The nation’s favourite grumpy medic, Doc Martin, with his tactless and brusque bedside manner and a phobia of blood, is returning to ITV1 next year.
Martin Clunes will reprise his role as Dr. Martin Ellingham in eight new episodes of the enormously successful drama produced by Buffalo Pictures and set in the idyllic, sleepy hamlet of Port Wenn in Cornwall.
Filming will begin next spring on location in picturesque Port Isaac with all regular members of the cast returning to the popular series.
Doc Martin averaged 10.6 million viewers and a 37% share of the audience and peaked at 10.9 million when it last screened on ITV1 in 2010. Audience figures since the series was introduced in 2004 have averaged in excess of 9 million viewers.
Returning to the series, Caroline Catz will play Doc Martin’s long-suffering love interest and local schoolteacher, Louisa Glasson, who had a baby boy, James, with the doctor during the last series and is desperately trying to make a go of their relationship in spite of Martin’s tendency to be incredibly rude and obstinate.
Eileen Atkins plays Doc Martin’s no-nonsense, formidable Auntie Ruth who splendidly berates her nephew for his lack of personal skills, but clearly possesses his personality traits. She doesn’t suffer fool’s, just like her nephew, and doesn’t think twice about taking on her neighbours and creating confrontation.
Ian McNeice returns as local restaurateur and handyman, Bert Large, a character he has played from the beginning of the series. His tolerant and loveable son Al, played by Joe Absolom, who frequently has to cope with his fair share of Bert’s madcap schemes, will also reprise his role.
John Marquez has played eccentric local police officer PC Joe Penhale, who often panics when faced with an emergency, since series three. John returns for the new series and will no doubt create more problems than he solves as he attempts to instill law and order into the community.
Jessica Ransom, who became the doctor’s latest receptionist, Morwenna Newcross, in the last series, also returns to create chaos in the surgery and hopefully keep the doctor in line.
"I’m thrilled to be going back to the beautiful North Cornish coast to shoot series six of Doc Martin," said Martin. "Our challenge this season will be to force Louisa and the doctor to live together with Baby James which as far as I can see has disaster written all over it…..And then there’s the dog and Dame Eileen but not necessarily in that order!"
Created by Dominic Minghella, who gifted the main character Martin Ellingham with his surname as an anagram of his own, Doc Martin was an instant success and hit with viewers, winning a place in the hearts of the audience despite Doc Martin’s lack of social skills.
Philippa Braithwaite will produce the series and Mark Crowdy will executive produce.
Doc Martin has been recommissioned for ITV1 by Drama commissioning team Laura Mackie and Sally Haynes.
"Doc Martin is one of our most loved and valued dramas and I’m so pleased that we’re returning to Port Wenn to spend more time with the irascible Doctor, his family and patients," said Laura.
Doc Martin is screened worldwide including in Africa, Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Italy, Russia, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, Sweden, Uruguay and Venezuela amongst other countries.
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