Returning: Doc Martin

ABC has now confirmed series 8 of Doc Martin will debut on Sunday 1st October.

Together with The Doctor Blake Mysteries at 8:30pm, that’s bound to put a thorn in the side of commercial programmers on Sunday nights.

Doc Martin returns in the UK next week. This season includes guest stars Art Malik, Caroline Quentin and Sigourney Weaver.

Episode 1 – Mysterious Ways
After having therapy to save their marriage in the last series, Martin and Louisa face the challenge of living happily together with their baby James Henry.

Meanwhile wedding bells are ringing for Portwenn’s police constable, Joe Penhale (John Marquez) and the Doc’s nanny Janice Bone (Robyn Addison).

Al Large (Joe Absolom) is struggling with the demands of being best man: trying to keep everyone happy, especially with his dad Bert’s( Ian McNeice) new ‘Large Whisky’ marketing antics of offering only whisky at the pre-wedding party.

The party doesn’t get off to a great start when some of the guests start collapsing with mystery health problems. Martin quickly works out what the problem is.

Penhale has his own medical issue to deal with too, which could prevent him from making it down the aisle. The Doc diagnoses him with kidney stones and recommends pain killers, which Penhale refuses to take, worrying that he doesn’t want to be ‘drugged up’ on his wedding day.

When the curate, Rosie Edwards (Lucy Briggs-Owen), also raises her own concerns about the couple, Penhale and Janice start to wonder if this wedding is meant to be.

Louisa misses her son James Henry speaking his first word and she starts to think that she may be trying to juggle too many things. She fears her home-life is suffering, with all the things she has to deal with at school, and not having a nanny for the baby. Though she does manage to convince Martin that they should add to their household, as James Henry clearly loves Buddy the dog, and it would benefit him to have a pet.

Updated: 7.40pm on Sunday 1st October on ABC.