Doc Martin review: If I was Cornish I’d be cross – why are they all portrayed as bumbly, workshy idiots?

I’m only recently back from there – Cornwall, family “holiday”. Now it’s back down the M5 again, for Doc Martin (ITV). They’re very good at making it look idyllic, and for being there in glorious weather. Poldark too. Next time we go, if there is a next time (there were threats of mutiny and Spain), I’m going to time it to coincide with the filming of a popular television series.

He – Doc Martin Ellingham – wakes up alone. Actually it looks like he’s been awake for a while, thinking dark thoughts, way over on his side of the bed. At least spread out a bit man, do some starfishing, it’s one of the joys of being left alone. But joy – or starfishing – isn’t Doc Martin’s style. He’s more of a razor clam, long and straight and stiff.

Louisa has gone to Spain with little James, to escape their unsunny English husband/father, though it’s not clear whether the arrangement is a permanent one or not. There are little reminders everywhere, to make the pain worse for him – a hairbrush in the bathroom, a child’s toy to tread on. And further accidents – a dropped box of fish, a dropped shopping basket (that’s pretty much the same, isn’t it?), a bump on the head and a tumble down the stairs – are reminders that although the sit may be lovely, the com of Doc Martin isn’t the most sophisticated or subtle. Millions of viewers know better than any critic, though, and will continue to watch. To be fair, Martin Clunes is very good at stiff and alone and joyless. He carries the show, pretty much singlehandedly. Without Clunes, it’s just a series of bumps and mishaps and testical examinations (two in this episode) by the sea.

Keep reading HERE at the Guardian.

What's your hook?

What is it about Doc Martin that got you hooked and kept you coming back for more?

I, for one, must admit that I am not a Clunatic. I’m more of a Lounatic.

I watched Series One and Two as a casual viewer and really enjoyed it. I loved the comedy, the scenery, the community, the Doc’s gruffness (who hasn’t wanted to be that honest?!) and of course the romance, which had me wondering what on earth Louisa saw in Martin – admittedly, they both have unique ears.

It wasn’t until the On The Edge special (which many were quick to dismiss as below par on the surface of things) and Series Three, that I became fascinated by Louisa, her motivations and her back-story. It seemed to me she was actually a far more lonely and isolated character than the Doc – because she cared. She appeared to be someone very much alone in the world.

I was intrigued by Louisa’s slightly relentless pursuit of the Doc, despite the fact he was clearly an irritant for her. That being said, there were also some striking similarities between them – they were both fending for themselves, insecure and she was every bit as intolerant as he was (she didn’t even really like her own friends).

Louisa was also such an accessible character – so beautifully flawed, relatable, insecure, messy, driven, looking for approval, and unsure of herself, her mind and her feelings. Not to mention the fact that Rose Cottage was an enviably gorgeous home, complete with Smeg fridge!

As each series progressed it became clear that Louisa had abandonment issues (literal and metaphorical). She was repeatedly abandoned and let down by both her parents and on several occasions, she herself did the bolt when the going got tough with Martin. If she left him first, he couldn’t leave her.

When Series Three ended with a non-wedding, they had me hook, line and sinker. When Series Three was done and dusted, I wrote my first fanfic (I’m not a fan of that term, I don’t know why) in order to sort out my thoughts about the whole sorry state of affairs. Wanting an audience for it, I created the Doc Martin Series 4 blog (docmartinseries4.blogspot.com). It was a far different beast to what this blog has become today, but it was useful.

It excites me, therefore, (as much as television can excite one) that Louisa’s issues are going to be addressed in this series. I look forward to seeing her deal with her own shortcomings. I look forward to the Doc dealing with her, dealing with her issues. I also look forward to the grumpy bugger being rude to his patients, hitting his head and looking after his son. I know it’s asking a lot, but fingers are crossed for a few moments of love, tenderness, care and kindness between Martin and Louisa too! Bring it on!

So that was my hook. Feel free to share your hook in the comments while you eagerly await Episode One of Series Seven!

'Every town needs a Doc Martin - just don't try living with him': Caroline Catz on being half of TV’s most-loved on-off couple

Caroline Catz seems as much a part of the stunning Cornish landscape in which we are snapping her today as the seagulls that squawk above the beach at Port Isaac or the fishing boats that bob across the blue horizon. 

Although born and raised in Manchester – a place she describes as ‘all rain and pavements’ – she has become synonymous with this beautiful corner of rural England, thanks to her decade-long role as Doc Martin’s on-again, off-again partner Louisa Glasson. 

Pretty as a picture today, she has chosen her own outfits and accessories for our shoot – all of them with a kind of jaunty, nautical theme, and many from her own carefully curated collection of 70s vintage clothes (more of which later). 

The look is essentially Caroline, yet with echoes of her character Louisa, whose style, although a ‘little more floral and feminine’, is never a million miles from the actress’s own. 

‘When I’m down here filming,’ she says, ‘I’m never quite sure where Louisa ends and I begin, because there is something about this place – the landscape, the sea, the beautiful vistas as well as the character herself – that gets beneath your skin in a wonderful sort of way.’ 

Definitely not complaining, then, she describes the role as ‘the best job in the world. I love being here and I love Louisa. 

'There is no reason in the world not to do this job. It’s too good and too much fun not to,’ she says simply. 

The viewers, in their millions – and not just in the UK, but all over the world – would applaud. 

They have loved Louisa from the word go – her battle to make it work with the curmudgeonly, blood-phobic, on-the-spectrum yet strangely lovable Doctor Martin Ellingham (played, as no other actor could, by Martin Clunes) seeming as real to them as Portwenn itself. 

Although Portwenn is, of course, also fictitious. 

It’s actually Port Isaac that provides the show’s beautiful backdrop. 

Keep reading HERE at Mail Online.

Fans in Port Isaac

Found HERE on YouTube.

Doc Martin Series Seven First Look

ITV have today released promotional pictures for the seventh series of Doc Martin. Played by Martin Clunes since 2004, the character and series have received critical praise and the series now has a large fan following. The seventh series of Doc Martin is set to air on ITV 1 in early September. The eight part series will see the return of the curmudgeonly Doc Martin  along with his wife Louisa Glasson (portrayed by Caroline Catz) along with the regular cast of supporting characters such as Bert and Al Large and Sally Tishell. More promotional pictures below:

Found HERE on The Consulting Detective Blog.

Doc Martin - Series 7 Trailer

A video preview of Series 7 can be found HERE! It's not available in all countries, so when home from work I'll try to track down a more universally friendly version!

Don't click on the picture, it doesn't do anything!

Martin Clunes on receiving an OBE, this year’s Buckham Fair and Doc Martin

As filming for the seventh series of Doc Martin comes to an end, Martin Clunes OBE is busy preparing for his next starring role at Buckham Fair. Carol Burns caught up with Martin and his furry co-star on set in Port Isaac.

For those unfamiliar with the show, Martin plays the role of the notoriously grumpy Dr Martin Ellingham, a GP with a brusque bedside manner and a phobia of blood that ended his promising surgical career and brought him to Port Wenn. Without giving too much away, in the latest series Doc Martin is trying to mend his relationship with his wife Louisa (Caroline Catz). The couple married in the last series, but their marital harmony was short lived - and Louisa took their son James Henry to Spain.

“The last series was funny but had quite an emotional agenda, this series we are keeping with this - but going back to the comedy,” says Martin. “So I’ll be trying to walking into more door frames!”

Doc Martin is an unlikely romantic hero but his on-again-off-again relationship with Louisa, rather like the one Martin had as Gary Strang with his long suffering girlfriend Dorothy in the hit comedy Men Behaving Badly, proved to be a major attraction of the show. “Right from the start it wasn’t something we could have predicted,” he says. “That’s why people were tuning in. People started saying to me ‘just marry her’ and they would say to Caroline, ‘why do you put up with him?’”

This series will also see the blossoming (or should that be withering) of a relationship, with Doc Martin’s unwanted four-legged companion, the inappropriately-named Buddy, played by eight-year-old Dodger.

Read the full article HERE at Dorset Magazine.

Pics of Pinterest

Found HERE on Pinterest.

Snippet

A wee snippet of the Tish, the Doc and the Sig. Found HERE on YouTube.

A flick through Facebook

Here's a few missed pics from Facebook. They are from May and June I think...

Found HERE and HERE on Facebook.

Daily Mail Shots

Here's a few more shots from the Daily Mail of Sigourney filming. Many thanks to Neil for sending the pictures my way!

Extra, extra...

Below are some extra photos from Philip Pitson. There are even more on his Facebook page HERE.

Cornwall loves...Martin Clunes

CAROL BURNS heads to Port Isaac to catch up with Martin Clunes during filming of the seventh series of Doc Martin

As I head to Port Isaac – an overcast spring day magically blossoms into the bright Cornish sunshine that is perhaps as much a star of hit ITV show Doc Martin as Martin Clunes in the titular role. We are in the fictional town of Port Wenn. It’s only May and the crowds are gathering to see actress Caroline Quentin on her first day filming for the new series set to air later this year.

Now filming its seventh series, the hit ITV show has become a regular visitor to the old harbour town in North Cornwall, creating havoc on its narrow twisting cobbled streets as fans roll up to watch their favourite show being made, hopeful of catching a view of the be-suited GP striding around the town scowling at his patients. The production company behind the show has even set up a special fund for the town in recognition of its starring role in the success of the show.

‘The sun always shines in Port Wenn,’ jokes Martin Clunes, as he introduces himself. The instantly familiar actor who has graced our screens for more than three decades is intimidating in the iconic ‘stuffed shirt’ that has become so familiar to fans of the erasable general practitioner Dr Martin Ellingham. ‘Part of the success of Doc Martin, is Cornwall,’ he says as I begin with the oft-asked question of the importance of the show’s location. His easy manner much more like the kind of friendly-family doctor you’d want to show your throat infection to.

Keep reading HERE at Cornwall Life.

Bits for here, there and everywhere...

Found HERE on Flickr, HERE on Instagram and HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE on Twitter.