ITV welcomes back everybody's favourite grumpy GP Doc Martin for a seventh series. The big difference in this first episode is the fact that Martin (Martin Clunes) is without his wife Louisa (Caroline Catz) who is currently living in Spain with their son. It's clear that Martin isn't coping well with this temporary separation as he isn't sleeping at all and hasn't even agreed to see a therapist. However the mostly idiotic population of Portwenn are causing him to miss various appointments due to the fact that none of them can seemingly make a good decision. This episode's patient of the week was decorator and lifeboat volunteer Steve (Daniel Ryan) who faked a urine test to garner a medical certificate from Martin. However, later he collapsed at the wheel of his lifeboat after suffering a mini-stroke causing Martin and company to come out to sea to save him. I've found that Doc Martin is a show that you have to just go with in order to enjoy as it's incredibly easy to poke holes in especially when it comes to the poorly-written supporting characters. Luckily, the series is well directed by Nigel Cole who made the lifeboat sequence the star of the show as Martin desperately tried to revive his deceitful patient. Clunes was also on form here especially as he's constantly able to make the audience sympathise with his misanthropic GP. The scenes I particularly enjoyed were the ones in which Martin was visibly trying to hold back the emotional pain that Louisa's departure had caused. I'm also looking forward to the rest of the series due to the fact that the brilliant Emily Bevan has joined the cast as Martin's straight-talking therapist Dr. Rachel Timoney. I do feel that Martin may have met his match in Rachel and I suspect that the scenes between Bevan and Clunes may provide the highlights of this series. Despite a few changes, Doc Martin is pretty much offering the same combination of lovely exterior shots, quirky supporting characters and a brilliant central turn that has kept a loyal audience tuned in for six years. However it does seem that this audience is slowly diminishing so I do wonder if this might be the end for Doc Martin especially if the viewing figures continue to dwindle.

Radio Times review

"Urine! Dipstick! Move!" barks Dr Martin Ellingham at his understandably alarmed receptionist Morwenna. Clearly, despite being heartbroken that his wife Louisa has taken their son James to live in Spain while she works out their marital problems, Martin's bad-tempered demeanour hasn't softened at all since we last saw him. On a more positive note he does agree to see a therapist, although Dr Rachel Timoney (Emily Bevan), while being young and attractive, is almost as acerbic as he is.

There's no sign of Sigourney Weaver or Caroline Quentin yet, both of whom make guest appearances in this series. There's Daniel Ryan as a local lifeboat hero in this episode. But the Cornish scenery is gorgeous, Portwenn is bathed in sunshine and Martin Clunes is as engaging as ever. Around nine million people will be very happy to see this doctor again.

Sally Lindsay and Daniel Ryan interview

Earlier this year, I visited the set of Mount Pleasant in Manchester to find out what's in store as the show enters its fifth series. Here's what Sally Lindsay and Dan Ryan had to say...

Third series of the brightly coloured comedy drama set on a suburban Manchester estate, now with added Samantha Womack and Nigel Harman, who have migrated north from EastEnders to play new arrivals Tanya and Bradley. They cause instant trouble for Dan and Lisa (Daniel Ryan and Sally Lindsay), while their daughter catches the eye of young Gary. It's chocka with accomplished soap actors and is basically like Corrie crossed with One Man Two Guvnors. Think plucky violin underscore and waggling eyebrows. Kind of fun.

Sally Lindsay interview

Back in June, I went up to Manchester to visit the set of Mount Pleasant to see how the series is put together and got the chance to speak to Sally Lindsay who plays Lisa, wife of Dan who is played by Daniel Ryan. Here's what Sally had to say about the new series and how she feels about another familiar soap face joining the series...

We're heading back up to Manchester this week for the second series of foul-mouthed but fun comedy drama Mount Pleasant, which has found a new home on Sky Living. Northern treasures Sally Lindsay, Daniel Ryan, Bobby Ball and Angela Griffin are all back on board, while the episode also welcomes Casualty's Claire Goose (remember her?) as a troublesome new friend of Lisa's (Lindsay) and Britain's Got Talent imp George Sampson as Bianca's (Sian Reeves) stepson Gary. If you've got nowt to do on Wednesday, stick on a brew, get in some scran and have a buzz to Mount Pleasant (did we get that right, Manchester?).

Sky One orders second series of Mount Pleasant

Sky One has ordered a second series and a Christmas Special of its comedy/drama series Mount Pleasant starring Sally Lindsay, Pauline Collins and Daniel Ryan.

The sight of Bianca (Sian Reeves playing yet another over-the-top maneater like in Cutting It and Emmerdale) ­highlights the obvious ingredients chucked into this new sitcom.

And that's before we meet Sue (Pauline Collins) who arrives with a cry of "Only me!" and Barry (Bobby Ball).

On the other hand, it's a cut above Candy Cabs, filmed nearby, although that's not saying much.

For Mount Pleasant, read upmarket Hale in Cheshire, home to Lisa and husband Dan - played by Sally Lindsay and Daniel Ryan.

In the first instalment, Lisa fears Dan has forgotten their 10th anniversary and fumes when gorgeous boss/friend (Angela Griffin) moves in and goes about dressed like she's doing a cover shoot for Nuts

The cast also includes Liza Tarbuck and Ainsley Howard and you get a vision of the casting director throwing a big net into a pool marked: The Usual Suspects.