Best Medicine vs Doc Martin: How the Remake Compares to the Original

BEST MEDICINE REVIEW (FOX):

Can lightning strike twice? Best Medicine, Fox’s new American remake of the beloved British series Doc Martin (created by Dominic Minghella), is a cute, romantic series starring Josh Charles and Abigail Spencer that attempts to recapture the magic formula of a grumpy doctor meeting small-town charm. But is it as good as the original Doc Martin? And how do the two shows compare?

Let’s explore.

QUICK TAKE:

The Story: Cranky/rude Boston surgeon moves to coastal Maine, where he doesn’t fit in.
The Vibe: Doc Martin meets Hart of Dixie.
The Romance: Slow-burn, will-they-won’t-they
Best For: Fans of cozy, optimistic comfort television with a touch of whimsy.
Watch If You Loved: Doc Martin, Hart of Dixie, Virgin River, Northern Exposure.

**OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS OF BEST MEDICINE (WITH TRAILER):**

The charmingly complicated one-hour dramedy Best Medicine is based on the critically acclaimed and beloved global hit Doc Martin. The series follows Martin Best (Josh Charles, The Good Wife), a brilliant surgeon who abruptly leaves his illustrious career in Boston to become the general practitioner in a quaint East Coast fishing village where he spent summers as a child.

Unfortunately, Martin’s blunt and borderline rude bedside manner rubs the quirky, needy locals the wrong way, including schoolteacher Louisa Gavin (Abigail Spencer, Suits). He quickly alienates the town, even though he’s all they have. Although Martin can expertly address any medical ailment or mystery in this idiosyncratic town, he’s really just desperate to be left the hell alone.

Instead, he keeps getting dragged smack into the middle of their personal chaos, feuds and fantasies. What the locals don’t know is that Martin’s terse demeanor masks a debilitating new phobia and deep-seated psychological issues that prevent him from experiencing true intimacy with anyone. But tenacity is the creed of everyone in their small village, and the people who live there may be exactly what the doctor ordered.

THE CAST OF BEST MEDICINE

Josh Charles and Annie Potts in Best Medicine hugging with a coastal background. — *Josh Charles and Annie Potts in Best Medicine. (Fox Entertainment Studios/Screenshot)*

Josh Charles excels as the romantic leading man and grumpy town doctor, Dr. Martin Best. While the always likable Abigail Spencer portrays the sweet teacher, Louisa Gavin, with spirit and relatability.

The series also stars Josh Segarra as awkward Sheriff Mark Mylow, the iconic Annie Potts as Martin’s Aunt Sarah, and Cree as the terrible (but lovable) assistant, Elaine Denton. Recurring guest stars fill out the rest of the town, including John DiMaggio as Bert Large, and Carter Shrimp as his son, Al, and so many more. An upcoming special guest appearance will feature Martin Clunes (the original Doc Martin himself) as Dr. Robert Best, Dr. Martin Best’s father.

THE DOC MARTIN DNA

Doc Martin is a much-loved British series about a socially awkward and rude doctor, Dr. Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes), who moves to a small, beautiful town, but is a fish out of water and doesn’t really fit in. He’s offensive, arrogant, and single-minded. But underneath his grumpy exterior is a heart of gold, even if he’s difficult for everyone, including his eventual partner, Louisa Glasson (Caroline Catz), to deal with. Especially since he has an inconvenient phobia of blood.

Beyond the premise and main characters, what makes the series so special is its underlying heart and structural DNA. It’s full of wit and humor and quirky, eccentric characters – but is also about the love story of the Doc and Louisa and the ups and downs of their relationship.

The setting itself (Portwenn) is also a character in its own right, with thousands of viewers visiting the real-life town of Port Isaac in Cornwall every year.

The long-running British ITV show (2004-2022) featured memorable guest stars like Sigourney Weaver and had an idyllic, cozy feel that made for the perfect TV-viewing escape while upholding high script quality.

HOW BEST MEDICINE COMPARES: BEST MEDICINE VS DOC MARTIN

In comparison, after watching the first few episodes of Best Medicine (developed by Liz Tuccillo), the DNA of Doc Martin is clearly there – albeit with some tweaks. Fans of the original will recognize similar characters, such as the aunt, the love interest Louisa, the dog that follows Martin around, the quirky town cop, the not-so-great assistant, and so on.

It’s a funny show with eccentric, annoying characters, a central slow-build romance between Martin and Louisa, and there’s the beautiful, small town and the awkward fish-out-of-water doctor learning how to deal with small town antics and gossip.

The setting is also cozy and idyllic (set in small-town Coastal Maine near Camden and Bar Harbor) – although it’s filmed in Cornwall, New York. Being from Maine, I couldn’t help but notice that the town feels more like ‘Hollywood Maine’ than the real thing, especially since the accents are nowhere to be found. And the town’s vibe is more Hallmark than reality. But it’s still charming: cozy, quaint, and picturesque. Still, it would have been fun to see the real thing, like Port Isaac as Portwenn in Doc Martin.

However, where Best Medicine differs the most is in Dr. Martin Best himself and the Britishness of the original series. Martin’s much more romantic and likable than the original Doc. He’s grumpy and rubs people the wrong way, don’t get me wrong, but he smiles more, he exudes more romantic qualities, and is less of a jerk. Or at least he has more potential to become more likable. The consistent rudeness of Doc Martin in the original was part of its appeal, but perhaps the writers felt that wouldn’t fully translate to the American audience.

The town itself is also less of a character, feeling more Hollywood-ized than real. But that isn’t really much of an issue. Look at Gilmore Girls, for example. It doesn’t quite feel like a real Connecticut town, but we all wish it were while watching!

I would also say it’s really playing up the romance in a different way. And Bert, Al, and pharmacist Sally have much smaller parts to play.

So, let’s sum it up – the similarities and differences between Doc Martin and Best Medicine:

WHAT STAYS THE SAME:

The rude fish-out-of-water doctor
The quirky small-town setting
The slow-burn romance with Louisa
Eccentric supporting characters
Medical cases of the week

WHAT’S DIFFERENT:

Josh Charles plays Martin softer around the edges and, arguably, more romantically.
The town comes across less like a character than in the original.
The mood leans more toward romance, whimsy, and coziness (think Hart of Dixie) than Doc Martin‘s drier British wit.
Bert, Al, and Sally are more background players than main characters.

All in all, Best Medicine is a charming romantic comedy series set in Maine, but it is more akin to Hart of Dixie than Doc Martin – and that’s okay. It’s a cozy, fun series with entertaining scripts, even if it’s not as witty or as brilliant.

THE VERDICT: SHOULD YOU WATCH?

Abigail Spencer and Josh Charles in Best Medicine — *Abigail Spencer and Josh Charles already have chemistry! (Fox Entertainment Studios/Screenshots)*

So, is Best Medicine as good as Doc Martin? No, but it doesn’t need to be.

What it offers is a warm, romantic American take on the Doc Martin formula, one that focuses on connection and optimism over the original’s sharper British wit. The actors are engaging, the scripts are fun, and the setting is cozy enough to make you want to book a trip to Maine (even if it’s filmed in New York).

Best Medicine won’t replace Doc Martin in the hearts of fans like me, but it fills a real void in today’s TV landscape, full of dark, cynical stories. This feel-good romantic dramedy is exactly the kind of comfort viewing we need more of in today’s world.

All in all, if you loved Doc Martin or shows like Hart of Dixie, it’s worth giving Best Medicine a chance. Just think of it as Doc Martin’s sweeter, more optimistic American cousin. It has real potential to find its own voice, and seeing Josh Charles and Abigail Spencer in a slow-burn romance onscreen is worth the price of admission alone.

So, as long as you don’t spend too much time comparing it to the obviously superior original, you’ll likely enjoy it just fine.

Where to Watch: You can currently watch Best Medicine on Tuesday nights (8 PM ET/PT) on FOX or the next day on Hulu/Disney+.

Content Note: TV-14 for suggestive humor.