from Wiki

Gareth Neame of Carnival Films conceived the idea of an Edwardian-era TV drama set in a country house and approached Fellowes, who had won an Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay) for Gosford Park. Although Fellowes was reluctant to work on another project resembling Gosford, within a few weeks he returned to Neame with an outline of the first series. Fellowes writes the scripts, and his wife Emma is an informal story editor.[7]

I am still a bit peeved about those books.........they were probably helping a friend.....but they were so disappointing that I was a bit embarrassed........oh well.....business is business. They had nice covers, though....

My opinion exactly. She is all over the place in nearly every series. In series 2 I think the character is the most consistent. Edana Minghella wrote or co-wrote many episodes in that series.

Some people have criticized the producers about the fact that there are very few women writers or directors on the show. I wonder if this could account for the various incarnations of the Louisa character in the show.

Maybe not if the producers are in total control. In series 2 Edana was working with her brother who created the show. She may have had more influence than a woman writer or director would now have.

I think that Dominic and Edana had more influence in S2 than any writer today would have.

Caroline's inconsistency seems to me to be largely driven by plot needs, and not to be the writers' decisions. It would be interesting to figure out how much input Caroline herself has into the process, at this point.

My choice of words to describe what happened to Caroline is not so much that her character changed, but that she was in different situations and different contexts, which elicited different behaviors, all of which she was always potentially capable of.

But I agree -- it was jarring. Particularly the change between E1 and E2 of S6.

I'm a bit confused, as I'm not familiar at all with the process of writing for television shows. Who decides the story arcs, the character development, the plots, the scripts? Who has final say about how the story is presented? Is it the writers? Producers? Directors?

It's often been mentioned how much influence MC has in ME's character, but is this mostly because of his relationship with Philippa? Or typical of the leading character in a show?

I wonder if some of the inconsistencies and lack of continuity that we see are because there are so many people involved throughout the process. Unless this is common amongst other television shows?

I don't know anything really about television shows in general (though I can recommend this book as a fascinating read on the subject: Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution: From The Sopranos and The Wire to Mad Men and Breaking Bad Hardcover – June 27, 2013 by Brett Martin)

For Doc Martin in particular, though, I think it has become pretty clear that Buffalo Productions, which is Martin Clunes and his wife, Phillipa Braithwaite, exercises a high degree of creative control over Doc Martin. Mark Crowdy, who has been an executive producer from the beginning, is in the creative mix as well, and I think Ben Bolt, as main director for the first 5 seasons, had input. The story line is dreamed up by this creative team (which Martin Clunes has said he has some input at the very beginning of the process and then bows out -- but his likely reaction to various scenarios is certainly kept in mind).

Then it seems to be farmed out to a stable of writers, some of whom have written multiple episodes, others only one or two. My sense is that the writers are told what needs to be accomplished in the episodes they are assigned, and left to come up with the various scenarios to accomplish this, on their own. Martin keeps boasting about their extensive draft and review process, which continues up until the day of shooting, and my sense is that it is this core creative team that reviews each drafts, asks for revisions, reviews those, etc.

The point for me, anyway, is that this core creative team has been remarkably stable over the years. They are the keepers of the continuity and consistency flame, and the blame, if there is any to apportion, for failures therein, lie with them.

Other television series have different ways to organize this. In Mad Men, e.g., Matt Weiner is head writer and has creative control. He is a "show-runner." In my view, although Phillipa and Mark Crowdy don't do any writing, they are the "show-runners."

Given what we've seen of Martin Clunes and how he operates, the kind of powerhouse that he is, can we really imagine that he gives the writers their head and goes along with whatever plot line they come up with? It's his production company and his livelihood on the line -- or rather, their production company and their livelihood, and there is no doubt in my mind that they exercise tight control -- with some lapses, especially in S6 when both were ill at points during the filming.

I can easily imagine that this is pretty much exactly how the process works for this show. Surely the whole point of having your own production company is so that you can control the process and develop the story and characters according to your vision for them.

What I wonder is, when the process is as NewPark describes - and for other shows as well, for that matter, not just this one - , is, are the episodes written in sequence, so that the writers say, of E3, know exactly what has happened in E2, not just the big picture? It seems as if that would have to be the case given the amount of continuity and references to specific events and statements from previous episodes. If that's the case, though, it must take a very long time to create a whole season's worth of episodes.

I think they can't be written seriatim -- one just about done before the other is started. They may be done in chunks -- I think I have read (maybe on FB?) that filming is done in chunks, several episodes at a time, so that they can maximize their use of locations without undue strain. In other words, all the episodes at Mrs. Tishell's in a bloc of episodes would be done at roughly the same time. So that means that the various "chunks" of episodes are in different states of readiness at any given time.

Certainly there are continuing themes -- maybe we can even think of them as the backbone of a series, like DM's return to London in S4, or Louisa's pregnancy advancing. Or in S6, the downward slide of his mental state and their marriage. Also, Bert Large's restaurant saga, Aunt Joan's money woes -- although these story lines go with continuing characters.

But in other respects, the episodes seldom refer back to each other. We never hear of John Slater again, or Roger Fenn and his twins, or any of the medical mysteries of the week, , or Mrs. Carrie Wilson, or Marigold..

Somewhere, there must be a list, e.g., of "medical mysteries we have already solved" that writers are given. I wonder, though, if the creative team doesn't, in consultation with their medical advisor, come up with a list of the ones they want to include in each series, and parcel them out in the writing assignments?

The other thing that interests me about the writing process is that sometimes (often?) the major and minor story lines in the episode complement each other. I think especially of "Family Way" where DM's appalling parents are contrasted with the fresh life and hope of Roger and Maureen. And Mark and Julie's ill-fated attempt to form a family. I wonder who comes up with the coordination of those story lines?

So, I'm wondering exactly how detailed the instructions are that the writers are given. And also, how the writers learn about what's happened to the continuing characters and their stories in previous episodes. Do new writers watch a few episodes and are expected to "get it"?" ARe they given more detailed instructions than vets like Jack Lothian?

Finally, Carline Catz said in one interview that at this point, she thought she knew her character better than the writers and often intervened to advocate for action or dialogue that she felt was more characteristic of Louisa. There must be a fair bit of that going on also for Martin.

Excellent essay! It's those novelistic touches ( for example, DM hears Fenn tell him, "there's nothing like the love of a parent for his kid" in the same episode where his mother just gave her chilling speech to him) that keep me coming back to this show and that elevate it. It is hard to believe that it gets produced by a committee. You would think that it takes one artistic mind to see that those types of touches get included and bulit into the architecture of the show.

I just happened to rewatch the KCET's "Behind the Scenes" done while they were shooting S5 yesterday. In that, MC says that they "pretty much shoot the show in sequence" during his interview. Just to throw that in ...

Those contrasting and complimentary subplots work so well in the Doc Martin stories....they are artistic and intelligent. Like the Roger Fenn speech or the silly interlude with the newly weds........"You are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place".......when the girls aren't there, the guest characters take their place. Brilliant

The 2-year filming gaps would make reappearances by some characters difficult, so I can live with it, but I think it could have enriched the series in interesting ways. Roger Fenn and Peter Cronk in particular were the only ones that even slightly penetrated Martin’s shell in S1, and I think the writers could have done some engaging things with that dynamic. But of course that wouldn’t have fit in with TPTB’s decision to ramp up Martin’s grumpiness and emotional isolation as the series went on. So be it.

I've noticed connections between the medical story of the week and the main story as well. Can't think of any additional examples at the moment, but I know there have been a considerable number.

I also wonder (again not just with this show, but particularly with it) about the episode titles. I imagine they’re an easy way for the writers and producers to keep track of and refer to episodes. But they are so clever, often punny, with literary references and layers of meaning related to the episode (thank you ShopGirl!!) that a considerable amount of thought clearly goes into the title. So why keep it so under the radar? Why not just show it at the start of the episode along with the other credits? Also, as we know, the titles of all S3 episodes were changed for the US broadcast – why only that season? And again, especially since viewers never even see the title unless they go looking for it? So many questions….

I've been reading a lot of questions about the writing of a series and episodes process in the discussion above. As someone who has developed any number of processes to accomplish projects large and small, may I suggest that you try answering the questions in a logical way, as if you were Philippa and Mark Crowdy and had to produce a series. Step 1 ? Step 2? etc.

Even not knowing TV producing, I bet your steps might begin to resemble their procedure. Then you will be left with the really hard question: "Where does the inspiration come from for any and all of it?"

Feeling very practical and a bit philosophical today.

When I am doing the Trivia pages for the website, I sometimes get good suggestions on linking the storylines, but sometimes have to try finding the links on my own. I've been amazed when I sit down and take an episode apart and look for the complimenting & contrasting storylines, how many there are and how subliminal they can be until you actually take a deep dive and discover how clever these people are.

You can see the ones I've done so far on this page:

http://portwennonline.com/TriviaEpisodeTitles.html

(I've had new Trivia pages on the back burner while I've been working on a big new section of the website which should be complete in another week or so. Then I will go back and continue to work on the Trivia pages.)

On another note, I'm sitting here catching up on this forum in a little local Mexican restaurant. There was only one other table occupied and I had to laugh at the bit of conversation I was picking up. The one young woman was talking about hospitals and surgeries and said something about a doctor who liked to joke. She said that wasn't the kind of doctor she wanted. She wanted one who was serious and appeared competent. I had to control myself to keep from bursting out laughing - especially since I was reading this forum while that discussion was taking place.

ShopGirl - that's a "Portwenn Effect moment" there that you had in the Mexican restaurant for sure. ; ) That PE shows up everywhere and anywhere for those of us hooked, eh?

I wanted to say "thank you" to you for your website. It is always fun to visit and such a labor of love. Your talent and work are amazing!

[quote=carol_avery;74453007]ShopGirl - that's a "Portwenn Effect moment" there that you had in the Mexican restaurant for sure. ; ) That PE shows up everywhere and anywhere for those of us hooked, eh?

I wanted to say "thank you" to you for your website. It is always fun to visit and such a labor of love. Your talent and work are amazing![/QUOTE]

I wanted to second this.Your website is beyond awesome in scope, content, detail, imagination, effort - everything. I have spent many hours there and always find something new.

I am embarrassed to admit, though, that I still cannot figure out exactly how the episode titles survey works, what the numbers next to the episodes mean, and how to interpret the results. Is there an "episode titles survey for dummies" link somewhere?

I think the process is a bit clearer for me now, so thanks for that. I agree that the complementary storylines are something I look for, as well. Especially when viewing an episode for the second (or third or fourth.... That's normal, right?), I can more easily pick up on the connections within.

And I also second (third?) the kudos to ShopGirl for her website. Every time I get a chance to poke around a bit, I am impressed with the level of detail and dedication to the series.

It's a pleasure to go to your site Kate.........my only complaint is choosing the the episodes to dump....it gets too hard...but that's not your fault.

Except for ad libs and changes of lines on set, I find it hard to believe the whole 8 scripts aren't ready when the start shooting. MC has to know where DM is going in order to act appropriately in the early,shooting. The program has constant foreshadowing and they need to know how to portray those parts to make it appropriate foreshadowing. I think that everyone knows what is going to happen.

I agree, M. From a logistics standpoint, when you have to have guest actors hired, they need to know when to show up for work. When you rent a wedding car, you have to know the days you are filming that. When you need a stunt person, or other special equipment, at some location or another, it has to be planned and scheduled in advance (and I don't mean yesterday for tomorrow!) I could go on, but you get the idea.

And your point about the actors needing to know the trajectory of their characters makes perfect sense. You've got maybe 100 people (I'm guessing, but I think I heard that figure somewhere) working for Buffalo Productions who have to be playing in tune to get the job done and they do seem to make it in their scheduled shooting time. That's great planning.

Maybe the reason series 6 felt off was that MC's illness interrupted the carefully planned episodes. What MC acting gems had to be cut for the lame Penhale survival episode and then how was his significant weight loss quickly integrated into the remaining episodes?

[quote=Hester_52;74454363]
Thanks Hester and the others who find the site "useful". I like to think of it using that term because it always takes me back to Martin sitting on Louisa's bed on the morning after

The Episode Titles Survey: every week I insert the name of the episode eliminated the week before. Just go to the "Episode Titles Survey" page and (in the box) type your ideas about where the title came from (unless it's really obvious) and how you saw different parts of the storyline linked to the title - and therefore linked together. It's very free-form - just type in your ideas/opinions. When you're done just click submit and it gets sent to me.

As far as the numbers next to the titles. Each week I give you the results from the previous week. For instance, last week "Haemophobia" had 31 votes and "The Family Way" had just 5 votes. The list of 16 episodes are the episodes that were eliminated in the previous round. Because they were eliminated in head-to-head voting there isn't an order to place them in the list of best to least loved episodes. So, during this 8 week period in this round, people are voting on their favorite 5 of those 16 episodes. Each week I show the order that they are in based on the most up to date voting. At this point, "Listen With Mother" seems to be the most popular of these 16 episodes and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" is the least popular. Every week the list moves a bit and a few episodes move up or down. In a couple of weeks, when we finish this round and have only 8 episodes left, I will do the same thing with the 8 episodes eliminated in this round. This way, when we are finished and crown a champion episode, there will be a list of the 46 episodes ranked by the voting.

Clear as mud?

Wait a couple weeks when we are down to 8 episodes! But my organizing mind (a bit too much like Mike's?) likes the fact that we will have ranked all of the episodes

I finally found a little bit of information about Kirstie and John.,,, in on the creds since the beginning -- couldn't find any photos of them though. It appears they are a team. ?married?


Kirstie Falkous and John Regier are creative producers/script doctors on ITV’s DOC MARTIN.

http://www.casarotto.co.uk/client/ki...-regier--16316

Couldn't figure much out about them....interesting how a business contract never let's names fade a way. I still wonder if the sale of the Doc Martin character affects Craig Ferguson? It was probably no big deal after the film.. But I wonder if seeing what Martin and Philippa have made of it engenders some bad feelings. Who know?

The IMDb pages show they were creative consultants for Doc Martin through Series 5. Maybe their pages haven't been updated since series 6. They have done a few other films and TV shows as well. Coincidentally, another John Regier has authored books about saving marriages.

As Craig Ferguson is leaving his show in December, wouldn't it be great if he wrote some of the episodes for series 7? Maybe he could return the humor