Doc Martin series 8: Martin Clunes comedy confirmed to return for final outing
THERE were fears that it was getting axed but Doc Martin is returning for an eighth and final series, ITV has announced.
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The last-ever run of the comedy drama, following the travails of Martin Clunes’ socially inept Doctor Martin Ellingham, is set to be broadcast next year.
Doc Martin star Ian McNeice, who plays Bert Large, revealed that the cast were told about series eight after they were invited to a dinner hosted by ITV.
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The broadcaster held the event to celebrate the programme’s high ratings that were said to be “on a par with Downton Abbey”.
“Everybody in the cast was there and then the Head of ITV gets up and says ‘We love Doc Martin and as a vote of confidence we would like to give you one more show’,” the 65-year-old actor explained.
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He continued: “The future is rosy. We would all like to do more with Martin and God bless them ITV have said they are going to do more.”
Ian also confessed that he thought at the wrap party for series seven that the show would be drawing to a close, however he was pleased when it turned out his fears were misplaced.
“We had a cast and crew photograph and we had never had that before, and it was slightly unnerving that the end of this series we wrap things up nicely. But it is not over and we are thrilled,” he told The Mirror.
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The news was confirmed by ITV earlier this week at the US launch of series seven.
The latest series sees appearances from Hollywood A-lister Sigourney Weaver and Martin’s Men Behaving Badly co-star Caroline Quentin.
But that’s not the end for Doc Martin, it was revealed back in the summer that the popular ITV series would be getting an American makeover with the co-creator of Friends, Marta Kauffman, helming the project.
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ITV
Marta will be serving as executive producer on the American version of the show.
"We are delighted to be working with Ben and his team on Doc Martin," she said. "It's rare to connect with other producers who share the same sensibility and vision the way we do," she said
Doc Martin turned out to be an unexpected hit in the States thanks to streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Doc Martin series 8 will be broadcast in 2017.