Doc Martin fans were thrilled to see their favourite ITV drama replace Emmerdale on TV last night, as the coronavirus continues to throw scheduling into chaos.
Filming has been halted across all of our favourite soaps as the shows’ stars and crew have joined the rest of the country in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more: Are Emmerdale and Coronation Street on tonight? Your daily soaps listings including EastEnders
It means TV bosses have had to reduce the number of episodes they show each week before they run out of new material completely.
A repeat of Doc Martin replaces Emmerdale
Last night (April 14) ITV showed a repeat of Doc Martin series nine, episode one, at 7pm instead of the usual Tuesday night Emmerdale, and fans couldn’t be happier about it.
Series nine of Doc Martin, which stars Martin Clunes as GP Martin Ellingham aired last year and ended on a cliffhanger.
Read more: Is Doc Martin coming back? Director Nigel Cole gives update on season 10
Taking to Twitter, one fan simply wrote: “Yessss #Doc Martin” while another said: “At last, a bit of decent TV.”
Another fan raved: “No Emmerdale – nothing to whinge about. Doc Martin repeat. Always worth seeing. Wish he was MY doctor.”
Another said they were ‘happy’ to see the episode again while someone else called it a ‘great episode’.
Yessss #DocMartin
— Nicole Williams 💎 (@NicoleWills95) April 14, 2020
At last a bit of decent TV #docmartin
— JillyGee (@GrocottJanice) April 14, 2020
No #Emmerdale – nothing to whinge about. #DocMartin repeat. Always worth seeing. Wish he was MY doctor.
— Flicksfan (@flicksfan) April 14, 2020
Happy tonight Doc Martin ep1 Ser 9 very happy to see you again x pic.twitter.com/jvLg73SJB0
— shane obrien (@sjobr17) April 14, 2020
Such a great episode of #DocMartin especially the #electrocution scene!🤭😂🤣 #Lighthouse
— Irene Edgar (@EdgarIrene) April 14, 2020
That scene in the lighthouse was like something out of a Norman Wisdom film!! 👍 Creasing up!! 🤣🤣🤣#DocMartin
— Samantha Walker (@Samanth22356123) April 14, 2020
At the end of series nine, fans were worried that there won’t be a series 10, but Martin Clunes previously offered a slither of hope there could be more.
Speaking to Digital Spy in 2017, the Men Behaving Badly actor said: “[Series nine] was the last one we had commissioned. We don’t just decide to make it on our own, ITV [has] to commission it.
“And ITV has commissioned the ninth. We don’t have a commission beyond that. Ask me again in two years.”
Fingers crossed repeating the last series is just a warm up for another new one!
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