Doc Martin returns

8th May 2009

Martin Clunes is back in Cornwall to film a new series of the successful comedy drama Doc Martin for ITV1.

He returns to play the curmudgeonly Dr Martin Ellingham, whose truculent and tactless manner upsets the convivial community of the picture postcard village of Portwenn on the North Cornwall coast. Filming of the new series, which is written by Ben Bolt, Jack Lothian and Richard Stoneman, has just begun in various North Cornwall locations.

The last series, which won 9m viewers, ended with a wedding day disaster when the doctor and his bride, Louisa, both got cold feet just as they were about to take their vows. 

Martin is joined by Caroline Catz as Louisa, while Stephanie Cole plays his Aunt Joan, who despairs at her nephew’s caustic comments but continues to supply emotional support in the face of disquiet among the villagers.

Ian McNeice and Joe Absolom star as father and son, Bert and Al Large. They’ve abandoned Portwenn’s plumbing problems to open a restaurant with unsavoury results. Bert is tired of living on his own and is looking for love. Al tries to play Cupid, but Bert isn’t ready for the amorous advances of a local lady.

Katherine Parkinson returns as the doctor’s hot-headed receptionist, who is resisting Al’s requests to move in with him.

In this fourth series, school headmistress Louisa has left the village and the Doc is starting to question whether he wants to stay too. He sets out to conquer his blood phobia in a bid to resume his former high-flying career as a vascular surgeon and move out of Portwenn for good. But he finds the task is easier said than done.

To complicate matters, the Doc discovers an old medical school acquaintance is working at the local hospital. There’s always been a volatile relationship between the doctor and ambitious consultant, Dr Edith Montgomery, played by Lia Williams. But when he questions her diagnosis of one of his patients, sparks begin to fly.

But there’s an even bigger surprise in store for the grumpy GP…

Producer Philippa Braithwaite says: "We are delighted to be back in Cornwall to make this fourth series. There are plenty of surprises in store for the Doc, as well as compelling storylines."

The series is directed by Ben Bolt and the executive producer is Mark Crowdy.

Doc Martin is a Buffalo Pictures production in association with Homerun Productions for ITV1.