Trivia / Doc Martin

• Actor Leaves, Character Dies: Aunt Joan was killed off after Stephanie Cole chose not to return for Series 5. The character was a fixture in the setting and Martin's life, so killing her off was probably the most plausible explanation for her sudden disappearance.
• California Doubling: The fictional Portwenn is played by Cornish village Port Isaac. This gets a Shout-Out in the Spanish version, "Doctor Mateo". The fictional town in which the Spanish version is played, San Martín del Sella (actually Lastres), is said to be a sister town to Portwenn.
• The Danza: Martin Clunes as Dr Martin Ellingham. Further variant in that the character's surname is an anagram of series creator Dominic Minghella.
• Follow the Leader:
  • Distant Shores, staring Peter Davison as a fish-out-of-water city doctor on the Northumbrian island Hildasay.
  • Less specifically, it also owes something to Northern Exposure.
• I Want You to Meet an Old Friend of Mine: Martin Clunes is reunited with his Saving Grace co-star Tristan Sturrock who plays Louisa’s ex-boyfriend Danny Steel.
• Irony as She Is Cast: Dr. Martin Ellingham is a stuffy Jerk with a Heart of Gold who considers dogs to be unhygienic menaces at best. Martin Clunes is well-known for his long-standing love of dogs.
• Playing Against Type: Ian McNeice usually plays characters who are, if not posh, at least of a high status in their sphere. Here, he plays the decidedly working-class Bert Large.
• Recycled: The Series: Kind of an odd example. A character, played by Martin Clunes appeared in a film Saving Grace and later two prequel TV movies. In making this series, the character was given a Retool with Doctor Jerk added to the character (who was originally just a Fish out of Water), and his last name was changed to Ellingham (an anagram of the last name of the show's writer Dominic Minghella).
• Tourist Bump: Port Isaac in Cornwall received a substantial increase in visitors since it doubled as Portwenn, the main setting for the series.

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