Martin Clunes reprises his role as Dr. Martin Ellingham this autumn on ITV for a seventh season of Doc Martin.
Clunes will be back for eight new episodes of the drama as the grumpy medic with a phobia of blood, alongside Caroline Catz as Doc Martin’s wife, Louisa.
Also returning are Dame Eileen Atkins as the Doc’s formidable Aunt Ruth, Ian McNeice as Bert Large, Joe Absolom as his son Al, Je
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The couple married in the last season, but their marital harmony was short lived. After a life-threatening incident, Louisa decided to take their son James Henry to live with her mother in Spain while they try to work out their problems. The Doc is heartbroken by their departure, and realises he has got to make changes if he wants to win them back, and be a family again.
Episode 1
Monday 7 September 2015, 9pm
After their tumultuous time last season, Louisa has gone for a break to visit her mother in Spain and to have some time to think, and get some perspective on their relationship. Martin is faced with the questions: will Louisa come back to him; and what can he do to make sure that she does?
Martin knows that he needs to change for the sake of his marriage, and seeks out a therapist to try and effect this change. Aunt Ruth (Dame Eileen Atkins) manages to find him someone very well qualified, Dr Rachel Timoney (Emily Bevan).
However, life in Portwenn transpires to get in Martin’s way, in the shape of Steve Baker (Daniel Ryan), and the lifeboat training exercise. Martin is not the only person inconvenienced.
Steve and his assistant Barry (Joss Porter) are meant to be helping Al get his new Bed and Breakfast ready in time for his first guests arriving, but Steve is never there and half the walls still haven’t been plastered. Al (Joe Absolom) can’t even rely on his father or Morwenna (Jessica Ransom) for help, as Bert (Ian McNeice) is upset that Al hasn’t wanted his help in the past, and Morwenna has been roped into the lifeboat training exercise by her new flat-mate Janice (Robyn Addison).
When Steve collapses at the wheel of the lifeboat, the mock rescue becomes a real-life rescue, and Martin and PC Penhale (John Marquez) race out to help Morwenna to save Steve’s life. But marooned at sea, Martin is going to have trouble getting back in time to speak to Louisa and is in danger of missing his first scheduled therapy session.
Episode 2
Monday 14 September 2015, 9pm
After Martin’s first session with psychotherapist Dr Rachel Timoney (Emily Bevan), we see he may have met his match: if anyone is going to be able to help Martin change, then Dr Timoney seems well qualified. Louisa’s return further raises questions around their relationship: in order to stay together, perhaps they need to spend more time apart, until they have worked through their issues.
Meanwhile, Al (Joe Absolom) welcomes his first fishing guests, but an uninvited one means that a good review is definitely not guaranteed.
Bert (Ian McNeice) decides to try to boost trade at the restaurant by joining an online voucher scheme, and offering a 2 for 1 lobster special with the help of Gus (Jason Baughan), a local fisherman. Morwenna (Jessica Ransom) thinks her responsibilities in the surgery have increased, and asks Martin for a pay rise.
Louisa, her return to work at school imminent, has to find a new babysitter to look after James Henry, and reluctantly decides to offer Janice (Robyn Addison) a trial. Aunt Ruth (Dame Eileen Atkins) has to face up to the fact that there is no escaping the ageing process, but doesn’t want Martin to be constantly making her accept her health limitations.
PC Penhale (John Marquez) receives his new police issue Taser, but Portwenn does not exactly present opportunities to use it.
Episode 3
Monday 21 September 2015, 9pm
Martin has decided he will be the one to move out of the surgery to allow Louisa the space she needs, which Louisa does really appreciate.
Louisa is intrigued to meet Martin’s therapist, Dr Rachel Timoney (Emily Bevan), but is not quite so happy when Rachel suggests that they should have therapy as a couple, instead of Martin having it on his own. Aunt Ruth (Dame Eileen Atkins), however, manages to persuade Louisa that being a part of it will allow her a chance to defend herself – if she needs to.
Janice’s (Robyn Addison) babysitting of James Henry does not get off to the best of starts, but fortunately PC Penhale (John Marquez) is around to help her out.
After his disastrous lobster special evening, Bert (Ian McNeice) disappears, and his son Al (Joe Absolom) is very concerned when Ruth tells him about Bert’s behaviour, and when he finds out there are bailiffs at the restaurant.
Mrs Tishell (Selina Cadell) is concerned that Martin will not be able to look after himself living on his own, so decides that she is the best person to help him.
The new Portwenn Radio DJ, Melanie (Rosie Cavaliero), is trying to revitalise the station with a healthy eating week segment, and tries to get Martin involved. But she ends up getting more than she bargained for when Martin has to perform an operation live on the air.
Episode 4
Monday 28 September 2015, 9pm
Louisa and Martin have their first therapy session together – though neither of them was expecting that they would be given homework.
Peter Cronk Preston Nyman), now 15, approaches Louisa to ask if Martin will allow him to do work experience at the surgery. Louisa is surprised, and impressed, when Martin agrees to this: perhaps he is learning to change after all.
Morwenna (Jessica Ransom) is not quite so happy about it when Peter starts trying to tell her what to do. Mrs Tishell (Selina Cadell) is surprised by the return of her husband, Clive (Malcolm Storry), and even more so when he tells her he wants to give things another go.
Bert (Ian McNeice), after losing the restaurant and having nowhere to live except his new campervan, is looking around for other opportunities, but he is keeping everything close to his chest, and definitely away from the eyes of PC Penhale (John Marquez), who is trying to impress Janice (Robyn Addison).
Louisa has to call Martin to help her when one of her pupils, Jessy Bawden (Phoebe Lyons), collapses, during a school excursion, and together they rush Jessy to hospital. A young supply teacher at the school, Miss Grappy, (Hannah Arterton) had failed to spot the signs that Jessy was unwell, as she concentrated on her mobile phone and topping up her tan.
Peter’s work experience doesn’t work out quite as well as he had hoped, though he is very grateful he did it when Martin helps him to successfully treat his mother, Mrs Cronk.
Episode 5
Monday 5 October 2015, 9pm
Martin reaches breaking point with being followed around by Buddy: He resolves to find a vet to have him put him down.
Morwenna (Jessica Ransom), and eventually Louisa, manage to persuade him that it isn’t quite that simple – a vet will not put down a healthy dog just on Martin’s say so. They intervene and find a new home for Buddy, with Angela Sim Caroline Quentin), a local vet, though Martin will have to take him there himself. Martin is not impressed by Angela’s alternative approaches to medicine, even if it is veterinary medicine, but at least he has managed to offload Buddy onto her.
Meanwhile, Ruth (Dame Eileen Atkins) finds out what Bert has been up to, in trying to make his own whisky, and he eventually persuades her to keep his secret.
Clive Tishell (Malcom Storry) is suspicious of Mrs Tishell (Selina Cadell) and who she might be cooking meals for, but decides to give her the benefit of the doubt so that they can really give their marriage another go.
PC Penhale (John Marquez) wants to ask Janice (Robyn Addison) out, but only succeeds in asking her to a barbecue at his place, and then has to persuade Al (Joe Absolom) and Morwenna to come too, to make up the numbers.
Louisa and Martin’s therapy homework results in a picnic, much to Martin’s dismay, but even this doesn’t go to plan, when they are interrupted by Angela and Buddy on the beach: Angela appears to be hallucinating, and Martin has to get Penhale to help him calm her down, so that he can treat her and find out what has been going on.
Newcomer to Portwenn, Debbie Sharrock, (Finty Williams) asks the Doc for a repeat prescription for her daughter Kelly. The doc refuses until he has been able to see Kelly’s notes and make his own diagnosis.
Episode 6
Monday 19 October 2015, 9pm
Martin and Louisa don’t seem to be having much success with their therapy, so Dr Timoney (Emily Bevan) advises that they should try and take things back to the beginning of their relationship, and plan a date, and try not to let their busy lives get in the way, even though Louisa is also trying to plan James Henry’s first birthday party
A last minute request from Danny (Tristan Sturrock), Louisa’s ex-boyfriend, brings him and seven children from London camping on Ruth’s farm, supervised by Al(Joe Absolom) and Bert (Ian McNeice), but they need some children from a local school to show them around: Louisa feels she has to help her old friend out, even though this further adds to her load.
Martin is not at all pleased when Danny proceeds to try and intervene in their troubled relationship.
Things are going slightly better for Mrs Tishell (Selina Cadell) and Clive (Malcolm Storry), though Clive worries that he will not be able to keep up, when Mrs. Tishell invites him back into the bedroom, with disastrous consequences.
Things don’t start off too badly for Martin and Louisa at the restaurant, but when Danny calls saying one of his children, Jake, has gone missing, date night is effectively over. When they finally find Jake, they also find Bert’s whisky still, and PC Penhale (John Marquez) is keen to lay down the law to Bert.
Martin and Louisa are left wondering if anything will ever go right for them, when Martin uncovers a health scare at James’s party, that makes all the guests leave very quickly: not even Ruth’s (Dame Eileen Atkins) birthday cake can keep them there.
Episode 7
Monday 26 October 2015, 9pm
After Martin and Louisa tell Dr Timoney (Emily Bevan) about their failed date night, she questions their ultimate compatibility. She asks them if it is time they recognise that perhaps they are not meant to be together: something for them to go and think about.
Martin has new neighbours: Erica the new art teacher at Portwenn school has moved in with her daughter, Bernie. Though Louisa is happy to finally have found a permanent teacher, this proves to be short-lived when Erica wants to try out some rather alternative ideas on the children.
PC Penhale (John Marquez) manages to protect everyone after a car accident outside the school, and Louisa is very surprised when the victim of the crash turns out to be Dr Timoney.
Penhale is happy to finally have his crime stopping talents recognised, but is confused when he is offered a transfer to Exeter, particularly as this will mean leaving Janice behind, even though he hasn’t quite managed to ask her out yet.
Martin discovers that his new neighbour is both noisy and rather accident prone, and thinks nothing of calling on the doctor next door.
Bert (Ian McNeice), his whisky dream now in tatters, decides to go back to something he knows, and becomes a handyman. But even this doesn’t really prove worthwhile, when his first customer, Erica, has an accident, and he has to call Martin in to help. Louisa and Martin are intrigued when Dr Timoney invites them for an additional therapy session – she might just have worked out an answer to the question of their relationship. And an American tourist seeks help from the Doc.
Episode 8
Monday 2 November 2015, 9pm
Louisa is leaving for Spain, Bert and Jennifer’s engagement party goes off with a bang.
Al is hailed a hero for saving Caroline’s life.
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