Martin Clunes set to revisit Doc Martin but there's a surprise for fans

Martin Clunes is poised to appear in a US adaptation of his beloved series Doc Martin - though he won't be reprising his role as Dr Martin Ellingham.

The actor portrayed the television favourite for 18 years, with audiences captivated by the escapades of the medic who served as the GP in the Cornish village of Portwenn.

The ITV programme, which concluded in 2022, is now being reworked for American television, featuring The Good Wife actor Josh Charles as a surgeon who abandons his Boston career and relocates to the East coast to work as a GP in the fishing community where he spent childhood summers.

His character, Dr Martin Best, draws inspiration from Doc Martin's Dr Ellingham.

Additionally, reports suggest that Martin is scheduled to portray his father, gastroenterologist Dr Robert Best, in the programme titled Best Medicine, reports Cornwall Live.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, he chooses to follow his son to the fishing village where he has established himself.

However, his arrival creates some tension and ruffles some feathers among the people living there.

A character outline teases that there could also be more to Martin's character than meets the eye, explaining: "But underneath his snobby, stone-cold exterior, Robert is hiding a few secrets of his own that could turn Martin's new life upside down, and force him to confront his past."

Upon the new programme's announcement, Ben Silverman from production firm Propagate Content declared that "Best Medicine is a world we'll all want to be part of".

"The entire Propagate team is thrilled to be working with Fox Entertainment on this extraordinary adaptation by Liz Tuccillo of the global hit Doc Martin," he said in a statement at the time.

"Josh Charles is the perfect lead for this brilliantly character-driven comedic procedural. Best Medicine is a world we'll all want to be part of."

Doc Martin was launched in 2004 and proved to be a massive hit with audiences, broadcasting for 18 years in the UK until 2022.

Its long runstretched across 10 series plus a standalone television film.

Doc Martin is available to watch on ITVX