Sigourney Weaver on Doc Martin, ITV, review: 'bizarre'

The cosy and sometimes idyllic world of Doc Martin (ITV) often throws up peculiar scenarios, none more so than a cameo appearance by the star of the Alien film franchise, Sigourney Weaver. Playing an American tourist searching for her family roots in Cornwall, and for a prescription-only medicine from the local chemist, her encounter with Dr Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes) in the latest episode wasn’t so much enigmatic as evanescent – and verged on the bizarre.

She appeared from nowhere, announced her name, Beth Traywick, to pharmacist Mrs Tishell (to which Mrs T, somewhat bafflingly in the circumstances, replied: “Yes, I know”) and proceeded to act out the sort of clichés of transatlantic boorishness that we haven’t really associated with American tourists since the Seventies. Sadly, Beth’s medical complaint didn’t involve anything as eye-catchingly dramatic as an evil alien parasite living in her gut. It was mild asthma instead, and after another pointlessly waspish encounter with the Doc she was gone. We can only hope her donation of a book on radical feminism to receptionist Morwenna (Jessica Ransom) might yet prove fruitful. 

Apart from that, the episode wended its whimsical way with typical aplomb. The story was bracketed by Martin and Louisa’s (Caroline Catz) encounters with their marriage counsellor, psychiatrist Dr Timoney (Emily Bevan), who herself went doolally after hurting her head in a car accident.

Keep reading HERE at the Telegraph.

Alien’s Sigourney Weaver turned up in Doc Martin and people couldn’t believe it

As TV cameos go, Sigourney Weaver popping up in ITV’s Doc Martin is up with there with the weirdest.

The Alien star appeared in Martin Clune’s comedy series about a brilliant surgeon who moves to a sleepy Cornish village after he develops a fear of blood.

He’s probably not a fan of Alien then.

Sigourney played an American tourist Beth Traywick who stops by the Doc’s practice to get treatment while on her travels.

Needless to say, Twitter was stupefied.

Check out the Tweets HERE at the Metro site.

Doc Martin meets Sigourney Weaver as Alien star appears in BBC drama - best TV cameo ever?

Just what is Ripley doing in Cornwall?

Monday night's Doc Martin saw Sigourney Weaver make a superb cameo in the British comedy-drama.

The Hollywood A-lister, who is known for her role as Ellen Ripley in the Alien movies, turned up as American tourist Beth Traywick in the ITV programme.

The grumpy doctor, played by Martin Clunes, didn't even crack a smile despite being asked to by Weaver's character.

It seems while travelling the world Beth need to stop in the seaside town to get patched up by Doc Martin.

It wasn't long before his British manner was lost on her.

Keep reading HERE at the Mirror.

Doc Martin, series 7, episode 3, review: 'preposterous'

One of the beautiful things about Doc Martin (ITV) is the way you can dip into it and immediately feel welcomed back into the cosy fold of Port Wenn, with its ice-cream-coloured houses and charming seafront vistas, and its cast of bumbling eccentrics led by Martin Clunes’s curmudgeonly GP. Episode three of the current series slipped down just as easily as ever.

We found Dr Martin Ellingham (Clunes) seeking professional help in sorting out his personal issues. But Dr Timoney (Emily Bevan), the young and attractive new local therapist, seemed more keen on seeing both Martin and Louisa (Caroline Catz) together for couples therapy than on treating Martin alone. Louisa was less than happy about the idea that she might need help, but changed her mind after her affection for Martin was reignited while hearing him perform an emergency tracheotomy on a suffocating teenager, broadcast live on the community radio station.

The broadcast was accidentally enabled by well-meaning but hapless new local radio DJ Melanie (Rosie Cavaliero), failing to operate the sound desk and doing a marvellously funny turn as a female Alan Partridge. Apparently she joined the station after the previous radio host was sectioned (given the state of some of the other residents of Port Wenn, you did wonder why the NHS sectioning team stopped there).

The medical plots were as preposterous as ever, but the dramatic moment of the tracheotomy was as sharp as the Doc’s scalpel, an urgent and surprisingly moving scene that nicely tightened up the episode’s otherwise messy bundle of storylines.

And although there was no sign of the megawatt beam of superstar Sigourney Weaver, who was spotted filming a cameo in July, there was a lively enough mix of humour, sweetness and action to prove that Doc Martin can still hold its own without the need for Hollywood glitz. 

Found HERE at The Telegraph.

Doc Martin Episode Two: Martin Clunes continues to shine in a somewhat overcrowded instalment (Spoilers)

Last week in my review of Doc Martin I commented on how the quaint comedy drama is a consistent ratings winner for ITV. Whilst the series seven opener did indeed win that evening’s slot, it was down two million on the first episode of series six back in 2013. It seems odd to me that the ratings dipped quite so dramatically and unless the same audience decided to watch the documentary about The Queen on BBC One then it appears that people may have tired of Doc Martin. Indeed, tonight’s episode does follow the format of most of Doc Martin’s prior episodes and my suspicion is that people are switching off due to the formulaic nature of the show.

I did find this week’s Doc Martin particularly muddled with five storylines occurring throughout the episode three of which intersected with the instalment’s only memorable set piece. The big news this week was the return of Louisa who came back from Spain at possibly the most inopportune time. After settling back in, Louisa reveals that she needs to create some space between her and Martin, making the eventual decision to move out. I personally felt that Martin and Louisa’s separation should have had more time devoted to it even if it was only temporary. Indeed, as it seemed that the split was being rushed, I thought that in the end Louisa would decide not to make the move and try to work at her marriage. There were at least a few little hints that Louisa and Martin would resolve their differences however ultimately it seems that the writers are going to keep them apart for now.

Keep reading HERE at Unreality TV.

Guess Who’s Back? Doc Martin Returns!

After the fantastic news that Doc Martin was being recommissioned for a seventh series by ITV, we’ve had to wait a while for the popular medical comedy drama to come back to our screens. But fear not, the wait is nearly over as Martin Clunes (Men Behaving Badly) returns tonight as the grumpy Martin Ellingham.

But just in case you forgot what happened to the Doc and co, lets take you back. Series six saw Martin and Louisa (Caroline Catz) finally get married, but a life-threatening incident saw Louisa taking their son James Henry to live with her mother in Spain while they worked out their issues.
And so, as series seven begins, Martin is faced with questions: will Louisa come back to him; and what can he do to make sure that she does?  The good doc knows that he needs to change for the sake of his marriage, and in episode one, seeks out a therapist to try and effect this change. However, life in Portwenn transpires to get in his way – namely in the shape of Steve Baker, and a Lifeboat training exercise.

In this sense we get a familiar view of the unique and very watchable character that Clune has delivered us  over the past few seasons – assuring us that Doc Martin will remain the warm-hearted classic we know it to be.

Found HERE on TV Daily.

Doc Martin series 7 premiere review: Martin Clunes’s Dr is in therapy!

Doc Martin is quite an unassuming programme which rakes in the audiences whilst doing very little at all. However millions of people seem to love seeing Martin Clunes doing his grumpy routine and the audience will be very happy to learn that not much about the show has really changed.
In fact the only change in this first episode was the fact that Doctor Ellingham’s wife Louisa had scarpered off to Spain with their son leaving him alone once again. This first episode’s central narrative was the fact that Martin was desperately waiting for a call from Louisa even though he hadn’t heard from her in the three weeks since she’d arrived in Spain. In the meantime we follow him around as he looks forlorn, constantly checks his phone and barely sleeps even though he can’t admit to anybody else that he misses his family. One sacrifice he is seemingly willing to make is to see a therapist and one is eventually recommended to him via his Aunt Ruth. However, due to one calamity or another, he ends up cancelling one appointment and almost missing another. When we finally meet Martin’s new therapist Dr Rachel Timoney it appears as if the grouchy doctor may have met his match in this feisty young woman. I’m personally already anticipating the sessions between Martin and Rachel primarily due to the fact that the the therapist is played by the fantastic Emily Bevan.

Keep reading HERE at Unreality TV.

The grouchy Doc Martin is back... and we can't help but smile

The grumpy doctor is back on our screens. And we couldn’t be happier.

But unfortunately for him, things are a bit rocky in the seventh series – his wife Louisa has taken herself and her son to Spain to stay with her mother.

And Martin Ellingham (aka Doc Martin) has no idea when they’ll be back – which the village folk can’t stop winding him about. And some of us can’t help feel sorry for him.

Keep reading HERE at the Irish Examiner and check out a bunch of Tweets.

Doc Martin, series 7 episode 1, review: 'soothing'

You could imagine a great collective sigh of sofas as millions of us sat down to enjoy the new series of Doc Martin (ITV), the first for a couple of years. It didn’t seem such a long time to wait for the appointment when, in the first scene, a nosy postman probed the grumpy Cornwall-based medic (Martin Clunes) for gossip, and we were transported instantly back to precisely the same place we were when we last saw him – floundering over the fact that his wife Louisa (Caroline Catz) had left him.

It is an essential part of Doc Martin’s appeal that even if the last time you caught an episode was way back in series four (2009) – or even series two (2005) – you would still have found him floundering over Louisa. The Doc loves Louisa and Louisa loves the Doc. But never the twain shall meet harmoniously. Not even now they’re married and have a son. The principal pleasure, perhaps even the whole point, of this hugely popular drama is that nothing much ever changes.

The doc, the beating heart of the show, is an emotionally challenged incomer whose goodness is sheathed in a taciturn inability to connect fully with the world. Even after six series he remains a mystery. And that’s how we like it. Here, the Doc’s opening plea to his Aunt Ruth (Eileen Atkins), a retired psychiatrist, was to help him find a therapist to who could resolve his issues. But we already know it’s not going to work. 

Keep reading HERE at the Telegraph.

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.