Doc Martin is one of British TV’s most popular shows – here’s EVERYTHING you could possibly need to know from cast, guest stars and characters, to filming locations and where to watch all series.
Get cosy and immerse yourself in the world of Portwenn and Dr Martin Ellingham.
What is Doc Martin about?
Doc Martin tells the story Dr Martin Ellingham, a brilliant and successful vascular surgeon at Imperial College London.
However, when he develops haemophobia (a fear of blood) it forces him to stop practising surgery.
Read more: Doc Martin: Series 10 latest as Martin Clunes drops disappointing news
Subsequently, he gets a job as a GP in the sleepy Cornish coastal village of Portwenn.
When he arrives, he finds his new surgery is in chaos and a community of locals who call him Doc Martin.
Just one of the many things that he’s grumpy about.
How many Doc Martin seasons are there?
Doc Martin started back in 2004, when it first appeared on our screen on Thursday, September 4.
And since then it has run for nine seasons, and 70 episodes.
While it ran with a new series every year in its early years, it settled down to one series every two years.
However, between series two and three ITV also broadcast a one-off TV film.
Called On The Edge, it saw Martin learn that he was under investigation for his rude behaviour.
He was instructed he might have to attend a course to improve his people skills. That went down as well as you’d expect.
Season 9 of the show was broadcast in 2019 and comprised eight one-hour episodes.
Who plays Doc Martin?
Grumpy old Doc is played by Martin Clunes, and has been since its inception.
But 60-year-old Martin is keen to stress he’s nothing like his onscreen alter-ego.
He said: “I’m not posh at all. Nor am I bossy. I’m nothing like Doc Martin.”
Who is Doc Martin’s wife?
Playing Martin’s wife Louisa is Caroline Catz.
She has said of her character: “Louisa is fantastic because she’s so direct and she doesn’t care what people think about her.
“There’s a great liberation in playing a character who is very forthright and speaks her mind.
“She’s quite practical and it’s not like she’s being unkind – she’s just trying to sort through what she says and all the irrelevancies and get right down to the nub of the matter. I find that very entertaining.”
In true TV drama style, Martin and wife Louisa – who is a teacher at the local school – have had a rocky road since they first met on a plane in series one.
Their will-they-won’t-they relationship got serious in series three when Martin found the courage to propose to her.
However, they had to call off their wedding.
It wasn’t until series six that they finally tied the knot, but in between plenty had happened – she gave birth to his son, James.
And, in series nine, we found out Louisa is pregnant with their second child.
It’s been quite the ride for Louisa and Martin.
Did Doc Martin’s wife die?
The good news is that Louisa didn’t die at all!
However, in series six she was hit by a car and then, in the finale, Martin found out that she could have a haemorrhage.
With their relationship on the rocks, it was down to Martin himself to perform the medical procedure that could save her life.
Who is Doc Martin’s aunt?
Legendary actress Stephanie Cole played Martin’s aunt – Joan Norton – in the first four series.
A widow of 25 years, Joan helped Martin when he first moved to Portwenn.
However, Joan died of a heart attack before she was able to meet Martin’s baby son and her great-nephew.
On her exit, Stephanie said: “With TV, after four series I always say, ‘Thank you, that’s the end of it!’
“That’s why I left Doc Martin – there are other mountains to climb, other rivers to swim.”
But Martin has another aunt – Ruth – played by Dame Eileen Atkins.
Read more: All the Doc Martin receptionists and actress profiles
Who is Doc Martin’s mother?
Claire Bloom plays Martin’s mother, Margaret.
She shows up out of the blue in the series sixth episode, Hazardous Exposure, to give him the news that his father has died.
In the next episode, she gets a right-old ear-bashing from Ruth.
Sitting opposite Margaret, Ruth tells her: “But it isn’t your pilfering and your petty meanness that I care about. It’s the damage that you can still inflict on Martin.”
She replies: “I am Martin’s mother. I have every right to be here. You’ve never had children. You can’t possibly understand what you’re talking about.”
The conversation finishes when Ruth tells her in no uncertain terms to go home.
Who wrote Doc Martin?
The series was created by Dominic Minghella but is written by Philippa Braithwaite.
Phillipa’s connection to the show runs deep: she and star Martin Clunes are married.
Read more: Martin Clunes’ daughter’s guest role in Doc Martin
The couple, who tied the knot in 1997, have a daughter, Emily, together.
Where is Doc Martin filmed?
The series is filmed around the picturesque coastal town of Port Isaac, which doubles as Portwenn in the show.
Martin has said of the location: “You know, for me actually, Cornwall is perfect.
“It’s not so close that I feel like I’m doing it on my doorstep, and the drive down from where I live in Dorset is only a couple of hours to Cornwall, and you drive through Devon and Dartmoor.
“It’s actually quite a beautiful drive.
“I only have to do a series every other year, so it works out pretty well. So actually, I don’t think I can think of anywhere I’d rather work – for all those reasons, which are all pretty selfish, but there it is.”
In fact, Port Isaac – already popular with tourists – provides location tours for fans of the show.
Which channel is Doc Martin on?
Ever since its first episode, Doc Martin has been broadcast in the UK on ITV.
However, in the US it’s shown on streaming service Hulu, as well as some PBS affiliate stations.
Can you stream Doc Martin on Netflix and Amazon Prime?
Doc Martin is not on Netflix in the UK but you can stream series one to six on Amazon Prime Video.
And that’s not all – all nine series are available to stream on subscription service, BritBox.
Why is Doc Martin not on ITV Hub?
The series is currently not available on ITV’s catch-up service, ITV Hub, because it crossed over to BritBox.
However, with series 10 on its way, the show will return to the platform for viewers to watch after broadcast.
Which episode of Doc Martin is Sigourney Weaver in?
What’s this? Hollywood legend Sigourney Weaver in an episode of Doc Martin?
It did actually happen.
Aliens and Avatar star Sigourney, 72, appears in the episode Facta Non Verba in series seven (2015).
She plays American tourist Beth Traywick.
Sigourney explained that her friendship with Doc Martin co-star Selina Cadell made it all possible.
Then she met Martin Clunes and wife Phillipa on The Jonathan Ross show, who suggested that she guest on the series.
“People expect me to behave in a grand manner, but it’s not like I’m John Travolta.
“Having a cameo in Doc Martin is a dream job for me.
“Cornwall is the most beautiful place. I’ve read every novel about it I can and I watch Poldark on my iPad,” she told the Radio Times.
What are ‘Doc Martin shoes’?
The TV series Doc Martin is not to be confused with Dr Martens shoes.
The Northamptonshire-based company has a proud history of producing boots and iconic leather shoes.
But trust us… there is no connection between the two.
When is season 10?
The 10th and final series of Doc Martin was scheduled for a 2021 release, which would have stuck to its one-every-two-years schedule.
However, like many other TV shows, production was hampered by the Covid pandemic.
But filming is now underway and we expect to see it later in the year.
Star Martin said on Steve Wright’s BBC Radio 2 show that he also expects the show to premiere in “autumn this year”.
He also said in another interview that he felt it was the right time to end the show.
How does Doc Martin end?
That’s the big question: how, after 16 wonderful years and with so many fans, are Philippa and her team going to tie things up?
Series nine finished when Louisa announced that she was pregnant with her second child.
Read more: Will there be a Doc Martin season 10? Yes – and there’s hope for a spin-off show too
And Martin isn’t practising medicine anymore. We do know that there will be a Christmas special for fans to bid farewell to the show.
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