Doc Martin facts

Interesting facts about the much-loved ITV Doc Martin series based in Cornwall...

• Doc Martin's surname, Ellingham, is an anagram of Minghella, the surname of series creator Dominic Minghella.

• Martin Clunes and his wife, Philippa Braithwaite, own the independent production company, Buffalo Pictures, which produces Doc Martin. Philippa is one of the producers on the show.

• Audience figures since Doc Martin was introduced in 2004 have averaged in excess of eight million viewers.

• Series five averaged over 10 million viewers

• There were ten series of Doc Martin, totalling 78 episodes. The final episode aired on Christmas Day 2022.

• Filming took place in the small villages of Port Quin and Port Gaverne as well as in Port Isaac. Scenes were also shot in other parts of Cornwall while most of the interior action took place in a converted barn studio on a farm near Port Isaac.

• The entire cast and crew stays in the village of Port Isaac during the busy filming schedule.

• More than 150 babies were put forward to be selected for the role of the Doc’s son, James Henry in series seven. In the end four local babies were chosen.

• The film star Sigourney Weaver makes a cameo appearance in the seventh series.

• Doc Martin is screened worldwide including in America, Africa, Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Italy, Russia, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, Sweden, Uruguay and Venezuela. It showcases Cornwall to an international audience attracting fans to Port Isaac from across the world.

• Foreign adaptations of Doc Martin have been made in France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Greece, The Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Russia.

• Joe Absolom (Al Large) and his family loved the Cornish way of life so much while filming that they moved lock stock and barrel from London to a coastal home just a few miles from the Doc Martin location.

• Martin Clunes' fans are known as "Clunatics".

• The Doc Martin character was inspired by the 2000 independent comedy film, “Saving Grace” (also filmed in Cornwall), where Martin Clunes played the part of Dr Bamford.