Doc Martin is a popular British television series that has been running since 2004. The series is a medical comedy-drama that follows the life of Dr. Martin Ellingham, a brilliant but socially awkward surgeon who moves to a small fishing village in Cornwall to become a general practitioner. The show has been praised for its clever writing, charming characters, and beautiful scenery. However, what many people do not know is that the show was inspired by a film.

The film that inspired Doc Martin is called Saving Grace. It was released in 2000 and starred Brenda Blethyn, Craig Ferguson, and Martin Clunes. The film was directed by Nigel Cole and written by Mark Crowdy and Craig Ferguson. It was a sleeper hit in the United Kingdom and became a surprise success in the United States as well.

Saving Grace is a comedy about a recently widowed woman named Grace Trevethyn (Brenda Blethyn) who discovers that her husband has left her with a mountain of debt. In order to avoid losing her home, she decides to grow marijuana in her greenhouse and sell it to the locals. She enlists the help of her gardener, Matthew (Craig Ferguson), and a local doctor named Martin Bamford (Martin Clunes). Together, they come up with a plan to grow the marijuana and avoid getting caught by the authorities.

The film was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to launch the career of Martin Clunes. Clunes played the role of Martin Bamford in the film, and he brought a unique charm and charisma to the character. The success of Saving Grace inspired Clunes and the producers of the film to create a television series that would follow the adventures of Dr. Martin Ellingham.

Doc Martin takes many cues from Saving Grace. Both stories are set in small coastal towns in Cornwall, and both feature a quirky doctor as the main character. The show also shares the same dry wit and humor as the film. However, there are some notable differences between the two stories.

The most obvious difference is the tone of the show. While Saving Grace is a comedy with dramatic elements, Doc Martin is a medical drama with comedic elements. The show also has a darker edge than the film, and it often deals with serious medical issues such as cancer, dementia, and mental illness.

Another difference between the two stories is the character of Martin Ellingham. While Martin Bamford is a charming and affable character, Martin Ellingham is socially awkward and often comes across as rude and abrasive. This makes him a more complex and interesting character than Martin Bamford, and it allows the show to explore themes of loneliness and isolation.

Despite these differences, there are many similarities between the two stories. Both Saving Grace and Doc Martin are set in the picturesque coastal town of Port Isaac, and both stories feature a colorful cast of characters. The shows also share the same dry wit and humor, and they both have a strong sense of place and community.

The British television series Doc Martin was inspired by the film Saving Grace. The film helped to launch the career of Martin Clunes, who played the role of Martin Bamford in the film. Clunes and the producers of the film were inspired to create a television series that would follow the adventures of Dr. Martin Ellingham, a quirky and socially awkward doctor who moves to a small coastal town in Cornwall. Despite some differences in tone and character, both stories share a strong sense of place and community, as well as a dry wit and humor. Doc Martin has become a beloved television series in its own right, and it owes much of its success to the inspiration provided by Saving Grace.