Doc Martin Series 1-4

Captivating! A masterpiece in conteporary entertainment. Definetely worth buying the 4 set DVD of Series/seasons 1-4 for hours of great entertainment. Each episode is approximately a 45 min. TV show, easy to sit down and watch an episode in short order. It is a wonderful way to end a day to relax and escape to a beautiful area of the world and be drawn into the lives of the TV show's characters, and characters they are and whom one can't help but love. High value product from Amazon considering considering there is 30 or so hours of pure fun. Having discovered the repeat shows serendipitously on PBS it piqued my interest that I promptly searched on-line for it at my local library. After watching Season 1 and 2 I was hooked and realized that I wanted to buy the DVD set to keep to re-watch and share with family members. My husband also loves it. I have since purchased the 4 series DVD set as gifts. Yes, this would make a great gift. It is that good! This is one of the best TV entertainment that I have seen in years. I place it right on par with past TV shows as Seinfeld and MSAH from earlier years. The best way to watch Doc Martin is watching from the beginning with Episode 1 of Series/Season 1 watching it sequentially to appreciate the development of the characters and the depth of story line. As others have noted, it is addicting, it is like a good movie which I do not want to end. I find myself wanting to stay in "Portwenn" with these characters. I glean more each time I repeat viewing the shows since some of the humor can be subtle and with the visual humor. I don't recommend multi-tasking when watching the show. Being an American I was not familiar with British colloquialism or slang though I believe that added to the charm and depth of the show. I believe the British speak English, well sort of, that I'm sure that the say the same of Americans. I finally Googled "British Slang" words and now I may be fluent. Martin Clunes nails it as do the other actors. It is exceptionally written with brilliant acting with a beautiful setting with which to escape. I have my favorite episodes, scenes and characters which I go back to watch repeatedly. I also love the Doc Martin theme song as well as the other songs on the show. The show never fails to put a smile on my face and put me in a good mood. Season 5 is also available on Amazon. I cannot wait to see Series/Season 6 after they are done filming. Hopefully they will contiue with the series. I find that there is zero to none name recognition of Doc Martin here in the US which I find amazing since this is excellant and itelligent TV programming.

Barely two months after I first viewed the first episode, "Doc Martin" has now become one of my favorite productions ever, movie or television. In fact, it's hard to think of a better production that I've seen in decades of television and movie viewing -- the outstanding comedy and drama of "Doc Martin" are that good. Five stars are hardly enough for a program that produces this kind of enjoyment. I've now watched all of the currently existing episodes through Series 5, and in my opinion, "Doc Martin" sustains its very high level of quality throughout, so I'd recommend the DVDs of all of the seasons. I can hardly wait for Series 6, which star Martin Clunes has confirmed will be filmed in 2013 and will likely be the last series for the program. For the uninitiated, the premise of the show is that the rather grouchy, socially inept but brilliant Dr. Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes) is taking over as a general practitioner in the picturesque seaside village of Portwenn in southwestern England, after leaving his London surgical practice when he develops a blood phobia. Schoolteacher Louisa Glasson (Caroline Catz) is one of the few villagers who appreciates Martin's good qualities -- she understands that his social rudeness disguises a man who actually cares for other people in a very literal way. A romance results, creating a running thread through all of the seasons, although there are significant setbacks along the way. Martin and Louisa are joined by plumber/restauranteur Bert Large (Ian McNeice) and his son/business partner Al (Joe Absolom); Martin's Aunt Joan (Stephanie Cole), who runs a small, struggling family farm by herself; later on, Martin's Aunt Ruth (Dame Eileen Atkins), a psychiatrist; a series of quirky receptionists in the doctor's office, with Pauline (Katherine Parkinson) as the longest-serving and most memorable; the village pharmacist, Mrs. Tishell (Selina Cadell), who has a lasting crush on Martin; and two successive village police officers, Mark Mylow (Stewart Wright) and Joe Penhale (John Marquez), who share some well-meaning comic ineptitude with Mayberry's Barney Fife. Both the acting and the writing on "Doc Martin" contain considerable depth. My wife and I knew we were seeing something unusually good when, after each episode, we began discussing the characters' motivations, how their family backgrounds affected their personalities, and what those characters might have been doing while they were off-stage as a logical prelude to their on-stage actions. Now, obviously, we know that these are fictional characters who don't really have family backgrounds and aren't really doing anything when they're not in a scene. But the actors and the writers have created characters with so many dimensions that there is something very real about them -- it makes the viewer care about what they're going through now and wonder what's going to happen to them next. To me, this is the ultimate success for a dramatic production: to create its own reality, one that the audience cares about. All of the actors noted above and, of course, the writers have a great deal to be proud of here. As you might guess, almost every program contains medical problems for Martin to deal with, ranging from routine but sometimes funny ailments to life-threatening emergencies -- that's the life of the only doctor in a small village. But this isn't really a show about medicine, even though the main character is a medical doctor, it's a comedy/drama about a wide variety of people with a wide variety of things going on in their lives -- from Aunt Joan's financial problems on the farm to the Larges' business setbacks to the romantic yearnings of PC Mark Mylow. But although the group of characters (and actors) here is outstanding, I wouldn't call this a true ensemble drama, because the series focuses on Martin, who is undoubtedly the main character -- this is his story, even though the other characters' stories are told as well. As the show progresses, Louisa comes to share that focus because her relationship with Martin becomes so important to the show. In this aspect, there's a certain similarity to "Pride and Prejudice," I think, because both stories involve a romance, long in developing, between a very good-natured, sensible, and highly competent woman and a rather rude, haughty, but worthwhile man who needs someone to humanize him. Martin Clunes and Caroline Catz constantly impress with the meaning they bring to these roles with their brilliantly subtle characterizations. Small, almost unnoticed expressions often convey worlds of feeling. (The Martin-Louisa romance has really caught the public imagination, apparently. In an LA Times interview, Martin Clunes says that "[a] boy came up and asked me for my autograph, followed by an old man who said, 'I don't want your autograph but just marry that girl before I die, willya?' That seems to sum up the level at which it hits people.") But I'm not trying to downplay the other characters, and the excellent actors who portray them. They're all a very important part of this show's considerable charm, and they all have their turns (sometimes numerous turns) as the center of different subplots in particular episodes. These subplots can be either comic or dramatic for particular characters, rather than being only one or the other, again showing the depth of the writing and acting. For example, Bert and Al Large, who are usually involved in rather funny situations, also deal with more serious family issues and business problems. PC Joe Penhale, a classic well-meaning bumbler, also has a sad encounter with his ex-wife. And even when a character doesn't have his/her own plotline, that person very ably supports the characters who do. While there's certainly a good deal of drama in these programs, the laughs shouldn't be overlooked. The Larges, the police officers, the receptionists, and Mrs. Tishell all provide much humor -- as does Martin himself, whose disdainful reactions to the villagers are often very funny. This story of an emotionally stunted man has the potential to create an abundance of emotion in its audience, because most viewers, I think, will care about these characters, laughing at their foibles and commiserating with their sorrows. I give it my highest recommendation. I would guess that most people who see just a few of the early episodes will, like me, want to see all of them, perhaps multiple times.

I call my sister in England two or three times a month, and awhile back when I called, she said, "Hold on Rob, my favourite show is coming on the telly - give me a moment to set my VCR to tape it." Naturally I asked what show it was, and she said, "Doc Martin. It's about an irascible family doctor in a Cornish seaside town. It stars Martin Clunes, from "Men Behaving Badly," and I just love it." I vaguely remembered seeing Doc Martin listed on the TV guide menus in Canada, but had paid no attention to it. So we started to watch it (one of the earlier series was on either TVO, SCN or Knowledge, I can't remember which, and a newer series was on PBS Detroit). My wife and I became hooked on the show! Naturally, when you start watching something that's been on for a while, there's a little catching-up to do (Who's that redheaded woman who keeps popping in and out of his life?). Although each episode has it's own plotline, the characters themselves evolve. So the natural answer was to buy all the past episodes. We haven't actually found time to watch them yet - we're looking forward to the lazy summer evenings to settle down and start at the beginning.

I had started viewing Doc Martin in the US and was shocked to find that it was not available in Canada when I returned home! I would certainly have preferred to download the show as I go along, rather than use my antiquated DVD player, but it was not to be. I was seriously addicted so: Amazon to the rescue. I ordered the full 4 DVD collection and the addiction is still very much there! The series is hilarious. The situations are unpredictable and the actors are excellent. Truly a great, great series, even for a French Canadian unfamiliar with the Cornish accent! I have also ordered the 5th series and can't wait to view that too!

I started watching these "live" towards the end of series 3, so it has been a great pleasure to go back to the beginning & see the characters develop & the relationships ebb & flow....Ah the wonders of the repressed British middle class. What great satire it can make. Think of all the great series, from Faulty Towers to Yes Minister, The Good Life, etc, etc. All relying on opening up the middle class inadequacies & foibles. Watch these, then buy & watch Series 5, then wait for Series 6!

These 4 used discs are as expected. The delivery was fast, packaging was perfect. The price was good. Need to find 5 to 8 collection now.

Smooth transaction - no problems. Can't comment on the product itself as it is a gift so I'll have to wait until my sister actually watches the DVDs to know if there's a problem! But i can vouch for the content as I have watched all of these series and they are really enjoyable - even though I've seen some episodes more than once I will still watch them when they're on. Ticks many boxes on the TV entertainment list.