Fox is investing in medicine with its upcoming comedy drama Best Medicine, which pulls inspiration from the beloved series Doc Martin.
Before expanding their roster with Best Medicine, Fox found success with The Resident, which ran for six seasons before its conclusion in 2023. The network then ordered Doc to series and has continued to find success with the medical drama.
In May 2025, Fox confirmed Best Medicine was in development, with Josh Charles playing the titular role.
“Comedy isn’t one genre for us. We don’t just look at it as, like, half-hour live-action comedy,” President of Fox Television Network Michael Thorn told reporters at the time. “We look at it as animation, of course comedy, but we look at it, like, with a one-hour comedy like Best Medicine. Even our game shows like The 1% Club, we look at as a comedy first and a game show second. And so this just felt like it was kind of a perfect opportunity for us to expand the way that we talk to our audience through comedy.”
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He continued: “We love this story for its humor, charm, optimism, and edge, not to mention its standing as a proven 10 season global hit out of the U.K. It’s been almost a decade since we’ve had a one hour comedy on Fox. So introducing this signature Fox character and his story is the perfect fit for us. There really is nothing like Best Medicine on broadcast TV today.”
Thorn expressed excitement at developing a more comedic medical series.
“A couple things we love about the original format that Liz Tuccillo, who’s adapting the American version, just captured so well is the original has this old, funny, surprising, flawed, no filter character who happens to be a brilliant doctor. And that kind of messy characters work so well for our audience on our air,” he added. “And we think Liz did a great job capturing it and how lucky are we’d have Josh Charles to embody the American version. And then the other thing about the original that we love, it’s really this kind of wonderful, quirky ensemble of supporting characters. There’s a great romance, it’s an aspirational small town setting, and it just feels like all of those qualities put to the typewriter of Liz just really works so well for us.”
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Best Medicine — and its connection to Doc Martin:
When Will ‘Best Medicine’ Premiere on Fox?
The medical comedy is currently filming in upstate New York and is slated to premiere in January 2026. Best Medicine comes from writer Liz Tuccillo and has already received a series order from Fox.
What Is the Show About?
According to the official synopsis, Best Medicine follows a doctor who “moves from the city of Boston, Massachusetts, to a small practice in the east-coast fishing village where he vacationed as a child.”
Who Makes Up the Cast?
Charles leads the cast as Dr. Martin Best alongside Abigail Spencer, who will play Louisa Glasson, a charming local school teacher who “immediately gets off on the wrong foot with Martin Best, yet she’s intrigued by him,” according to the official character description.
Then there is Josh Segarra a.k.a Sheriff Mark Mylow, who is described as “a charming lawman who knows every inch of his town. Still healing from a recent breakup with Louisa, he’s eager to get to know the new doctor, forming a bit of a love triangle as sparks begin to fly between Best and his former flame.”
Cree will bring to life Elaine Denton, who “has big dreams and plans to get out of the town ASAP. She’s charming but inept at her job and too focused on becoming a YouTube star. She also has no idea why Martin is always upset with her.”
Rounding out the cast is Annie Potts‘ Aunt Joan, “a strong, sturdy, lobster woman who still goes out every day on her boat, and no one better tell her to stop if they know what’s good for them.”
“She’s salt of the earth and underneath her stern demeanor she has a heart as big as the sea. She loves her small Maine town and her cranky nephew,” the synopsis continued. “She’s loyal but stubborn, the kind of woman you want to be around and not disappoint. But even Joan will have a few secrets — including why she ended up losing touch with Martin so many years before.”
Didi Conn plays councilwoman Geneva Potter, Clea Lewis is pharmacist Sally Mylow, Stephen Spinella and Jason Veasey are the “happily married proprietors” of The Salty Breeze. Cindy De La Cruz is the schoolteacher Jeannie while John DiMaggio is the handyman Burt Large, Carter Shimp is Burt’s son Al Large and dog cast member Wattson, who will play pup Copernicus.
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What Is ‘Best Medicine’ Based On?
Fox’s upcoming series is based on the ITV series Doc Martin, which aired from 2004 to 2022. The show was created by Dominic Minghella, who developed the character of Dr. Martin Bamford from the 2000 film Saving Grace.
Doc Martin starred Martin Clunes, Caroline Catz, Ian McNeice, Joe Absolom, Selina Cadell, John Marquez, Eileen Atkins and Jessica Ransom.
Are ‘Doc Martin’ Stars on ‘Best Medicine’?
In October 2025, it was announced that OG Doc Martin star Clunes will appear in the role of Martin Best’s father.
