Behind The Scenes

Forget falling in love with his female co-stars, Martin Clunes only has eyes for the show’s fourlegged friend, Buddy!

Despite playing dog-hating grump Doc Martin – who has to pretend he loathes the mongrel on the show – Martin says as soon as the cameras stop rolling he’s quick to make a fuss of the 10-year-old dog, whose real name is Dodger.

This season sees the arrival of another mutt, Bob (real name Paddy) who arrives on the Doc’s doorstep looking to move in.

“The producer saw Paddy with the dog trainer when she’d just got him two years ago, and knew we had to find a role for him in this series,” says Martin, who has three dogs of his own – Jimmy, a Jack Russell; Penny, a Chihuahua x Jack Russell; and Heidi, a cocker spaniel who recently gave birth to seven puppies!

“You can see all this youth and exuberance in Paddy’s eyes. Dodger is still fantastic and keeps going to the end of the day, but Paddy is just mental and beautiful. I’ve fallen for both of them.”

Martin says the rescue dogs have been trained to know he’s just acting when he’s being cross with them, so they’re not frightened of him on set.

Of his role playing the curmudgeonly medic, Martin says it’s “the best job in telly”.

“What could possibly match this: staying in the West country, surrounded by dogs and people I like? I really love doing this. I love everything about it.”