COMMENTARY: ‘Doc Martin’ continues its slice-of-life TV greatness

Photo: Doc Martin stars Martin Clunes. Photo courtesy of KCET / Provided by official website.

Doc Martin, the comedy drama starring Martin Clunes as a London surgeon who relocates to a small seaside village in Cornwall, England, is a beautifully shot TV show that continues to offer slice-of-life charms and small-town enjoyments. The show, which is based on the Brenda Blethyn film Saving Grace, has aired nine series (or seasons) so far, and a 10th and final installment is apparently on the way. Revisiting Doc Martin is still a welcome streaming experience, and thankfully American viewers can easily watch the earlier episodes and catch up on the adventures of Dr. Martin Ellingham (Clunes).

The premise for the show is somewhat formulaic: essentially a stranger in a strange land. Doc Martin, who prefers to go by Dr. Ellingham, turns up in Portwenn, a picturesque coastal town that literally hangs over the hilly cliffs of southwest England. His appearance in the village is somewhat unexpected and shrouded in mystery. What is this London surgeon doing in a small village?

The good doctor sets up shop in a small office (called a “surgery”) that overlooks the harbor. He has many run-ins with the locals: whether it’s the ineptitude of his office manager, the excuse-ridden plumber, the kind primary school teacher. The only connection to the town is an aunt, who is a farmer on the hillside; Ellingham used to visit her and Portwenn as a child, so perhaps he’s back for nostalgic reasons.

The adventures in each episode are usually built around a major health crisis, and the show’s writers don’t hold back on the sometimes graphic details. There’s one early episode that finds the doctor’s patients coming down with bouts of diarrhea, and Ellingham needs to inspect the local pool and local water source. Another first-series episode finds a long-lost love interest of his aunt’s returning with a terminal illness. The finale of the first six episodes involves a playground accident that ruptures a young boy’s spleen.

Outside of these major health crises, there are the everyday cases that the doctor has to deal with, seemingly at all hours of the day. When he gets a break, he heads into town for a pint and hopefully a chat with the woman he’s hoping to date, Louisa (Caroline Catz), the primary school teacher. They both like each other but struggle to communicate their feelings out loud. One problem is that Doc Martin is a difficult person to be around. He has horrible bedside manner, comes off as rotten and mean, has a phobia of blood, and ensures these “locals” know of his medical education and expertise. He’s not likable, but somehow Louisa can see through this rough exterior.

Clunes is a wondrous anchor of the ensemble cast, which features many actors on a regular basis and many guest stars. He is completely committed to the Ellingham character, only changing his gruffness when a hard-earned lesson has been learned.

Doc Martin is an enjoyable show that brings so many interesting characters and storylines to the audience. There’s excellent comedy in most scenes, including more than a few sexual innuendos about this frisky harbor town, but there’s also time within each episode for drama and deep reflection. There’s one episode that deals with a ranger’s mental health, and the proceedings are simultaneously comedic, dramatic, sad, violent and real. That’s the blend that Doc Martin thrives upon: the varied existences of common people, all set within a place where laughs reside alongside tears.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

Doc Martin stars Martin Clunes and is available to stream. DVD collections are also available from Acorn TV. Click here for more information.