suffering a heart attack. And he is required to handle details of her estate and funeral.
So it seems Doc Martin won't be leaving town too quickly after all. The medical powers-that-be ask him to fill in for a few months while a replacement is found. Unamused as ever, he obliges.
Besides, it will give him a little more time to come up with a name for his offspring and to try to rekindle some romance with Louisa. Should be quite the eventful season.
Meanwhile, diehard fans of the show in England have already begun petitioning the principals to bring the show back for Season 6.
Season 5 of Doc Martin airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Vision TV.
bbrownstein@ montrealgazette.com
twitter.com/billbrownstein
Montreal Gazette
For those who have yet to catch Doc Martin, you have been missing out on one of the funniest and sharpest TV series to emerge from either side of the pond. Dr. Martin Ellingham - magnificently portrayed by Martin Clunes - is not to be confused with the tender-heart TV doctors of yore like Marcus Welby or Dr. Kildare. (If the names mean nothing, ask your parents.) He even makes the truculent House seem warm and personable.
Doc Martin, as he is referred to, is cantankerous. He doesn't play well with the other children and has no bedside manner whatsoever. Talk about a stiff upper lip.
He is, however, a brilliant diagnostician. And, strangely enough, the good burghers of Portwenn have become rather attached to him - in spite of him. Doc Martin is so refreshingly odd and eccentric and difficult. He is without filter. Think Larry David as an English physician stuck on the coastal equivalent of Coronation Street. Except that we suspect Doc Martin might actually have a heart - buried deep down.
No surprise that Doc Martin's popularity has fanned out across the planet. In England, it is among the most-watched shows in recent memory. The first episode of Season 5 drew more than 8 million viewers in the U.K. two months ago. That audience jumped to more than 9 million for the second episode.
The show has won the British Comedy Award for best TV comedy drama - a distinction the Emmys don't make - and Clunes has won the award for best TV comedy actor.
And it wouldn't come as much of a surprise if the series underwent an American remake - like so many Brit hits before it.
Here's a shocker: Fatherhood has not softened Doc Martin. But he has at least made his peace with the baby's spirited though sensitive mom (played by Caroline Catz). Louisa lost her teaching job after telling a superior how she really felt about the individual, but she is not prepared to move to London with the doc to raise their child.
Medical problems abound in Portwenn. Dr. Dibbs (Joanna Scanlan), the physician hired to replace Doc Martin, turns out to be a neophyte who can't even properly diagnose herself (she has a slew of maladies, both physical and psychological), let alone the townsfolk. In fact, she appears to have received her training from her meddling hubby (Robert Davis), who isn't a doctor.
A couple of days on the job, Dr. Dibbs is carted off for surgery, likely never to return to Portwenn - much to the joy of the inhabitants.
On top of all that chaos, Doc Martin's beloved Aunt Joan has passed away, after suffering a heart attack. And he is required to handle details of her estate and funeral.
So it seems Doc Martin won't be leaving town too quickly after all. The medical powers-that-be ask him to fill in for a few months while a replacement is found. Unamused as ever, he obliges.
Besides, it will give him a little more time to come up with a name for his offspring and to try to rekindle some romance with Louisa. Should be quite the eventful season.
Meanwhile, diehard fans of the show in England have already begun petitioning the principals to bring the show back for Season 6.
Season 5 of Doc Martin airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Vision TV.
bbrownstein@ montrealgazette.com
twitter.com/billbrownstein
Montreal Gazette
2 comments:
We totaly love Doc Martin & have been eagerly awaiting the next season, but we watch it on PBS. I don't know when they'll have it on. Glad to know there are other people who love the quirky sensibility of the show.
I was attempting to enter for the book giveaway, but not sure where to comment. Thanks! Gloria
geschumann at live dot com
Thanks Gloria, you are officially entered. I did not make that really clear, did I. But the blog is getting more comments this week so maybe it's from the tour. Anyway, I love Martin Clunes at Doc Martin. Can't wait for the new season so start here. I'm like you, I have been trying to find anyone else who likes it. God to meet you.
Karen
Post a Comment