‘Best Medicine’ has more whimsy but it’s less real than ‘Doc Martin’

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It’s nothing new or extraordinary to remake a foreign TV show for a different country.

As a TV fan, I’ve noticed a lot of my favorite shows are actually adapted from British (and sometimes other European!) originals. Think about it – “All in the Family” was based on a British show, just like “Sanford and Son” came from “Steptoe and Son.” Even the fun CBS sitcom “Ghosts” is a remake of a show called “U.K. Ghosts” you can stream on Netflix. PBS has had success with British mysteries like “Professor T” and “Patience,” too. And who could forget “The Office”? The American version totally surpassed the original, lasting way longer with almost 200 more episodes! It doesn’t always work – remember “Life on Mars” or the really short-lived “Viva Laughlin” (which starred Hugh Jackman, believe it or not!), or the attempts to remake “Fawlty Towers” with “Payne” and “Amanda’s”? But honestly, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taking a great show and giving it a fresh spin for a new audience.

Fox’s new show, “Best Medicine,” is a remake of the British series “Doc Martin,” which has already been adapted for television in several countries, including France, Germany, and Spain. I’m a big fan of the original – I’ve followed it since the beginning and even interviewed its star, Martin Clunes, multiple times over its 10-year run (2004-2022). And I know many others feel the same way. Unlike most remakes based on lesser-known shows, “Doc Martin” is readily available to watch here on platforms like PBS, Acorn TV, and Prime Video, and I highly recommend checking it out.

In the show “Doc Martin,” Martin Clunes stars as a highly skilled surgeon from London who develops a fear of blood. This leads him to become a small-town doctor in the Cornish fishing village he visited as a child. He’s known for being blunt, unsocial, and doesn’t bother with formalities, but consistently rescues the residents of Portwenn from dangerous situations – often caused by their own mistakes. A gradually unfolding romance with schoolteacher Louisa Glasson, played by Caroline Catz, kept viewers on the edge of their seats each season.

It’s clear that “Best Medicine” should be considered a fresh work. However, since some readers might be curious about how it relates to the original – and that was my first thought – let’s explore those connections and differences.

Okay, so watching this adaptation felt…oddly specific. They’ve tweaked character names for reasons I couldn’t quite grasp – maybe it’s a quirky inside joke? Our former Martin Ellingham is now Martin Best, played by Josh Charles, and Aunt Joan has become Aunt Sarah, a surprisingly seaworthy fisherwoman thanks to Annie Potts. Sally, the pharmacist with the neck brace, is now Sally Mylow, and the receptionist Elaine is now Elaine Denton. Thankfully, some things stayed the same – Louisa Gavin, the Large family (Bert and Al), and Officer Mark Mylow all kept their names. And the setting? They’ve moved things stateside, to Port Wenn, Maine. A welcome change? Absolutely, especially since it means lobster is back on the menu! It’s a strange mix of familiar and new, but mostly…just strange.

Just like before, Martin keeps getting bothered by dogs (and it’s not on purpose!), which annoys him. Teenagers are, well, typical teenagers and are rude to him. Mark Mylow is now Louisa’s ex-fiancé, recently heartbroken. Liz Tuccillo, who adapted the story, has added a gay couple, George (Jason Veasey) and Greg (Stephen Spinella), who own the local restaurant and inn, and they have a pet pig named Brisket – it’s nice they didn’t name it something like “Back Ribs”! We also meet Glendon Ross (Patch Darragh), a wealthy and arrogant man who used to bully Martin. Besides the main actors, Charles and Spencer, most of the supporting characters don’t have much to do except be a bit eccentric. However, Segarra, who you might recognize from “Abbott Elementary,” really shines with every line he delivers, and Cree makes a lovely impression with her scenes and own storyline. Spencer is enjoyable to watch, but Potts, though always welcome, feels more like a tool for explaining the plot than a fully developed character, which isn’t quite fair.

The first episode intentionally echoes the pilot of “Doc Martin,” featuring a similar initially prickly romance between the main characters – he rudely examines her eye without asking – and a central medical case involving gynecomastia, which leads to our hero getting punched. While drawing inspiration from that show, “Best Medicine” aims to establish its own unique stories and personality.

Overall, this show is gentler, sweeter, and more lighthearted than “Doc Martin” – despite a few silly jokes. It’s more fanciful and straightforward, but less gritty, less dramatic, and not as sharply written. The show has been smoothed out, feeling more like “Northern Exposure” than its source material. The setting, Port Wenn (filmed in Cornwall, New York, with the Hudson River standing in for the ocean), feels noticeably more luxurious. The doctor’s office and home are comfortably furnished, unlike the simple, worn spaces in the original series.

Charles Martin plays his role with a mostly neutral or slightly irritated expression, a bit more relaxed than Clunes’ portrayal. Unlike the deliberately mysterious Dr. Ellingham, whose motivations were never fully explained, Dr. Best is given a clear backstory – a childhood trauma – to explain his fear of blood and make him more relatable to the audience.

I’ll admit my love for “Doc Martin” might be influencing my opinion of “Best Medicine” – it could be a bias either way. But setting that aside, the show feels pretty familiar. It’s a heartwarming story about small-town life, community, and how a quirky newcomer eventually fits in. The first few episodes feature things like a celebration of baked beans, a big local baseball game, and a strange annual tradition where the women of the town go into the woods to meet a ridiculously handsome survivalist. It’s all very predictable and leans heavily into those kinds of tropes.

Ultimately, “Best Medicine” feels like a show that reflects everyday life, rather than one that creates its own unique world. Some viewers will definitely prefer this realistic approach.

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2026-01-04 19:01