Doc Martin DVD: The Complete Series 1-4

Doc Martin is a British television comedy drama series starring Martin Clunes in the title role. It was created by Mark Crowdy, Craig Ferguson and Dominic Minghella. The show is filmed on location in the fishing village of Port Isaac, Cornwall, United Kingdom, with filming of most interior scenes and production in a converted local barn. Four series of episodes were aired between 2004 and 2009, together with a feature-length special that aired on Christmas Day 2006. The fifth series premiered on Monday 12 September, 2011 at 9pm in the UK.
Synopsis: Clunes plays Dr. Martin Ellingham, a brilliant and successful vascular surgeon at Imperial College London who develops haemophobia (a fear of blood) which developed after having contemplated that a patient, upon whom he was about to operate, was in fact a person with a life and familial relationships, etc., and from that moment, like a high-wire artist who unwisely looks down, he lost his nerve. The haemophobia prevents him from performing operations, and thus he quits vascular surgery. After retraining, he applies for and obtains a post as the "GP" or General Practitioner in the sleepy Cornish village of Portwenn, where he spent childhood holidays with his aunt. Upon arriving in Portwenn, Dr. Ellingham (called "Doc Martin" by the locals), finds the surgery in disarray, the medical equipment beyond repair, and the patients' records in a mess. He inherits an incompetent receptionist, Elaine Denham (played by Lucy Punch), who resents his coming. Her character is replaced in Series 2-4 by new receptionist and later phlebotomist Pauline Lamb (played by Katherine Parkinson). The show revolves around Ellingham's interactions with the local Cornish villagers. Despite his medical brilliance, Ellingham is a gruff man, completely lacking in social skills. His cold, abrasive manner offends many of the villagers and leads to frequent misunderstandings. He seems to be short tempered and lacking in a bedside manner, however going about his duties in a no nonsense attitude, not believing in wasting time chatting with the villagers. His haemophobia, which results in frequent, nearly debilitating bouts nausea and vomiting as he attends to routine patient care needs, becomes known in the village as a matter of gossip and laughingstock. His aunt, Joan Norton, portrayed by Stephanie Cole, provides emotional support in the face of the disquiet his abrupt manner causes among the villagers. Caroline Catz plays primary school teacher Louisa Glasson. Doc Martin is attracted to her but finds it difficult to express his feelings. Louisa, whose caring and nurturing manner contrasts with his emotionally detached and neurotic behaviour, somehow finds him attractive as well.