Doc Martin will return one final time with a Christmas special on ITV1.
Martin Clunes reprises his iconic role as grumpy medic, Dr. Martin Ellingham, the GP with a brusque bedside manner and a phobia of blood.
Following the tenth and final series, one last instalment has been confirmed for this festive period.
An air date for the special in the TV schedule has been confirmed for Christmas Day (Sunday, 25 December) at 9:05PM.
Alongside Clunes, the cast of the special will feature regulars Caroline Catz as Doc Martin’s wife, Louisa Ellingham and Dame Eileen Atkins as Doc Martin’s formidable Aunt Ruth.
Ian McNeice is back to play Bert Large, with Joe Absolom as his son Al. John Marquez is PC Joe Penhale, Jessica Ransom is the doctor’s receptionist, and Al’s wife, Morwenna, and Selina Cadell is pharmacist Mrs Tishell. They are joined by guest stars Ron Cook, Claire Bloom and Emma Amos.
You can watch a first trailer below…
A teaser for the Christmas special shares: “Portwenn is full of festive fun, until Doc Martin has the grotto closed down because he fears Santa has something contagious, upsetting the children, including his own son James. While awaiting the results of the tests to find out why Leonard is so itchy the Doc tells him he cannot be Santa until they have the diagnosis.
“Leonard is determined to show the Doc the magic of Christmas, and tries to deliver the Ellingham’s Christmas presents down the chimney. Martin is furious, and remonstrates with Leonard for putting himself at risk on the roof of their house, unaware James has witnessed it all. James decides to run away to find Santa, but Ruth bumps into him and persuades him to have breakfast, given the journey to the North Pole is a long one.”
Speaking about the upcoming Christmas special, Martin Clunes said: “Snow, Christmas lights, the lovely Claire Bloom came back to play the character of the Doc’s mother, and Ron Cook as Santa.
“You can imagine the doctor isn’t too keen on Christmas for his own tortured reasons. It’s never stopped making me laugh, I don’t know why because if it was a real person who had had such an awful upbringing you’d feel nothing but pity for them, but because it is him it just makes me laugh.”
For now you can watch past episodes of Doc Martin on ITV Hub and BritBox.
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