Doc Martin for British Isles Friday

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One day we arrived home to find a package delivered at the gate. My good friend Mary Margaret had sent us the Acorn TV series Doc Martin. I’d never heard of it before but Mary Margaret and I share similar taste so she thought she’d pass it on to us. It was a boxed set of 4 seasons of Doc Martin. We enjoyed each and every one.

This was our first exposure to Martin Clunes and in his role as Doc Martin. In this role he’s a bit….uh, crabby and hard headed, yet an excellent doctor. Other people who are familiar with his comedic work in Men Behaving Badly are amazed by Clunes transformation in this series role. We checked out Men Behaving Badly after we had caught up with Doc Martin but didn’t care for it very much.

Doc Martin has a great mix of drama, comedy and serious situations all set in the beautiful county of Cornwall. The show is filmed every two years in Port Isaac. They call it Portwenn in the television series and evidently this confuses tourist who show up in Port Wenn looking for the filming site.

A few weeks ago we watched the last season out, season 7, and felt they could end it right there. For anyone not caught up I won’t offer any spoilers but will say they finished things on a note where it could be a great series ender. Some things left open for your imagination. Can’t say anymore.

Well, just a day or so ago I read a short blurb on The Mirror where Ian McNeice (he plays Bert Large) shared there would be a season 8. It will be the last season in the series. Since they only film every two years this won’t be available until, late 2017.

Trivia about Doc Martin:

Although this show prides itself on being shot on location in Cornwall, the entire set of Doc Martin’s house (other than the exterior) is built in the barn of a farm outside Port Isaac. The set has movable walls to accommodate camera work and equipment.

The second series was dedicated to John Coleman, props manager, who died when he fell from a cliff in Port Isaac during a break in the filming of the program.

The doctor’s surname, Ellingham, is an anagram of the surname of the program’s creator, Dominic Minghella.

Martin’s entire wardrobe consists of suits and shirts; the only time he is not in a suit is at bedtime and will even wear suits on his days off.

Martin Clunes’ wife, Philippa Braithwaite, is one of the producers on the show.

The set for the school where Louisa teaches is actually a restaurant that was originally a primary school.

That is my Doc Martin info byte for British Isles Friday.  Any favorite shows Acorn or BBC puts on that you like?  Please share with me !

Linking up with Joy’s British Isles Friday