Martin Clunes looks at the important role of the world’s working horses as he begins training his own adored Clydesdales to work on his Dorset farm in Martin Clunes: Heavy Horsepower.
The one off film follows Martin putting Ronnie and Bruce through their paces, and his travels to Europe and America to discover how working horses are proving their value again in the modern world.
In my review of last week’s episode of The Town I praised how writer Mike Bartlett had been able to combine the conspiracy elements of the Nicholas parents’ death with the humanistic aspects of the central characters however I feel this week his script has gone into overdrive. Personally I feel the main problem with The Town is that ITV have only allotted three episodes which I don’t think is enough to settle all of the stories that Bartlett set up. Obviously key to the success of The Town is the plot regarding Kate and Tony Nicholas and whether or not they committed suicide a story that had many twists in the tale especially Chris Franks’ affair with Kate. Though underneath this main story there are the plots involving Mark’s relationship with his ex-girlfriend Alice, Betty’s new job and her friendship with the slightly creepy Daniel, Jodie’s downward spiral, Mayor Len’s decision to step down and whatever’s going on with those two florist women. It seems a bit harsh then that this multitude of stories has been given such a short time to develop however as we’re in the run up to Christmas I suppose that’s all ITV could afford to give The Town.
I love it when a TV drama divides opinion as it shows that not everybody shares the same view and that was certainly the case with ITV1’s latest offering The Town which kicked off last Wednesday. Some of you praised the programme, in particular Andrew Scott’s performance as the troubled Mark Nicholas, describing him as a gem of an actor and the first episode of the drama as promising. However others had differing views saying The Town was a stereotypical ITV programming and that TV programming needed more inventive writing. I definitely think that the writing improves in this second episode as we discover more about the secrets that Mark’s parents Kate and Tony were hiding before they supposedly both committed suicide.
It’s fair to say that 2012 has been an excellent year for ITV drama from early offerings such as Scott and Bailey till the recent autumn season which saw programmes like DCI Banks, Mrs Biggs and A Mother’s Son do very well in the ratings. This week we have one of the final ITV dramas of the year in The Town an interesting drama which combines both a character-led saga with an intriguing central mystery which will play out over the next two weeks. I’ll try to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible however if you don’t want to know anything about the drama I suggest you read this after you’ve watched the programme.
Martin Clunes has revealed to the Radio Times that when hit comedy drama Doc Martin returns to our screens next year with a new series, viewers will need to buy a new hat as the Doc Martin Ellingham is marrying Louisa, who’s played by Caroline Catz!
Of the new series, which Martin has previously said may be the last, he said of returning to Port Isaac in Cornwall where the show is filmed, “I can’t wait to go back there.
“It will be interesting because Louisa and the doctor are finally going to marry, I think.”
However, he added, “But I don’t want to give too much away!”
The origins of the series lie with the film Saving Grace in which Martin played a character called Dr Martin Bamford, and in two made for TV spin-offs, his character was a successful obstetrician who discovered that his wife had had numerous affairs… Read more & comment »
Martin Clunes has enjoyed a long and illustrious career on TV, starring in hit sitcoms Men Behaving Badly, Reggie Perrin and more recently, Doc Martin.
However, while speaking to TV Choice magazine about his trip to Madagascar for forthcoming ITV documentary Martin Clunes: The Lemurs Of Madagascar, he revealed that he never rests on his laurels and just expects work to come to him.
He said, “I always worry that it’ll all dry up and I won’t be able to pay for anything.
“But I think anybody who’s self-employed never loses that. It’s a constant worry.”
However, in addition to the shows above, Martin has also starred in Saving Grace, Jeeves and Wooster and Shakespeare in Love. He also played the lead role in ITV’s production of Goodbye Mr Chips and he played the part of William in another hit sitcom, William and Mary… Read more & comment »
Martin Clunes, who of course plays eccentric ITV1’s GP Doc Martin, says that the show needs to change if it’s to keep viewers tuning in.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Martin said, “You might not think so from watching it, but we are always at huge pains to re-invent the show…
“And there are only so many times you can do that.”
Martin, who’s played the role of the Doc since 2004, added, “We could have the doc staying put in Portwenn and muddling along with Louisa… Read more & comment »
Martin Clunes reckons that the reason fans love his character Doc Martin because he’s “a grumpy so and so.”
Speaking to The Sun, Martin said, “I guess we all just love a grumpy old so-and-so.
“Doc Martin is about as grumpy as you can get. He’s got even worse as the years go by.
“I saw some re-runs a few months ago and was thinking, ‘Who’s this cuddly guy?’.”
Now airing in its fifth series, Doc Martin is attracting around nine million viewers per episode. Read more & comment »
It’s been reported today by the Daily Star that Doc Martin actor Martin Clunes was sent to boarding school as a child as his mother feared he could become gay otherwise.
49 year old Martin – who also starred in hit sitcom Men Behaving Badly – told the paper, “I was bundled off a year after my father died.
“She was advised if I stayed at home and grew up with her and my sister, I’d be gay.” Read more & comment »
Martin Clunes has told What’s On TV magazine that he thinks his grumpy character, Doc Martin, isn’t “abrasive enough”, and that he admires his lack of “social grace.”
Martin, who returns to our screens tonight as the Cornwall based medic, also revealed that he’s spoken to real life doctors who say they find his character “endearing.”
He said, “There’s something quite liberated about his lack of social grace.
“It frees him up to say what he wants and get to the point, which few of us do.” Read more & comment »
Comedy actor Martin Clunes – who of course stars in Doc Martin – has revealed that he thinks a remake of ‘90s sitcom Men Behaving Badly would be “seedy.”
Martin – who starred as affable Gary in Men Behaving Badly – made his remarks to The Daily Telegraph while discussing the forthcoming new series of Doc Martin.
When asked if he’d like to see Men remade, Martin replied, “I think it’s probably quite a seedy notion.”
Martin went on to reveal that while he’s filming for Doc Martin, he tends to stay away from the rest of the cast so that he doesn’t end up drinking too much with them after a day’s filming.
He said, “Our house is away from Port Isaac, which is where everyone else is. I’d be lethal… Read more & comment »
Martin Clunes returns to Cornwall this week to begin filming a brand new series of the ratings winning ITV1 drama Doc Martin.
With ratings topping nine million viewers for the series screened in Autumn 2009, Doc Martin is considered one of ITV’s most successful drama series.
After a two year break to allow Martin to pursue other drama and factual projects, he is back to reprise the role of the curmudgeonly GP in the picturesque fictional village of Portwenn.
Martin Clunes travels the world to unlock the secrets of man’s partnership with horses in Horsepower, a new documentary series for ITV1.
His fascinating journey takes him from remotest Mongolia to the deserts of Arabia; to see the enigmatic wild Mustangs in Nevada, and watch the thrills and spills of rodeo in Las Vegas.
Martin Clunes embarks on the last stage of his epic journey to search for island paradise in a new ITV1 series, Martin Clunes: Islands of Britain
Martin leaves the cold and windswept islands of the north for the sunny southern havens for the final part of his journey.
The islands along Britain’s southern coast have a warmer climate and more sunshine hours than any other part of the British Isles. They provide an escape from the stresses of mainland, whether it is the tax havens of the Channel Islands, the tranquil retreat of Sark, where the only form of transport is horse and cart, or possibly the most exotic location in the country – the Isles of Scilly.
Martin Clunes has hit out at John Cleese’s after he claimed that British comedy isn’t as good as it used to be.
Last week the Fawlty Towers actor hit out at TV bosses, saying, “They don’t want to pay good writers.”
But Clunes told The Sun: “John Cleese certainly hasn’t made any good comedy since the 80s!”
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