Doc Martin - Acorn to Release 'The Movies', with Both Pilot Films
2-DVD set will be available in North America on August 30th
Posted by David Lambert
8/16/2011
The TV movies that inspired the hit series. "Thoroughly charming" - The Guardian (U.K.). There's more than one way to tell a good story, and Doc Martin is no exception. Before the hit series launched in 2004, two made-for-TV movies introduced the main character and the picturesque Cornish fishing village of Port Isaac (later called Portwenn).
Martin Clunes (Men Behaving Badly) stars in both feature-length films as Dr. Martin Bamford. Here he's an obstetrician, and his reasons for leaving London are more personal than professional. Unlike ornery surgeon Dr. Ellingham, he's not rude, irascible, or socially inept-he even smiles! But we get glimpses of his selfishness, short temper, and distaste for dogs.
In Doc Martin, the doctor flees to a coastal village to reassess his marriage and his career. In Doc Martin and the Legend of the Cloutie, he resorts to camouflage, subterfuge, and folk magic to get what he wants: a secluded house in the country away from his nosy neighbors in town. Also starring Anna Chancellor (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and Pam Ferris (Rosemary & Thyme). NOTE: Contains partial nudity, medical scenes, and sexual situations.
Acorn Media is preparing an August 30th release of Doc Martin - The Movies, a 2-DVD set with the 2 pilot telefilms which led to the start of the regular program. Video is anamorphic widescreen, audio is English stereo, and English subtitles are included. The running time is 162 minutes, and the cost is $39.99 SRP for the USA, and CA$52.99 SRP in Canada. Here's a description of the two movies, followed by the package art:
Doc Martin - After learning that his wife has been cheating on him, Doctor Martin Bamford impetuously leaves London for a week in a coastal village he visited as a child. Charmed by the scenery and the locals, he stays longer than he planned, makes friends, learns to fish, and helps solve a mystery.
Doc Martin and the Legend of the Cloutie - Now settled in as the local G.P., Doc Martin longs for privacy. Everyone in the village knows everything about his life. He wants to buy a large, isolated farm, but his plans fall through when a London family swoops in. To secure his dream home, the doctor uses local folk magic and invokes a fabled beast.
