In 1979, Annie Potts was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the category of New Star of the Year – Actress. It was her appearance in Corvette Summer (which was her big-screen debut) with Star Wars actor Mark Hamill that brought attention to the rising star. Since then, the actress has become one of the faces of the Ghostbusters franchise, starring as receptionist Janine Melnitz. Potts continues to add roles to her list of credits, recently joining the U.S. adaptation of the popular U.K. medical drama-comedy, Doc Martin. The series, which will air on Fox, is called Best Medicine, and its cast is already shaping up to be something special.
According to Variety, Josh Charles (The Good Wife) will star in the leading role as Martin Best. Martin is a skilled surgeon who has trouble fitting in when he makes the move from Boston to Maine. His not-so-welcoming attitude sticks out like a sore thumb in the fishing town in Maine, but underneath that, Best has inner things he needs to focus on. In the series, he somehow gets dragged into the local social life that may be able to change him. Potts will play his aunt, Joan, and she’s stern, but has a big heart. Variety reports the character being described as:
[A] strong, sturdy, lobster woman who still goes out every day on her boat, and no one better tell her to stop if they know what’s good for them. She’s salt of the earth and underneath her stern demeanor she has a heart as big as the sea. She loves her small Maine town and her cranky nephew. She’s loyal but stubborn, the kind of woman you want to be around and not disappoint. But even Joan will have a few secrets — including why she ended up losing touch with Martin so many years before.
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Additional cast members include Josh Segarra (Arrow) as Sheriff Mark Mylow and Abigail Spencer (All My Children, Suits) as schoolteacher Louisa Glasson. Best Medicine is executive produced by Ben Silverman (The Office, Ugly Betty), Rodney Ferrell (Stick), Howard T. Owens (MasterChef), Liz Tuccillo (Sex and the City), Mark Crowdy (Doc Martin, Saving Grace) and Philippa Braithwaite (Doc Martin). It will be distributed by Fox Entertainment Global. The role of Aunt Joan won’t be Annie Potts’ first starring role on television. Most recently, she starred as Constance “Connie” Tucker, aka Meemaw, in the hit CBS sitcom Young Sheldon. In the ’90s, she starred alongside veteran actress Lorraine Toussaint in Any Day Now.
The U.S. Adaptation Isn’t Too Different From the Original ‘Doc Martin’
Buffalo Productions
Other than changing the name, to create some separation, there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference in the U.S. adaptation. Although there’s still more information to be revealed, like more cast announcements, etc., Best Medicine could have the potential to last just as long as the original U.K. Doc Martin did. Starring Martin Clunes as Doctor Martin Ellingham, the series focused on the character who developed hemophobia and moved to a small town where he spent holidays with his aunt. The locals in the area gave him the nickname “Doc Martin,” and he is grouchy all the time. The series premiered on September 2, 2004, and stayed on air for ten seasons.
During an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Clunes described the role as the best he’d ever had.
The best job I’ll ever have, I guess. To shoot in a holiday location, with my wife, from my own company, it just doesn’t happen like that, does it?
Source: Variety
Release Date
2004 – 2022-00-00
Network
ITV1
Directors
Ben Bolt, Minkie Spiro, Nigel Cole, Paul Seed
Writers
Dominic Minghella, Julian Unthank, Mark Crowdy, Simon Mayle, Aschlin Ditta
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Caroline Catz
Louisa Glasson
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Martin Clunes
Dr. Martin Ellingham
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Katherine Parkinson
Pauline Lamb
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