I've watched this British comedy-drama tv series for years. Though over time some things continue to puzzle me. I see it as kind of a Cornish version of the popular American tv series, "Northern Exposure". A quaint story of a small community with a lot of odd characters.
The shows title character Dr. Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes) is obviously depicted as an autistic professional, remaining an amazingly good doctor/diagnostician who continues to evade who and what he is. Made worse in a production where only in a single episode where someone told him they thought he was on the spectrum of autism and was promptly ignored. Yet the question remains is this purely because of his professional ego, or a fragile refusal to deal with the reality of who and what he is? Taking into account that only on very rare occasions would he expose himself in a highly emotional state.
One aspect of this series that has always made me uncomfortable remains Martin's inability to be kind even to the woman he loves, Louisa Glasson (Caroline Catz). She seems so even-tempered and desperate to get along with Martin, while occasionally exploding at him to bluntly remind him of just how unpopular he is with the village they live and work in, called Portwenn. Where so often such interactions between the two of them are downright painful to observe. Reminding me on occasion of some of my own faux-pas when it comes to dealing with NT lovers.
One source of amusement otherwise though continues to be with Martin's Auntie Ruth (Eileen Atkins) who is a forensic psychologist and a bit more amicable to Martin as opposed to his deceased Auntie Joan. Though the big difference I see between Ruth and NT-Joan (who left the cast some years ago) is that Ruth Ellingham is also autistic, yet her social interactions with the villagers always seem considerably more pleasant than that of her nephew Martin. Still, I find the difference between the two rather amusing.
Yet the show has continued to a tenth and final season (I have yet to see) where the issue of autism itself remains elusive to the production. Kind of reminding me in a negative way of creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady of the series "The Big Bang Theory". Where the creators seem to continually dance around the subject of autism to escape crticism and keep their fans guessing. I suppose this will always annoy me when it comes to the series "Doc Martin". That not directly addressing autism even in jest seems yet another way to unintentionally stigmatize autism. Too bad. I guess another thing that irritates me is that actor Martin Clunes portrays his character so well. Making his fictional Dr. Martin Ellingham very real to me. Though in this respect I also take into account the series' producer (Phillippa Braithwaite) is also Martin Clunes' real-life wife. I'd love to ask either or them exactly what precisely motivates them to continually avoid the issue of autism itself, while portraying it so well. Or was it merely marketing/political implications that creators/writers like Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady sought to avoid to keep the show's public relations above repproach?
The shows title character Dr. Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes) is obviously depicted as an autistic professional, remaining an amazingly good doctor/diagnostician who continues to evade who and what he is. Made worse in a production where only in a single episode where someone told him they thought he was on the spectrum of autism and was promptly ignored. Yet the question remains is this purely because of his professional ego, or a fragile refusal to deal with the reality of who and what he is? Taking into account that only on very rare occasions would he expose himself in a highly emotional state.
One aspect of this series that has always made me uncomfortable remains Martin's inability to be kind even to the woman he loves, Louisa Glasson (Caroline Catz). She seems so even-tempered and desperate to get along with Martin, while occasionally exploding at him to bluntly remind him of just how unpopular he is with the village they live and work in, called Portwenn. Where so often such interactions between the two of them are downright painful to observe. Reminding me on occasion of some of my own faux-pas when it comes to dealing with NT lovers.
One source of amusement otherwise though continues to be with Martin's Auntie Ruth (Eileen Atkins) who is a forensic psychologist and a bit more amicable to Martin as opposed to his deceased Auntie Joan. Though the big difference I see between Ruth and NT-Joan (who left the cast some years ago) is that Ruth Ellingham is also autistic, yet her social interactions with the villagers always seem considerably more pleasant than that of her nephew Martin. Still, I find the difference between the two rather amusing.
Yet the show has continued to a tenth and final season (I have yet to see) where the issue of autism itself remains elusive to the production. Kind of reminding me in a negative way of creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady of the series "The Big Bang Theory". Where the creators seem to continually dance around the subject of autism to escape crticism and keep their fans guessing. I suppose this will always annoy me when it comes to the series "Doc Martin". That not directly addressing autism even in jest seems yet another way to unintentionally stigmatize autism. Too bad. I guess another thing that irritates me is that actor Martin Clunes portrays his character so well. Making his fictional Dr. Martin Ellingham very real to me. Though in this respect I also take into account the series' producer (Phillippa Braithwaite) is also Martin Clunes' real-life wife. I'd love to ask either or them exactly what precisely motivates them to continually avoid the issue of autism itself, while portraying it so well. Or was it merely marketing/political implications that creators/writers like Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady sought to avoid to keep the show's public relations above repproach?
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