A New 'Doc Martin' Is on the Case in 'Best Medicine'

Most people no longer remember that Doc Martin was initially a spinoff of a British film, the comedy Saving Grace, where star Martin Clunes played "Doc Martin," Dr. Martin Bamford, a London surgeon stuck out in the wilds of Cornwall. When a spinoff was commissioned to explain how Martin found himself so far from his natural habitat, the character underwent a personality realignment, the result of which was rechristened Dr. Martin Ellingham (still played by Clunes), the sullen misanthrope whose career was derailed when he developed haemophobia (a fear of blood). The series was so successful that it ran for ten seasons over two decades and will now be revived with an American remake, Best Medicine.

Much like the U.K. series, Best Medicine will star a different version of Doc Martin, but not one played by Clunes. Instead, this new character is Dr. Martin Best (hence the show's title), starring another actor who is not exactly handsome but beloved by middle-aged women viewers, Josh Charles (The Veil). Like Ellingham, Dr. Best is a "brilliant surgeon" in a major metropolitan city (Boston instead of London), whose career abruptly changes course to find himself working as a village doctor in a sparsely populated small town. 

The twist here is that the "village" is the hometown he wanted to escape, and the people who don't understand his terse and blunt bedside manner are the people who once knew him well, best.

Here's the show's synopsis:

Best Medicine centers on Martin Best, a brilliant surgeon who abruptly leaves his illustrious career in Boston to become the general practitioner in a quaint East Coast fishing village where he spent summers as a child. Unfortunately, Martin’s blunt and borderline rude bedside manner rubs the quirky, needy locals the wrong way, and he quickly alienates the town, even though he’s all they’ve got.

Although Martin can expertly address any medical ailment or mystery in this idiosyncratic town, he’s really just desperate to be left the hell alone. Instead, he keeps getting dragged right smack into the middle of their personal chaos, feuds, and fantasies. What the locals don’t know is that Martin’s terse demeanor masks a debilitating new phobia and deep-seated psychological issues that prevent him from experiencing true intimacy with anyone. But tenacity is the creed of everyone in their small village, and the people who live there may be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Currently, Charles is the only actor attached. (His casting was the catalyst for getting the show out of the development phase and into an official season commission.) Liz Tuccillo (Sex & the City) will lead the series' writers' room. Tuccillo also executive produces with Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens & Rodney Ferrell of Propagate Content and the original series’ producers, Mark Crowdy and Philippa Braithwaite.

This is technically the seventh Doc Martin remake; several European variations were launched between 2007 and 2017. Most were one or two seasons, like the 2007 German Doktor Martin, starring Axel Milberg as Dr. Martin Helling (not to be confused with 2015's Czech Doktor Martin, which starred Miroslav Donutil as Dr. Martin Elinger); followed by the 2009 Spanish Doctor Mateo, with Dr. Mateo Sancristobal (Gonzalo de Castro), and the 2011 Greek Kliniki Periptosi with Giannis Bezos as Dr. Markos Staikos. Only the Netherlands version, Dokter Tinus, with Thom Hoffman as Dr. Martinus Elsenbosch, managed genuine success, producing six seasons between 2012 and 2017. 

“The story of Doc Martin has resonated worldwide with its humanity, originality, and humor, and with Best Medicine coming to Fox, that eccentricity gets a small-town America spin, complete with idyllic charm and absurdity,” said Michael Thorn, President of Fox Television Network. “Liz, Mark, Philippa, Ben, and Rodney have done a terrific job adapting this signature character for the Fox audience, especially in casting the terrifically talented Josh Charles as our lead.”

Best Medicine is expected to debut on Fox (and then stream on Fox's Tubi) during the 2025-2026 TV season.