After Martin Clunes played the original Dr. Martin Ellingham in Doc Martin for nearly 20 years, another star is set to step into the role. Deadline reports that Josh Charles, best known for his role in Dead Poets Society and for recently starring as Commander Gabriel Wharton in The Handmaid’s Tale, will lead a new American remake of Doc Martin for Fox. Sex and the City scribe Liz Tuccillo has been tapped to write the new series, and she will also executive produce. While there is no word on when it will begin production, Deadline reports that the series is being eyed for release sometime during the 2025-2026 season, meaning it could come as early as the end of this year.
Charles is also known for his work in Four Brothers, the gritty crime drama led by Mark Wahlberg that’s been making the rounds on Paramount+ recently. He’s also no stranger to TV; he featured alongside Julianna Marguiles and Alan Cumming in The Good Wife, the legal drama streaming on Paramount+ that ran from 2009 to 2016. Not long before his role in The Handmaid’s Tale, Charles also starred in another Hulu original series, The Veil, which is also led by The Handmaid Tale’s Elisabeth Moss. Taylor Swift fans may know Charles from his role in the “Fortnight” music video, which sees Swift team up with artist Post Malone, and he also starred opposite Jon Bernthal in We Own This City, another crime drama from Reinaldo Marcus Green. Nearly 10 years ago, Charles also starred in seven episodes of Law & Order True Crime, the miniseries led by Sopranos veteran Edie Falco.
Who Stars in the Original ‘Doc Martin’?
In addition to Martin Clunes as Dr. Martin Ellingham, Caroline Catz also stars in Doc Martin as Louisa Ellingham, and they are the only two in the series to feature in all 79 episodes. Following behind them with 78 credits to his name is Ian McNeice, who plays Bert Large. There’s then a slight dip, as Joe Absolom has starred in only 73 episodes as Al Large, and another dip down to John Marquez, who featured in 74 episodes of the series as PC Joe Penhale. The original Doc Martin was written and created for television by Mark Crowdy and Craig Ferguson.
The new Doc Martin series, led by Josh Charles, is eyeing a 2025-2026 release.
via Collider