Review of Doc Martin

A British friend tipped me to this show, claiming it was the "original" House -- which somehow (typical British subtlety) implies that House is itself a knockoff...? Be that as it may, this show is an undiscovered gem. Martin Clunes, who is very empathetic in real life, plays an uptight Asbergery London surgeon with (no kidding) a phobia about blood. One way or another he ends up in coastal England in a charming little village called Port Wen. It is supposed to be temporary but, hey, every TV series ever made is temporary when it starts. He interacts with the locals and adventures ensue. Kind, gentle, interesting adventures, adventures that at the same time intrigue you on an intellectual level and also make you wish you actually lived in Port Wen. Caroline Catz as the local schoolteacher who our hero falls in love with, in spite of the fact he can barely handle a relationship with himself, is pitch perfect. Brilliant. And addictive.