It's mostly a comedy series but it has some drama and romance elements as well. The reason I'm reviewing it here however is because Doc Martin's character is, I believe, intended to "have Aspergers Syndrome" and for neurotypical adults this gives you a good glimpse into both sides of an AS/NT relationship.
Nobody does situation comedy for Television better than the British and Doc Martin doesn't disappoint in this area. Although it is very funny, it's actually in the development of Doc Martin's relationship that the show really excels. Each story is relatively self-contained but it is strongly recommended that you watch the series in the correct order to get a good sense of this development.
The words "Aspergers Syndrome" so far have only made a single appearance in the show when a psychologist tells Doc Martin that he has it - shortly before being unceremoniously bundled out the door but there's no doubt that the writers intended it to be a talking point. Remember that there's no litmus paper test for Aspergers Syndrome and someone may display many of the symptoms without actually having it.
In Doc Martin's case, who but the scriptwriter really knows?
I will however point out a few things I've noted;
- Doc Martin certainly feels emotions and empathy but usually doesn't show them in the way you'd expect. Some close people however are able to read them some of the time.
- It's clear that he has an unusual gait (walk).
- He has significant difficulty in conversations and minimal ability to small-talk. He does prove that he can "act normal" though but it's obviously an act.
- He has two obsessions, medicine and clocks - I'm aware that you'd expect a good doctor to be interested in medicine but Doc Martin takes things a little too far at times (Series 5).
- He's obviously quite confused at times as to why his remarks hurt other people.
- He's clearly completely unaware of some of the signals that others are giving off (pharmacist).
If we were using the DSM IV-TR diagnostic criteria on Doc Martin, he'd arguably flag the following;
(skip past this bit if you find it dull)
Part A
Failure to share interests, enjoyment or achievements with others.
Lack of social or emotional reciprocity.
Part B
Preoccupation with one or more narrow interests which are abnormal in intensity or focus.
C. The disturbance causes clinically significant problems in social, occupational or other areas of function.
D. There is no clinically significant delay with language milestones.
E. There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development
F. The disorder does not meet the criteria for any other Pervasive Developmental Disorder or for Schizophrenia
But I'm not here to say whether or not he's an aspie.
It's a great show and my wife and I have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of watching him and his situations. Our discussions during and after the show have been quite good too because sometimes it's easy to see what a particular character should have done when a communications problem occurs. It's very educational for people in mixed AS/NT relationships.
Doc Martin Series 1-4 is currently available at Amazon (and it's on special). Series 5 is currently airing around the world and there's currently a campaign going around to get Series 6 filmed.
Honesty Clause
Doc Martin was recommended by my parents and I watched it purely on their advice. I was not given any review materials but sought the show out on my own.
Comments
Ps, I'm nt and would have no idea what someone meant by 'move the washing around' as per the previous posts unusual comment!! I would have moved the washing in the machine in case it was unbalanced maybe? Communication problems abound all round, regardless of nt, as it seems.
thanks you your reveiw!
Though his provisional diagnosis of AS was a compelling development, I felt the credibility of the therapist giving it was somewhat undermined by his own circumstances - ie, his badger-burning wife, anti-social son, and a kind of invasive loser's social dependence ('Have you got a corkscrew?', and 'Do you mind if we have dinner here?'). It didn't need to be treated seriously.
What a wonderful cast of characters!
Sure you can link to this post however you want to.
Aspies are rare in the acting profession because the camera/stage demands a facility with emotional expression that is extremely difficult for Aspies.
The most successful Aspie I can think of in front of the camera is Leonard Nimoy.
Not all people with Aspergers syndrome have the same degree of difficulty managing facial expressions.
Also,
There are actually quite a few people with Aspergers syndrome in the acting profession because people with Aspergers find themselves mimicking other people's voices and mannerisms constantly in real life as a way of fitting in. It's a very small step from there to acting.
I thought all along that he was meant to be on the spectrum - that is why I liked watching it. I could identify with the behaviour of my husband - who undiagnosed has always behaved oddly.
It interested me that Doc Martin tries to have a relationship but can't understand why it does not work - just like I can't understand why mine never do either.
I thought all along that he was meant to be on the spectrum - that is why I liked watching it. I could identify with the behaviour of my husband - who undiagnosed has always behaved oddly.
It interested me that Doc Martin tries to have a relationship but can't understand why it does not work - just like I can't understand why mine never do either.
2. It is not relevant to question whether Martin Clunes has Aspergers. He is an actor, and should not be confused with the character.
3. It is valid to question whether the character Doc Martin is designed by the writers to be an Asperger. It is becoming more and more frequest for characters to protray some elements of Aspergers.
4. In diagnosing Aspergers, it is not relevant to compare one case (as portrayed in this series) with any other diagnosed Asperger, whether real or fictional. The clinical process of diagnosis looks for a threshold of a number of traits out of many traits. To illustrate, one Asperger may have 7 traits, another may have 7 traits, and none of the 7 traits are common to both.
For me, the interest was whether or not Martin Clunes (or his writers) were deliberately crafting a fictional individual who would overreach the trait thresholds for Asperger's syndrome or whether it was simply based on one or more individuals they had observed and found to be "funny".
For me, the interest was whether or not Martin Clunes (or his writers) were deliberately crafting a fictional individual who would overreach the trait thresholds for Asperger's syndrome or whether it was simply based on one or more individuals they had observed and found to be "funny".
An interesting contemplation: in real life (outside the telly... if such actually exists, ha) how much can childhood trauma such as the claire-bloomin' awful treatment by Doc E's mother interfere with some aspies' efforts at self-understanding/self-respect? Put other way around, can any inhibiting existing childhood traumas ( when that is relevant) be comfortably faced with at least some AS amelioration in terms of happier AS self-respect? (Lots of the Doc Martin series is a study in respect.)
Also I hope sometime Clunes Catz Minghella et al do a, say ten year, follow-up with e.g. a growing James Henry handling his parents gradual self-insights (Louisa has her moments too, not just Martin), and we could see if Al and Bert are still at large, if Tishel has, ahem, dispensed fully with her infatuation confusion, and of course more of the ever-delightful Portwennians. As Danny would say, bless them!
Greetings,
~Dr.Cliff
I only wish we had real doctors as brilliant as Martin, quick to diagnose and treat rare diseases, and running around making house calls! That's the only fiction in the show!