Doc Martin

The waiting’s over! After a year’s break, series four of ITV’s award-winning comedy-drama Doc Martin premieres on Sunday, 20 September at 9pm. And the Doc (Martin Clunes) is a man with a mission in all eight episodes.

You might think he has a master-plan to reunite with ex fiancee Louisa Glasson (Caroline Catz), following the collapse of their wedding at the end of series three. But, in fact, he’s determined to conquer his embarrassing blood phobia and get his former high-flying career as a vascular surgeon airborne again. Which will mean leaving his practice in picturesque Portwenn and returning to London.

While the Doc works on that plan, though, he still has to serve as the village’s GP and, as usual, he’s about as happy with that as a patient waiting for years for a hip replacement. The Doc’s people skills are still unpolished and his bedside manner is still non-existent, yet the people of Portwenn have taken him to their hearts – some more than others, as this series reveals!

Fans will be pleased to hear that most of the episodes are again shot in Port Isaac, Cornwall and all the favourite characters return, including father-and-son Bert and Al Large (Ian McNeice and Joe Absolom), who have given up plumbing for the restaurant business, opinionated receptionist Pauline (Katherine Parkinson), the Doc’s wise old aunt Joan (Stephanie Cole) and the less-than-efficient village bobby, Joe Penhale (John Marquez). There’s also a new woman in the Doc’s life in the shape of Dr Edith Montgomery (Lia Williams).

For such a miserable sod he’s not short of female admirers!