Doc Martin (Part 14 — Spoilers)

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  • SusieSagitariusSusieSagitarius Posts: 1,250
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    Originally Posted by Adelie Manchot View Post
    An addendum to my post...

    if Churchill would have been smart they would have used what happened as an advertising tool/public service announcement. Have MC riding around in his red buggy with Ronnie or Bruce pulling it along with the Churchill dog beside him chatting (wittily, of course) about driving safely and obeying all traffic laws-Ohhhh, Yessss.
    Biffpup wrote: »
    Or put him in the sidecar and make the dog drive.:)

    I, too, think Churchill missed a huge opportunity to move from mildly amusing ads with MC, to much more funny ones using the negative of his driving ban to illustrate some form of safe driving message in conjunction with their insurance. Sometimes it is forgotten that laughter/humor, out and out, is real good medicine, makes good for the pocketbook and a lot of other kind of good, too.

    It seems they only saw the glass half empty and couldn't see the half full.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 199
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    Shop Girl wrote: »
    It's also possible that the rant had more to do with how Churchill communicated this decision to him. Being involved in large corporations myself, I can imagine that they just sent a letter to his agent filled with legalese. He may have developed good working relationships with some people in the company and was upset over the way it was handled. My gosh, he was in the wrong for speeding too often (or more accurately, getting caught), but celebrities have done far worse.

    That was the gist of it.
    ‘I was very surprised by their reaction. It was neurotic and very heavy-handed,’ he told the Radio Times magazine. ‘Quite rude, actually. They never said goodbye. They never said thanks. 'They washed their hands of me completely.’
  • SusieSagitariusSusieSagitarius Posts: 1,250
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    kernow19 wrote: »
    MC is guest on "The One Show" on BBC1 tomorrow (Wednesday) at 7pm GMT.
    Also on is Brenda Blethyn who starred in Saving Grace, the film in which the character of Doc Martin first appeared.

    I hope we get to see this. Conniej, are you there?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 199
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    I, too, think Churchill missed a huge opportunity to move from mildly amusing ads with MC, to much more funny ones using the negative of his driving ban to illustrate some form of safe driving message in conjunction with their insurance. Sometimes it is forgotten that laughter/humor, out and out, is real good medicine, makes good for the pocketbook and a lot of other kind of good, too.

    It seems they only saw the glass half empty and couldn't see the half full.

    I makes me wonder how Churchill handles their customers who get into a similar situation. Is it Door. A$$. Bang. or do they say 'we will forgive you but we are jacking up your rates 2,000%'.
  • whalewhale Posts: 616
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    Interesting reading all the comments, he certainly isn't getting any sympathy, I bet PB is steaming at his comments.
  • SusieSagitariusSusieSagitarius Posts: 1,250
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    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Shop Girl View Post
    It's also possible that the rant had more to do with how Churchill communicated this decision to him. Being involved in large corporations myself, I can imagine that they just sent a letter to his agent filled with legalese. He may have developed good working relationships with some people in the company and was upset over the way it was handled. My gosh, he was in the wrong for speeding too often (or more accurately, getting caught), but celebrities have done far worse.

    Adelie Manchot;63949926]That was the gist of it.

    Quote:
    ‘I was very surprised by their reaction. It was neurotic and very heavy-handed,’ he told the Radio Times magazine. ‘Quite rude, actually. They never said goodbye. They never said thanks. 'They washed their hands of me completely.’

    Shop Girl and Adelie, I too felt that it was more about the way the severance happened than whether he should be allowed to continue. And I can't help but think that perhaps Martin himself may have seen ways to turn it to rights for Churchill, and perhaps got a bit disgusted with their lack of creativity.
  • SusieSagitariusSusieSagitarius Posts: 1,250
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    whale wrote: »
    Interesting reading all the comments, he certainly isn't getting any sympathy, I bet PB is steaming at his comments.
    Adelie::::I makes me wonder how Churchill handles their customers who get into a similar situation. Is it Door. A$$. Bang. or do they say 'we will forgive you but we are jacking up your rates 2,000%'.

    I have just finished reading the reader comments from at least 6 or 7 publication sources, and most seem to think it was an appropriate axing; others aren't so hot on Churchill's insurance either. And there are some who are very sympathetic to him, and have a thing about the traffic cops/tickets, etc. And others who express love of his acting or dislike everything about him. Ahhh, the human condition......

    Same variety of stuff we'd hear in the US.
  • NewParkNewPark Posts: 3,537
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    On Louisa and change: I know she told AR in S5 that people could change if they wanted to. But I had it in my mind that she said something very like that somewhere in S1-3. But I have fast-forwarded through the episodes twice now, and can not for the life of me identify where she said that. Does anyone else know? There's a distinct possibility of course that I am misremembering this.

    I must say, as I fast forward and pause only on DM-LG interactions, the impression I get is that the ratio of negative to positive interactions, is very high!
  • ConniejConniej Posts: 972
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    ReneeBird wrote: »
    Aha! I've finally got the Doc right where I want him!
    http://twitter.com/Reneebird_/status/296329374477717504/photo/1
    Thanks, statesidefan!

    :D:D Thanks from me also. I just got mine.
  • ConniejConniej Posts: 972
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    kernow19 wrote: »
    MC is guest on "The One Show" on BBC1 tomorrow (Wednesday) at 7pm GMT.
    Also on is Brenda Blethyn who starred in Saving Grace, the film in which the character of Doc Martin first appeared.
    I hope we get to see this. Conniej, are you there?

    If it's available on the BBC iPlayer I should be able to upload it to YT tomorrow evening.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,018
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    Shop Girl and Adelie, I too felt that it was more about the way the severance happened than whether he should be allowed to continue. And I can't help but think that perhaps Martin himself may have seen ways to turn it to rights for Churchill, and perhaps got a bit disgusted with their lack of creativity.

    Yeah, now that I really consider it, it seems to me that he naively expected a human reaction from a corporation. He thought he'd at least get a "thank you" or an "I'm sorry". Not being a businessman (except the farm, and I don't think it's quite to that point yet), I think he doesn't realize that corporations are rude and inhuman.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,018
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    NewPark wrote: »
    On Louisa and change: I know she told AR in S5 that people could change if they wanted to. But I had it in my mind that she said something very like that somewhere in S1-3. But I have fast-forwarded through the episodes twice now, and can not for the life of me identify where she said that. Does anyone else know? There's a distinct possibility of course that I am misremembering this.

    I must say, as I fast forward and pause only on DM-LG interactions, the impression I get is that the ratio of negative to positive interactions, is very high!

    Specifically I can only remember AJ telling Martin people can't change and DM saying, "Can". There's something tickling at the back of my brain, though, that tells me Louisa did say something about change in S1 or 2. It may have been in a conversation with someone other than Martin.

    Wait, wait! Was it a conversation with Danny?
  • mmDerdekeammDerdekea Posts: 1,719
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    I, too, think Churchill missed a huge opportunity to move from mildly amusing ads with MC, to much more funny ones using the negative of his driving ban to illustrate some form of safe driving message in conjunction with their insurance. Sometimes it is forgotten that laughter/humor, out and out, is real good medicine, makes good for the pocketbook and a lot of other kind of good, too.

    It seems they only saw the glass half empty and couldn't see the half full.

    Here's some heretical wonder--is it possible that the ads weren't that successful in terms of marketing and it gave Churchill an easy out to "fire" MC, get of their contract, and seek another type of advertisement?

    Brit folks--have you see recently new Churchill ads without MC in them?
  • NewParkNewPark Posts: 3,537
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    Biffpup wrote: »
    Specifically I can only remember AJ telling Martin people can't change and DM saying, "Can". There's something tickling at the back of my brain, though, that tells me Louisa did say something about change in S1 or 2. It may have been in a conversation with someone other than Martin.

    Wait, wait! Was it a conversation with Danny?

    S2E8, sitting on a bench having a glass of wine, Danny starts to explain to her how men are "programmed" to put career first, and she says, "but that's rubbish, isn't it. We make our own decisions."

    Not quite the same thing as saying that people CAN change, but at least an assertion that we're not bound to continue in some predetermined way.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,018
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    Biffpup wrote: »
    Specifically I can only remember AJ telling Martin people can't change and DM saying, "Can". There's something tickling at the back of my brain, though, that tells me Louisa did say something about change in S1 or 2. It may have been in a conversation with someone other than Martin.

    Wait, wait! Was it a conversation with Danny?

    Quoting myself because I think that's it. Didn't Louisa and Danny have a conversation about change? I think it may have been in the scene at the harbor as they sat on a bench. I think. In fact, did Danny say he's changed and did Louisa say people don't change? Gosh, I'm not sure. I'll have to rewatch.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,018
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    NewPark wrote: »
    S2E8, sitting on a bench having a glass of wine, Danny starts to explain to her how men are "programmed" to put career first, and she says, "but that's rubbish, isn't it. We make our own decisions."

    Not quite the same thing as saying that people CAN change, but at least an assertion that we're not bound to continue in some predetermined way.

    Oh, gosh, we posted at the same time, New Park. So there wasn't a conversation about change between Louisa and Danny. I still have some kind of foggy memory of something she said, sometime, in some series...

    If I think of any other possibility, I'll post it and we'll see.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,018
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    mmDerdekea wrote: »
    Here's some heretical wonder--is it possible that the ads weren't that successful in terms of marketing and it gave Churchill an easy out to "fire" MC, get of their contract, and seek another type of advertisement?

    Brit folks--have you see recently new Churchill ads without MC in them?

    If the new ads are different in style and feel and content, you may have hit on something. If they're similar but with a different celebrity, oh, well, they think celebrity is the way to go, until the next one fails in some human way.
  • SusieSagitariusSusieSagitarius Posts: 1,250
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    Originally Posted by mmDerdekea View Post
    Here's some heretical wonder--is it possible that the ads weren't that successful in terms of marketing and it gave Churchill an easy out to "fire" MC, get of their contract, and seek another type of advertisement?

    Brit folks--have you see recently new Churchill ads without MC in them?
    Biffpup wrote: »
    If the new ads are different in style and feel and content, you may have hit on something. If they're similar but with a different celebrity, oh, well, they think celebrity is the way to go, until the next one fails in some human way.

    I'm not a Brit, but what I've read is that Churchill did January "sale" ads for certain types of their insurance ("15% multi-car discount" or "free hire car rental") and only Churchill the dog is in them. See them on YT.

    I also saw that Dawn French (of Vicar of Dibbly fame) has been hired as the new celeb (several articles from Nov. 28, 2012.) The news of MC's axing came out roughly Nov. 18.

    Churchill didn't waste any time! But it must take some time to work up the new ad campaign for French. Thus the January sale ads, maybe????

    And as to the effectiveness of the ads, who knows but Churchill. Personally, I thought they were a bit ditzy myself, well, some more than others. Actually the motorcycle one just looked silly without being funny to me. The others with the more bucolic settings were better, as they made me feel a bit chill.
  • SusieSagitariusSusieSagitarius Posts: 1,250
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    Biffpup wrote: »
    Yeah, now that I really consider it, it seems to me that he naively expected a human reaction from a corporation. He thought he'd at least get a "thank you" or an "I'm sorry". Not being a businessman (except the farm, and I don't think it's quite to that point yet), I think he doesn't realize that corporations are rude and inhuman.

    I like your first line.
    But I bet he is businessman enough to watch out after his welfare in his occupation all these years. His remarks about the farm paying for itself eventually show a business sense. I'm also sure PB is part of the business team as he so often credits her, but he is a talented or at least sensible man in so many other respects that I don't think he is naive. Their production company is a small business, too. And we musn't forget that he was about 33 when he met PB, and even before her (from 18 or 19) was a very busy young actor plying his trade to the point of making a directorial debut in Staggered besides acting in it. And certainly working with both the BBC and ITV, he is knowledgeable about the corporate world.

    But then from all reports, he is a polite, funny and nice man when filming Doc Martin with a crew that comes back and back over the years. That speaks of a certain quality of respect and perhaps how they do business in their little "family business". And I can't help but think that if they treat people reasonably well, he might be bothered that other businesses can't do equally so.

    Speaking from my small family business experience, I can see where he might be coming from, because it perturbs me no end to see how silly, or thick-headed, or just plain asinine other business folks can be because it is "business" so no humanness need be brought into it. And I do believe that MC is big on humanity. But that's another story......
  • SusieSagitariusSusieSagitarius Posts: 1,250
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    Conniej wrote: »
    If it's available on the BBC iPlayer I should be able to upload it to YT tomorrow evening.

    Thank you, Conniej.

    By the way, PM me if you would be up for having a Portland area DM meetup. Statesidefan is up for it. We could talk about it and maybe give it a go.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,389
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    NewPark wrote: »
    On Louisa and change: I know she told AR in S5 that people could change if they wanted to. But I had it in my mind that she said something very like that somewhere in S1-3. But I have fast-forwarded through the episodes twice now, and can not for the life of me identify where she said that. Does anyone else know? There's a distinct possibility of course that I am misremembering this.

    I must say, as I fast forward and pause only on DM-LG interactions, the impression I get is that the ratio of negative to positive interactions, is very high!

    Was it a peter Cronk episode?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,389
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    She also said this just before season 3 mrs Wilson: sorry if it is one that you've posted above. I can't access all of them on my mobile.

    "I admire her determination. She is determined because she is genuinely in love with him and she thinks it is not happening because of something about his personality that somehow she will change.
    "I think there is a slight belief that she might be able to do that; that he will become more what she wants him to be when they are together. It is a classic mistake that people make: that belief you can change people."

    http://tvnz.co.nz/view/tvone_story_skin/646870
  • NewParkNewPark Posts: 3,537
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    I like your first line.
    But I bet he is businessman enough to watch out after his welfare in his occupation all these years. His remarks about the farm paying for itself eventually show a business sense. I'm also sure PB is part of the business team as he so often credits her, but he is a talented or at least sensible man in so many other respects that I don't think he is naive. Their production company is a small business, too. And we musn't forget that he was about 33 when he met PB, and even before her (from 18 or 19) was a very busy young actor plying his trade to the point of making a directorial debut in Staggered besides acting in it. And certainly working with both the BBC and ITV, he is knowledgeable about the corporate world.

    But then from all reports, he is a polite, funny and nice man when filming Doc Martin with a crew that comes back and back over the years. That speaks of a certain quality of respect and perhaps how they do business in their little "family business". And I can't help but think that if they treat people reasonably well, he might be bothered that other businesses can't do equally so.

    Speaking from my small family business experience, I can see where he might be coming from, because it perturbs me no end to see how silly, or thick-headed, or just plain asinine other business folks can be because it is "business" so no humanness need be brought into it. And I do believe that MC is big on humanity. But that's another story......

    Almost all of the press reaction that I've seen has been negative, with Independent and Guardian being particularly snarky. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of his attitude, I think it was foolish of him to sound off publicly. Among many assets he has going for him, is public good will. But, everyone has an off day, and few of us can resist an opportunity to vent about a grudge when one is offered.

    BTW, he says he wants the farm to "wash its face." What does this mean? get on a sound financial footing?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 340
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    cc.cookie wrote: »
    She also said this just before season 3 mrs Wilson: sorry if it is one that you've posted above. I can't access all of them on my mobile.

    "I admire her determination. She is determined because she is genuinely in love with him and she thinks it is not happening because of something about his personality that somehow she will change.
    "I think there is a slight belief that she might be able to do that; that he will become more what she wants him to be when they are together. It is a classic mistake that people make: that belief you can change people."

    http://tvnz.co.nz/view/tvone_story_skin/646870

    It has been said dozens of times on this forum - one person cannot change another - however, one may give another person a reason to change.

    IMO, it is quite striking to see the change in Louisa from the self assured, competent teacher/headmistress in the 1st/2nd series to the shrieking harpy she often becomes in relation to Martin. Is that what love does????

    So one is changing positively and one negatively.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 392
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    NewPark wrote: »
    BTW, he says he wants the farm to "wash its face." What does this mean? get on a sound financial footing?

    He wants the farm to generate enough revenue to cover all of its own costs. (I guess he doesn't want his acting/producing related income to be used to pay for farm expenses.)
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