When will ‘Doc Martin’ next be in?
You have questions. I have some answers.
Q: Can you tell us when “Doc Martin” will return?
A: The 10th and final season of the series starring Martin Clunes is coming to streaming service Acorn TV on Oct. 17. There will be two episodes that night, first two episodes, says Acorn, “followed by one episode a week through the series’ penultimate episode on Nov. 28. In December, Acorn TV will bid a final farewell to the series with two momentous programming events: ‘Doc Martin — A Celebration’ documentary on Dec. 26 and the final series epi- sode — a Christmas special — to premiere Dec. 31.”
As for what is going on, the season “sees the Doc making efforts to overcome his fear of blood and begin- ning to question whether he made the right decision in quitting. With his wife Louisa (Caroline Catz, DCI Banks) pursuing her new career as a child counselor in his old surgery, the Doc is left babysitting his fourmonth-old daughter Mary Elizabeth, and indulging his hobby of repairing clocks on the kitchen table. But does he really want his old job back?”
Where p ublic TV stations have carried the first eight “Doc Martin” seasons, Acorn has the sole U.S. rights to the ninth and 10th seasons of the series. If you can’t find the service directly, you can set up an Acorn subscription via Prime Video.
Q: I enjoyed the new “The Wonder Years” on ABC. Is it coming back? It would be a shame if it didn’t, considering the things
that are currently showing.
A: There will be more of the reworking of “The Wonder Years” starring Eli- sha “EJ” Williams as young Dean Williams (yes, same last name) and Don Cheadle as the adult Dean narrat- ing the show. But you have not yet seen it because ABC marked it for a mid-season return. Reports have Patti Labelle guest-starring in the second season. But original “Wonder Years” star Fred Savage, who had been an executive producer and director on the new version, will not be a part of the current series following an investigation into his conduct on the show. People.com’s sources said the problems included outbursts and losing his temper on the set.
Q: NBC has a very clever crafting/reality show called “Mak i ng It,” hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman. It usually aired in late summer or early fall. So far I haven’t seen anything about a fourth season yet, and I’ve checked the NBC website. Have I missed it or has it been canceled? Please don’t tell me it’s migrated to a streaming channel.
A: I would say, to quote “The Princess Bride,” that it is mostly dead. NBC did not include a fourth season of the show in new-season plans announced in May. Deadline.com noted it was one of several unscripted shows “to neither be canceled or renewed.” Still, with nothing being said about it more than a year after the end of its third season, several sources are calling it canceled. Q: The excellent French spy series “The Bureau” ended its fifth season with a major cliffhanger, perfect for a sixth season. Is there going to be a sixth season? I heard another company was taking over production.
A: The creator of the series, Eric Rochant, departed “The Bureau” in 2020 after five seasons, reportedly turning it over to writer-director Jacques Audiard, who had worked on “The Bureau’s” fifth season. But I have seen nothing recent about work on a sixth season.
Do you have a question or comment about entertainment past, present and future? Write to Rich Heldenfels, P.O. Box 417, Mogadore, Ohio 44260, or brenfels@gmail.com. Letters may be edited. Individual replies are not guaranteed.