Martin Clunes was in the middle of filming a scene in Doc Martin’s increasingly empty house when reality hit. After 18 years, he suddenly realized that his time as a grumpy GP was coming to an end – and there was no turning back.
“When we started filming the last show in February, I was pretty melancholic because I thought this was the last time I’d shoot here or there,” says Martin. ‘Then the workload took over and I didn’t have time for those thoughts.
“But filming the scenes where the Doctor and his wife, Louisa, are getting ready to pack up and go back to London and see those boxes and the nude set was really impressive.”
Doc Martin’s nine series to date have averaged eight million viewers after Martin Ellingham worked out of the water as a general practitioner in the Cornish seaside town of Portwenn and his dislike for blood hurt his career as a surgeon in London. and the show airs in 18 countries.
Martin Clunes (picturing The Doc with his new daughter) talked about Doc Martin’s tenth and final series. The actor has been playing the grumpy doctor in Cornwall for the past 18 years.
The Clunatics Fan Club is thriving, and the US-based Bert Large Lovers Group has more than 4,000 members, honoring the village mechanic played by Ian McNeice.
Hollywood star Sigourney Weaver loves the show so much that she starred as two guests, and among the beautifully named “patients” at Doc’s studio were Theresa Green, Helen Highwater, and Leanne Perrins.
While producer Philippa Braithwaite – Martin’s real wife – believed there was more to it, the combination of comedy and medical danger was undoubtedly one of the reasons for the show’s success. “People loved the character in the first episode, the world created around her, and the beautiful Cornish landscape,” she says.
‘You never know if something works, but luckily it does with the mix we’ve put together here. It also helps that it is a good program.
‘The letters we receive from people show that they truly love it. No evil, no murder and people love Portwenn [real location Port Isaac] to the point where they want to live here.’
All this begs the question: Why did you put an end to all this now? With its good ratings and international sales, ITV may continue to use it in the coming years.
Martin Clunes as Doctor Martin, Caroline Catz as Louisa Ellongham and their children. At the beginning of this final series, the Doctor resigned from his family practice post after being examined by the General Medical Council.
“Because I think we do pretty much everything,” Martin says. “It would be nice to keep going, but I don’t think we can hold it that well.”
Filippo agrees. “It’s tempting to keep going because it’s great work, but we want to keep the quality high.
“At the end of the ninth series, we thought we had another series in us to keep it fresh. Ten seemed like the right time to finish it and we were lucky enough to get a Christmas special so we could end the series in a really fun way.
At the beginning of this latest series, the Doctor resigned from his family practice position after coming under the supervision of the General Medical Council. His wife, Louisa (Caroline Catz), a former headmistress of the village school, uses her studio for her job as a child therapist, forcing receptionist Morwenna (Jessica Ransom) to look for another job.
Viewers think it’s a good show. There is no malice or murder and everyone wants to live in Portwenn. – Philippa Braithwaite (producer)
“She works as a junior real estate agent and is actually more talented than her boss,” Jessica explains. But not everything in Morwenna’s life is rosy.
“Her husband, Al, started his own business with a food truck in the village called Al’s Spice Express, and she has to admit that her herbs, spices, and dressings are at home.”
Cute Al’s latest venture – he used to be a plumber, restaurateur and bar owner – and the scenes on the Spice Express weren’t 100% successful either.
“I spend a lot of time squeezing lime and trying to look like I know what I’m doing,” chuckled former EastEnders actor Joe Absolom, who was nominated for a BAFTA in 2020 for his role as double-killer Christopher Halliwell on ITV. drama A confession.
‘Extras keep eating and I have to say, ‘Don’t! and the chips are carried by the Cornish breeze.’
Hollywood star Sigourney Weaver (pictured) loves the show so much that she made two guest appearances
Wisely, Al tries not to involve the Doctor in his latest venture, as it has so much to do with Portwenn’s chemistry, Miss Tishell, a newcomer to the village who was injured while trying to reintroduce her idol to medicine. Abigail Gilman (Cold Feet’s Fay Ripley) suffers from a mysterious debilitating illness.
The doctor also deals with double dose paternity. Since the last series, there has been an addition to the Ellingham family, with little Mary Elizabeth joining four-year-old James Henry.
The baby’s name comes from a Spanish golden rooster, one of Martin’s deceased pets. “It was beautiful,” Martin said calmly.
I was melancholic, I thought I’d shoot for the last time in this or that place. It was very moving to see the bare set. – Martin Clunes
“When someone mentions Mary Elizabeth on the show, that beautiful dog has a vision.”
The series will always carry strong memories for the 60-year-old actress. His daughter, Emily, was a little girl in a nursery near the set when the first drama was filmed. She is now 23 and is going to Cornwall to see her parents.
His last visit was emotional. “As we were walking away from the cabin we were staying at during filming, she started crying because she knew it would be her last time there, and I felt guilty for doing this to her,” says Martin.
“Though I’m sure we’ll come to Cornwall anyway.”
Could it be some kind of prequel or sequel, maybe even a spin-off, based on Al and Morwenna? “Or how about an origin story, Baby Doc,” Martin jokes.
“Never say never,” adds Philippa. “We’re shooting the final scenes right now, but I’m already thinking about spin-offs, sequels, and prequels we can do. Look at that space!’
- Doc Martin’s tenth and final series premieres Wednesday at 9 PM on ITV.
Source: Daily Mail
