Doc Martin star Martin Clunes has revealed that working on the long-running ITV drama "hasn't been easy" for his wife Philippa Braithwaite, who writes and produces the show.
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Appearing on Thursday's edition of This Morning to chat about the upcoming final season, the actor explained that inventing 18 years' worth of storylines for a character "who doesn't like anyone" has been "tough" for the award-winning producer.
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When asked by hosts Ruth Langsford and Rylan Clark why the show is coming to an end after its tenth series, he replied: "It's just a good time to end. Poor Philippa, she's worked on every single script, 84 of them and none of them are easy because you've got a main protagonist who doesn't like anybody and nobody likes him and go from there.
"It hasn't been easy, it's been tough. We don't want to repeat ourselves," he added.
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Martin remained tight-lipped about what fans can expect from the upcoming series, telling the presenters: "He's not a doctor but he's got a daughter now as well, Mary Elizabeth. The family's grown but he's not practising."
Martin with his wife Philippa and daughter, Emily
When probed about the plot, he simply responded: "He's a grumpy man and they'll be some patients."
The medical drama, which has been a huge hit with its loyal fan base since it began airing in 2004, stars the actor as the cantankerous Doc Martin, who treats patients in the Cornish fishing village of Portwenn.
Explaining the reasons behind the show's finish during an appearance on Loose Women back in 2020, the 60-year-old said: "Well, all good things have to come to an end. I'm sure there's 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."
Doc Martin first aired in 2004
He went on: "And I just think we've sort of done everything. It would be so great to carry on but I don't think we could keep it as good. We've got such a lovely cast, and it's been sixteen years."
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