Doc Martin: Series 1

My husband and I - as well as our closest friends - have become dedicated to BBC series for their quality and subtle story/character developments. Conversations between characters tend to be verbal and non-verbal, with inflection and innuendos not commonly seen in US television.Together with our friends - we've created "libraries" of these series on DVD sharing them back and forth - and turn to these when "scheduled" television offers nothing on a given night...That said - Doc Martin is one of the very best of these series. Combining drama and humor - it at times seems to faintly reinvent the BBC classic - "All Creatures Great and Small" - although with the 'patients'(including the doctor himself) being HUMAN this time round. At other times - you might be reminded of Northern Exposure at its best - but with more focus and with the ongoing interest of the medical challenge facing the doctor in each episode.The characters all have depth and foibles - and over time you come to see that the community of Portwen (where the series is set) is a reflection of real towns - and friends - and families - anywhere. This is suggested early in the series - when the inevitable clash between the "arrogant" Doc Martin - and the "unsophisticated" villagers comes to a head - one villager steps in as mediator and points out the obvious - despite all their differences - the villagers - including their new doctor - need one another. They are in fact - the sum of their parts. And then you get it. The series is not one-dimensional - the plots of each episode generally turn not on one story - with key players and a back up cast - but rather on the development of circumstances - which likely involves multiple characters and their personalities. For this reason the show somehow remains fresh - season after season - episode after episode.Highly recommended for anyone over 14 (there are some adult situations and medical situations in some of the shows that in my opinion are not appropriate for younger children)

Every season of this show is worth watching. The characters are believable and their interactions are well thought out. The medical knowledge is, for the most part, spot on and believable. The idea of a surgeon who gets sick at the sight of blood is novel. The long run gives you a lot to watch. I enjoyed it immensely.

Entertaining and captivating comedy with Dr. Martin never disappoints. Addicting and funny. Love.

If anyone has read my reviews on this board, it is obvious that I am a great fan of British television programs; however, being in kind of a rut, I decided to try something new to me--the "Doc Martin" series. I am so delighted; it is just what my life needed.The "Doc Martin" comedy series is a funny delight. Doc Martin is a wonderful character. Martin was a successful surgeon in the "big city" of London. After developing a dislike for blood, he becomes a General Practitioner and the only doctor in a small picturesque seaside town that is filled with rather odd and eccentric people that includes a plumber and his son that just don't seem able to repair any faulty plumbing with disastrous results; his rather surly receptionist that is very incompetent that she and the townsfolk won't "let" him dismiss plus a host of very interesting patents for him to treat that have all kinds of ailments from men growing breasts to the extreme bowel problems to a man that has an imaginary six foot grey squirrel as his best friends that he needs meds for.Doc Martin has NO "bed side" manners and tends to speak what he is thinking even if it's not too nice. Nevertheless, he is very intuitive solving medical mysteries that are plaguing the little town.This series is extremely well written and is filled with loads of rather "black" humor that the British can do so well. It is also very well directed. I love it and intend to purchase more of the series

I was trying to order Season 9 and got Season 1 instead. I am not sure why this happened, but it's okay. Doc Martin is a great show--a hilarious story of a stiff-necked, London surgeon who moves to Cornwall and becomes a GP due to his fear of blood. He runs afoul of the laid-back, Cornish lifestyle as well as their off-beat sense of humour, since he doesn't get it. The real stars of Doc Martin are the quirky villagers of the fictional Port Wenn, a tiny place on the coast. He also fumblingly starts a romantic pursuit of the local teacher, Louisa Glasson, whose nitpicking ideas often clash with Doc's way of doing things.

The acting is terrific. Anybody who loves to see a character tell the truth, and not care about people’s reactions to the truth will love this series. Of course, speaking your mind is rude, and that’s one of the themes of the series. He gets to do that and almost always gets away with being honest. The difference between him and other characters in our world is that he truly loves his job and loves to do the right thing. Everything else is secondary. There are delightful, relationship interactions, and very colorful characters as well so this series appeals to the scientist and the romantic alike. I’m surprised I haven’t stumbled upon it earlier. We watched the whole series. I recommend it to many people.

The poor Doc is having a rather rough period of adjustment that is certainly not aided by his daffy receptionist. He's a long way from London and things just don't function the way they should. Oh, woe!!