Doc Martin (2004)

Julie Graham: 'I hated Martin as Doc Martin'

Survivors star Julie Graham talks about joining the cast of ITV1's Doc Martin and having to do kissing scenes with one of her best mates...

Louisa's thoughtless, feckless mother (Louise Jameson) arrives in Portwenn to meet her new grandchild. But granny isn't welcome as it becomes obvious that Louisa and her mum have Big Issues from way, way back in Louisa's childhood.

But that doesn't stop Louisa, who seems to spend a disproportionate amount of time pushing that unwieldy pram around the village, from asking mum - who is smoking a fag at the time - to babysit. Yes, of course, it all goes a bit wrong. Meanwhile the Doc continues to change his new son's nappies while wearing rubber gloves.

The only sane note is struck by splendid Auntie Ruth (the divine Eileen Atkins) who is very gamely making a go of the farm.

Whilst the rest of Port Wenn gears up for the village fun run, the doc remains as curmudgeonly as ever ("sprains, tendonitis, dehydration, dislodged testicles, cardiac arrest, sounds like a lot of fun"). The event sparks culinary rivalry between local restaurant owners Bert (Ian McNeice) and Mark (Tom Goodman-Hill). Both battle it out to provide bargain meals for spectators. Meanwhile Louisa (Caroline Catz) gets a surprise visit from an unwelcome guest. Her hippyish mother Eleanor (Louise Jameson) turns up at the surgery and announces she's staying.

'Doc Martin' helps ITV1 dominate primetime

The new series of Doc Martin again proved a ratings winner for ITV1 on Monday night, while Big Brother stayed strong for Channel 5, according to overnight data.

Martin's auntie Ruth puts her ­psychiatry skills to good use tonight when she meets her batty neighbour Shirley Dunwich, played by Miriam Margolyes.

Shirley thinks her ­delinquent artist son is trying to poison her and Martin's concerned that the woman's mental faculties have been affected. Actually, he's the one who's not particularly on the ball this week.

In two scenes, he calls characters by the wrong names - referring to his new receptionist's grandfather Mr Newcross as Mr Dunwich and calling Shirley Dunwich Mrs Winchelsea.

What's that all about, do you think?

Doc Martin is an admirably consistent character. It must be very tempting for the show's writers to soften him, but they realised long ago that he's funnier if they don't. At the start of the new, fifth series, we've seen Martin bereaved: a couple of misty moments are all he's allowed himself before reverting to brusque medical advice. Thus the second episode opens with Martin at a funeral, being rude to people who offer him condolences and devoting his entire eulogy to the science of cardiovascular disease. It's a daringly silly comic set piece.

Dame Eileen Atkins, star of Cranford and co-creator of Upstairs Downstairs, is proving a delightful addition to this series as Doctor Ellingham's (Martin Clunes) equally grouchy aunt, Ruth, whose droll observations on life in the countryside pump up the comedy quotient considerably. Tonight Ruth clashes with some bumpkinish neighbours who keep stealing from her, and the doctor wrestles with fatherhood and oddball patients. With first-rate acting and lush Cornish scenery, it's a significant cut above similar cosy dramas.

'Doc Martin' new series climbs to nearly 9m on ITV1

The new series of Doc Martin again proved a ratings winner for ITV1 on Monday night, piling on around 300,000 viewers on last week's debut episode, according to overnight data.

Mild shocks aplenty this episode. Doc (Martin Clunes) temporarily ditches his move to London and agrees to stay at the surgery. Louisa (Caroline Catz) finally agrees to move in with him. And the Doc uses his aunt's funeral to dish out a lecture on the dangers of fatty food. Even so, PC Penhale craves some proper crime action though. "I'd settle for a suicide," he sighs.

Oooh, look who still hasn't gone to London. To the amazement of absolutely no-one, Martin Ellingham is still in Port Wenn and this week he's burying his auntie Joan.

"I can't believe she's dead," one of the locals sympathises, and you can tell from the doc's expression that he's thinking: "Well, she'd better be, or else this funeral is a complete waste of time."

It's a chance for Doc Martin to deliver another inappropriate eulogy that's as heartfelt as the health warnings on cigarette packets. But as one aunt exits, another arrives in the shape of aunt Ruth, played by Dame Eileen Atkins.

As Louisa discovers, Ruth is almost as socially stunted as her nephew and is a psychiatrist for the criminally insane. We hope Broadmoor isn't expecting her back at work, though, because it looks like she'll also be sticking around a while longer.