Doc Martin - Series Seven - Episode Two (SPOILERS)

After Martin’s first session with psychotherapist Dr Rachel Timoney (Emily Bevan), we see he may have met his match: if anyone is going to be able to help Martin change, then Dr Timoney seems well qualified. 

 

Louisa’s return further raises questions around their relationship: in order to stay together, perhaps they need to spend more time apart, until they have worked through their issues.  

 

Meanwhile, Al (Joe Absolom) welcomes his first fishing guests, but an uninvited one means that a good review is definitely not guaranteed.  

 

Bert (Ian McNeice) decides to try to boost trade at the restaurant by joining an online voucher scheme, and offering a 2 for 1 lobster special with the help of Gus (Jason Baughan), a local fisherman.  Morwenna (Jessica Ransom) thinks her responsibilities in the surgery have increased, and asks Martin for a pay rise.  

 

Louisa, her return to work at school imminent, has to find a new babysitter to look after James Henry, and reluctantly decides to offer Janice (Robyn Addison) a trial.  

Aunt Ruth (Dame Eileen Atkins) has to face up to the fact that there is no escaping the ageing process, but doesn’t want Martin to be constantly making her accept her health limitations. 

 

PC Penhale (John Marquez) receives his new police issue Taser, but Portwenn does not exactly present opportunities to use it.

 

Found HERE at ITV.

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!

Doc Martin's family life is all at sea in seventh series of popular drama

We’re back in the Cornish village of Portwenn for a seventh series of the perennially popular drama led by Martin Clunes.

And there’s a distinct cloud over the doctor – down to the fact that his wife Louisa has taken herself and their son James off to stay with her mother in Spain and he currently has no idea when – or if – they’re coming back. Something which most of the town are happy to wind him up about.

Deciding to take action, Martin goes to see his aunt Ruth and ask for her help in finding a therapist. Louisa has told the permanently angry physician that he’s got to get some help and so that’s what he’s promised to do.

We would normally pity the poor person who ends up with him as a client, but – as we discover by the end of the episode – the rather attractive Dr Rachel looks like she’ll be able to handle him.

At the practice, Martin is dealing with former lifeboat hero Steve who needs to pass a medical to get back out to sea and re-create his famous rescue and impress the film crew which is in town for the anniversary.

But after coercing a colleague into helping him fake his fitness, the wannabe macho man ends up needing rescuing himself when he takes the lifeboat out for a drill, passes out cold at the wheel and crashes spectacularly on to shore.

And his unlikely life-saving heroine?

None other than Martin’s ditsy receptionist Morwenna, who has clearly picked up more than just colds while she’s been working for him…

Found HERE at the Mirror.

'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.

Doc Martin Series 7 Episode 1

With Louisa visiting her mother in Spain to get some perspective on their marriage, Martin knows he needs to try to change for the sake of their relationship, so he endeavours to keep his promise to her to see a therapist. Aunt Ruth arranges an appointment for him with Dr Rachel Timoney, but a lifeboat training exercise causes problems for the doctor. Will he get back in time for his first session?

Found HERE.

Martin Clunes: 'Doc Martin knows he needs to make a change if he wants to fix things'

Want an idea of just how popular ITV’s Doc Martin is? When the Cornwall-based drama about a curmudgeonly doctor advertised for extras in the local Port Isaac press, more than 800 people showed up.

In the giant queue, which snaked around the local church hall, there were no fewer than 150 babies in prams and pushchairs eager to be chosen for the role of the doctor’s 11-month-old son, James Henry. That is one well-loved show!

Over six series, Doc Martin has averaged nine million viewers a week in the UK and star Martin Clunes, who plays the lovable yet grumpy medic, has won himself an army of die-hard fans.

Calling themselves “Clunatics”, they lavish gifts on the cast and crew to underline just how much they love the drama. “They are a group of Doc Martin fans who keep thanking us for helping them to make great friendships with other fans around the world.

They Skype each other,” explains Martin, 53, who has played the role for 11 years. “When episodes go out, they have discussions on it, and when there are no episodes going out, they have more discussions.

Keep reading HERE at the Sunday Express.

Actor Martin Clunes on new series of Doc Martin

Doc Martin, 9pm, Monday, ITV

What happened in the last series?

His relationship with Louisa really deteriorated and at the start of the new series she and their son are living with her mother in Spain. Martin is miserable, but aware enough that if he wants to fix things, he’s got to change.

How does he do that?

His Aunt Ruth puts him in touch with a young psychotherapist, Rachel Timoney,and he and Louisa start going to couples therapy, which is as revealing about her as it is about him. It becomes apparent that she has some changes to make in her life too.

Martin is miserable, but aware enough that if he wants to fix things, he’s got to change 

Martin Clunes

So how does it go?

He’s prepared to do anything to save their relationship, and diligent about them doing the various exercises they are given as a couple by the therapist.

As it progresses and doesn’t seem to be making much impact on them, the therapist says sometimes it is as important to break up well, as it is to stay together well. They both freak at the prospect that this could be the end.

Keep reading HERE at MMC News.

Doc Martin returns on Monday with a star-studded cast and marriage problems for the miserable medic

Fans of Doc Martin were left reeling at the end of the last series when the Doc’s wife Louisa took son James and went to live with her mother in Spain, leaving him behind.

Marital bliss really didn’t last that long for the pair. So in this seventh run, everything hangs in the balance.

“We’re trying to put the marriage back together and end up going to couples therapy,” says Martin Clunes, 53, who plays curmudgeonly medic Martin Ellingham.

“He’s got some serious work to do if he’s going to be able to persuade her to come back.”

Caroline Catz, 45, who plays Louisa, adds, “People always ask why she puts up with him, but she does love him... although they are probably going to drive each other mad forever more.”

The enduringly popular show, set on the stunning North Cornwall coast, saw more than 800 locals turn up to audition for roles as extras. And there was a queue of 150 babies in prams hoping for the role of little 11-month-old James!

The drama has also attracted a huge star cast, including Dame Eileen Atkins as Martin’s formidable Aunt Ruth, Ian McNeice as local restaurateur Bert and Joe Absolom as Bert’s son Al.

Keep reading HERE at the Mirror.

Martin Clunes on Loose Woment

Love is in the Portwenn air in the new series of Doc Martin

The Doc’s marriage to Louisa may be on the rocks when we return to the fictional Cornish village of Portwenn this year. However, love is in the air for favourites Al Large and Morwenna Newcross.
PC Joe Penhale, meanwhile, has his head turned by newcomer, Janice.

Best pals on and off screen, Robyn Addison (Janice) and Jessica Ransom (Morwenna), explained more when we caught with them on the Doc Martin set earlier this year.

Jessica Ransom, who plays the doctor’s receptionist, reveals: “Morwenna is now living with Janice, as opposed to Al (Joe Absolom), which was a disaster in the last series. But there’s still a little spark between them!”

She adds: “Morwenna hasn’t yet been fired for surliness in relation to the Doc’s grumpiness!
“Morwenna starts to do some operations, which is quite exciting! She manages to save someone’s life on a lifeboat in the first episode – with her friend Janice, who isn’t as medically astute!

“Later in the series Morwenna reads a book about assertiveness. She feels she needs to have a pay rise because she’s doing all these operations, running the show, and stopping the patients from complaining to the NHS about Martin’s excessive grumpiness!”

New addition, Robyn, explained how her character, Janice, comes to be involved in village life in the seventh series: “Janice doesn’t have a job so Morwenna sets her up to be the Ellingham’s new nanny. They didn’t have much choice - it was Janice or no one!”

Adding: “Janice is a very vain individual and that vanity can lead to some disastrous childcare!”
Despite Janice’s cavalier attitude to babysitting, she impresses local Pc Penhale. Robyn reveals: “Janice knows from day one Penhale’s interested in her. He follows her around like a puppy dog… to begin with she just likes having someone like her. But the thought of him maybe leaving (SPOILER ALERT!) causes her to reassess…”

Love also blossoms for slow-burners Al and Morwenna, explains Jessica: “All the way through there’s lots of really nice stuff with Joe and Morwenna being kind to each other and having lots of nice smiles across the room. By the end we’re left feeling like they could be more than just friends. They’ve got over the embarrassing, awkward, almost-date they had at the end of the last series.”

Watch the video HERE for the full interview.

Doc Martin returns to ITV on Monday, September 7.

TV Times

Found HERE at Sainsbury's Entertainment on Demand.

What's on TV Episode One - Rescue Me

Alone in his bed and with no messages on his phone, life's looking pretty grim for the Doc without Louisa and baby James. It doesn't help that the whole town knows about his problems and keeps offering advice. 'Once they're gone, they're gone,' is just one gem. Stomping around his flat, he treads on one of James's toys, just another reminder of his loneliness. Meanwhile, the town –or the 'village of the idiots' as the Doc calls it – is excited about a lifeboat rescue drill and a camera crew even turns up. Unfortunately, out at sea, not everything goes to plan for lifeboat hero Steve… Martin Clunes is on top grumpy form in this warm-hearted favourite.

Found HERE at What's on TV.

Good news for Clunatics: Doc Martin is back for another series

Martin Clunes' Doc Martin is back for another series - good news for the show's 'super fans'. We meet the man who's made one of telly's grouchiest characters one of its most popular. 

They might have played best mates in Men Behaving Badly but in real life, it transpires Neil Morrissey and Martin Clunes have had a falling out.

It's because Caroline Quentin, who played Clunes' put upon girlfriend in the hit Nineties sitcom, has been asked to appear in the new series of Doc Martin, but not Morrissey.

He's "really p***ed off", jokes Clunes, who plays the grouchy Dr. Martin Ellingham in the Cornish series, which now has fans all over the world and boasts a cameo from Sigourney Weaver in the upcoming run.

Quentin will play Angela Sim, a holistic vet ("everything the Doc hates") and the daughter of the previous GP - "who he hates although they've never met".

"I see Caroline all the time because we are friends, but it was the first time we've filmed a scene together in 17 years. The pair of us just laughed like children," says Clunes, who adds the part was written for her.

In the last series, viewers saw the Doc marry head teacher Louisa Glasson (Caroline Catz), but their wedded bliss was short-lived and after a life-threatening incident, she decided to take their son James Henry to stay with her mother in Spain.

Fans are apparently furious about the break-up, particularly the Americans who, Clunes divulges, "are so vocal".

"They have discussion groups on every single episode and they pull it apart and break it down, making notes and queries," he reveals.

Keep reading HERE at BT.

Martin Clunes Pop up thingy

Doc Martin Series 7 Video Podcast #3 #4 #5

Martin Clunes on Doc Martin: 'I love trying to punish this awful man!'

On the Set of Series 7: Inside the Doc's Surgery

Ever wanted to take a closer look at what's inside the Doc's surgery? Check out these photos from the set of Series 7! Find more HERE at docmartinfan.com.

Tipster: Facebook Group - Doc Martin Series 7 Spoiler Group.

Doc Martin on Acorn in October

I received an email from Acorn advising the following (I know you probably already know, as it's all over the interweb, but they included this very cool picture, which couldn't go unseen!):

Acorn TV is thrilled to announce the U.S. Premiere of the newest season of DOC MARTIN, one of the most popular U.K. series in the world, beginning Monday, October 5th. Please consider Series 7 for reviews, fall TV previews, and feature consideration. – Chad Campbell/Acorn TV

DOC MARTIN, SERIES 7

MAKES U.S. PREMIERE EXCLUSIVELY ON ACORN TV

BEGINNING MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2015

Portwenn surgery to re-open Monday, 7 September on ITV

When we last left Portwenn and the daily ups and downs of Dr. Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes) and Louisa (Caroline Catz), the couple had married but, as we are all so painfully aware, their marital harmony was short lived. After a life-threatening incident, Louisa decided to take their son James Henry to stay with her mother in Spain while they try to work out their problems. As we see, the Doc is heartbroken by their departure, and comes to the realization that he has got to make changes if he wants to win them back and be a family again.

Keep reading bits and pieces of info HERE at Tellyspotting.

Martin Clunes on Doc Martin: 'I love trying to punish this awful man!' (VIDEO)

 

Martin Clunes has revealed what keeps bringing him back to his most famous role, as the grumpy, blood-phobic GP star of ITV's Doc Martin: “I love trying to punish this awful man in various ways!"

Martin told What's on TV exclusively on set in Cornwall: “I love and I hate him. I slightly envy his liberty sometimes. He’s a fun space to inhabit... If this was the only thing I did for the rest of my life I’d be really happy!”

Martin also revealed he'll be joining forces on the new series with his Men Behaving Badly co-star Caroline Quentin.

He said: “It was just heaven. She’s my best friend. We had so much fun all those years ago. We’ve always been close… Caroline only lives an hour from us in Devon.”

Martin added his other Men Behaving Badly co-star, Neil Morrissey, had a few things to say about Caroline and Martin’s on-screen reunion: “Neil wanted to know where his part was!”

He revealed there’s trouble in store for Doc Martin and his wife, Louisa, when the new series gets under way: “Their relationship was really grim when we last saw them. There is a conscious effort, initialised by the doctor, to fix things and resolve their relationship that involves a little therapy…

Throughout the series they’re both in and out of therapy to see whether or not there’s a future in their relationship.”

Martin also hinted at the other character’s storylines: “There’s a really good operation on Dame Eileen Atkins head!”

He added: “The scripts this year are rock solid. I think the best we’ve ever had. There’s loads for everyone to do – Bert’s bankruptcy, Al’s new business, Ruth’s illness, and romances here and there. They all punch their own weight.”

The new series of Doc Martin begins on ITV on Monday, September 7 at 9pm.



Follow the link HERE to view a video interview with Mr Clunes at What's on TV.

Not behaving so badly! Former co-stars Martin Clunes and Caroline Quentin to be reunited in episode of ITV's Doc Martin

They shot to fame as a man behaving badly and his long-suffering girlfriend. 

During the 1990s Martin Clunes and Caroline Quentin - along with co-stars Neil Morissey and Leslie Ash - had the nation in stitches as part of hit TV sitcom Men Behaving Badly and despite remaining close friends the two haven't worked together since. 

But now, for the first time in seventeen years, Martin, 53, and Caroline, 55, are to be reunited when they appear together in an episode of ITV's Doc Martin.

Keep Reading HERE at the Daily Mail.

Martin Clunes reveals how Sigourney Weaver approached him for role in Doc Martin

MARTIN CLUNES has spoken about the moment he was approached by Hollywood actress Sigourney Weaver and asked for a part in his ITV drama Doc Martin.

"I met her on the Jonathan Ross show and she said she was a big fan," the 53-year-old star told hosts Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard on Good Morning Britain today.

He said that his wife and Doc Martin producer Philippa Braithwaite then wrote some scenes for the Alien star.

The 65-year-old actress stars as an American tourist who pays a visit to the sleepy Cornish seaside village of Portwenn and encounters some of its colourful residents, including the curmudgeonly Doc Martin.

"She gets to be insulted by her own friend," Martin revealed about Sigourney's upcoming appearance.

Keep reading HERE at The Express.

Doc Martin - Series 7, Episode 1 - Rescue Me (SPOILERS)

Martin Clunes returns in a new series of adventures featuring the curmudgeonly country Doctor and his patients in the Cornish fishing village of Portwenn.

After the ups and downs at the end of the last series, Louisa has gone to stay with her mother in Spain, to take some time out to think and to get their relationship into perspective.

In the first episode, Rescue Me, Martin is wondering if she will come back to him and what he has to do to make sure that she does.

Aunt Ruth (Eileen Atkins) has found him a therapist, Dr Rachel Timoney (Emily Bevan), but events in Portwenn continue to conspire against the doctor, the latest being Steve Baker (Daniel Ryan) and his life boat training exercise.

Steve and his assistant Barry (Joss Porter) are supposed to be helping Al (Joe Absolom) get the B&B ready for the guests’ arrival, but the pair are never there and the walls still need plastering. Al cannot rely on his father for help either as Bert (Ian McNeice) has taken the hump. Morwenna (Jessica Ransom) cannot help either as her flatmate Janice (Robyn Addison) has roped them both in to the life boat drill.

The training exercise becomes all too real when Steve collapses and Martin and PC Penhale (John Marquez) race out to help Morwenna and save Steve’s life. Martin needs to speak to Louisa and attend his first therapy session, but is marooned at sea.