Fox Has Americanized ‘Doc Martin’ for Us With ‘Best Medicine’

I didn’t know Fox’s new show, Best Medicine, was a remake of Doc Marten until Josh Charles’ character introduced himself as Martin Best and was immediately referred to as Doc Martin. After I watched the pilot, which aired this past Sunday, I tracked down the first season of Doc Marten (available on PlutoTV) to see how similar they are. The pilot is a beat-for-beat remake of the original British series’ pilot.

Josh Charles (The Good Wife) plays a grumpy doctor who moves to the small town from Boston, where he was a lauded surgeon. He’s not very personable, and the terrible first impression he makes on most of the townsfolk is matched by the bad first impression the town makes on him. He’s pretty cagey about what brought him to this quaint fishing village besides fond memories of summering there as a child with his aunt, played by Annie Potts. But we quickly learn he has become squeamish at the sight of blood and recently froze up at the operating table. His aunt alludes to some tragedy in his past that may finally be catching up with him, emotionally.

There’s very little about Port Wenn that Doctor Best enjoys, but he doesn’t really have a lot of options. By the end of the pilot, he starts to realize that a small, tight-knit community might be just what the doctor ordered. LOL. I’m really stepping up my pun game in the new year, folks. You’re welcome.

Josh Charles is a great choice for this role. He’s looked like he has a bad bedside manner since Dead Poets Society. And he has a similar propensity for withering glares as Martin Clunes. Annie Potts plays his aunt, who, very non-glamorously, captains a fishing boat, and was the one who really caught my eye in the previews. Because I will always watch Annie Potts, always. Abigail Spencer (Extended Family) plays Louisa. I assume she will eventually be the love interest for the doctor. The cast also includes Abbott Elementary’s Josh Segarra, Cree Cicchino as the ditzy administrative assistant whom Doctor Best reluctantly retains. And I even spotted one of my favorite “That Lady Who Was In That Thing” actresses, Benson’s Didi Conn as part of the town council.

Someone online referred to Best Mecidine as a more whimsical version of Doc Marten. But ‘whimsy’ is a strong word, and I wouldn’t go that far. It’s not exactly dumbed down either. It feels more like it’s been punched up with sitcom-style humor that would appeal to the average American viewer. It’s an hour-long series that plays more like a half-hour show. Based on the pilot alone, I can’t tell if it wants to be North of North or Murder In A Small Town. If they can maintain the level of humor and coziness introduced in the pilot, it might fall somewhere in between. Or they could go in the opposite direction, introduce a bunch of weird medical mysteries, and end up like Brilliant Minds or Watson.

Best Mecidine airs Sundays on Fox and streams on Hulu.