All good things must come to an end. In the case of ITV's Doc Martin, the end will come in 2018.

Despite rumours that Martin Clunes's long-running medical comedy-drama would finish off this year with its eighth series, the actor recently clarified that we won't bid farewell to the charming village of Portwenn quite so soon.

"We start making [series eight] in spring and it'll probably be on air in the autumn," Clunes told the Radio Times, adding: "So [this] is the second to last."

The current plan, according to the Times, is for Doc Martin to follow up its eighth series with one more batch of new episodes to air next year.

Clunes definitely has the inside track on Doc Martin's future, since he and wife Philippa Braithwaite produce the show through their company Buffalo Pictures.

The charming series has earned a devoted following for its quirky twist on the traditional medical drama, following the exploits of a once-brilliant surgeon whose fear of blood isolates him to a small village practice.

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Although the original ITV show may be coming to an end, Doc Martin could soon find new life across the pond with a long-developing US remake.

This Americanised take on the Cornwall-set Doc Martin is being adapted by Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman and Ben Silverman, the former NBC boss who has previously produced The Office, Jane The Virgin and Ugly Betty.

Doc Martin was created by Robin Hood producer Dominic Minghella and spun off from the critically-acclaimed 2000 comedy Saving Grace.

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Justin Harp

Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.