Huge ITV show Doc Martin is getting a US remake and fans are overjoyed – but it won’t be Martin Clunes in the leading role

Doc Martin star Martin Clunes has been replaced(Image: © Neil Genower)

Long-running ITV drama Doc Martin is getting a US remake – but it won’t be Martin Clunes in the main role. Fox has announced an adaptation of the show, titled Best Medicine, starring Josh Charles.

Josh will star as a successful surgeon who abruptly leave his post in Boston to become a general practitioner in the East Coast fishing village where he spent summers as a kid.

Fans won’t have to wait long either, as it’s scheduled to premiere during the 2025-26 season, and they’re overjoyed at the announcement.

One wrote: “I’m addicted to the British version and looking forward to our US version,” while a second said: “Love this guy! Follow every thing he does!”

Josh will star in Best Medicine (Image: Getty Images)

Speaking on the adaptation, Fox Television Network president Michael Thorn said: “The story of Doc Martin has resonated worldwide with its humanity, originality, and humour, and with Best Medicine coming to Fox, that eccentricity gets a small-town America spin, complete with idyllic charm and absurdity.

“Liz, Mark, Philippa, Ben, and Rodney have done a terrific job adapting this signature character for the Fox audience, especially in casting the terrifically talented Josh Charles as our lead.”

Doc Martin ran for ten series from 2007 to 2022. The long-running drama came to an end during the Christmas episode three years ago as Martin Clunes starred as TV’s grumpiest medic GP Martin Ellingham for the final time.

The show followed Martin’s character Dr Martin Ellingham on his trials and tribulations as he leaves his practice in London to become a become general practitioner in the sleepy fishing village of Portwenn.

The ITV drama came to an end in 2022(Image: © Neil Genower)

Speaking ahead of the tenth and final season, Clunes and producer Philippa Braithwaite said in a statement: When we launched the series in 2004 we could never have imagined how much our loyal viewers would take to the grumpy Doc like they have.

“The series has avid fans both in the UK and throughout the world and we are thrilled that Doc Martin has topped the ratings every time. However, after sixteen years we now feel that the time has come to say goodbye to Portwenn. We will be making the tenth and final series in 2021 and we are very much looking forward to returning to Cornwall to film it.”

Fans were left gutted when the show came to an end, but as Martin told the Loose Women, “all good things must come to an end.”

I’m sure there are lots of people who aren’t fans of the show who think it’s terribly repetitive anyway, but we’re at huge pains not to repeat ourselves. I just think we’ve sort of done everything. I mean, it would be so great to just sort of carry on, but I don’t think we can keep it as good,” he continued.

However, fans are still hopeful, as the door was left open for a return. Martin recently addressed the chances of a return on Good Morning Britain. When asked if we’d see the show back on screens, he responded: “I’m almost at the age where a GP has to retire, you see. Eighteen years of private medicine!”