Episode 1
The children of Portwenn primary school are being read a fairy story by headmistress Louisa Glasson as the grumpiest doctor in the West Country marches through the fishing village. Suddenly Louisa feels faint and passes out in front of her class.
Although she insists she is okay, Dr Ellingham is concerned she may be anaemic and asks her to see him at his surgery.
Later on at the surgery she feels uncomfortable talking to him because of their shared personal history and requests a transfer to another doctor.
Louisa tries to talk about their relationship but, as usual, Dr Ellingham fails to pick up on the personal signals. He is as blunt as ever and has no words of reassurance. Any chance of romance seems doomed.
Meanwhile school dinner-lady Alison Lane is struggling to control her adolescent daughter Delph who is constantly in trouble.
Alison is convinced Delph has a medical condition. But the doctor disagrees and is quick to dismiss her without treatment because, in his opinion, Delph is a delinquent in need of good parenting.
But he re-thinks his diagnosis when he begins to suspect the cause of Delph’s hyperactivity might be the diet pills Alison has been buying from the pharmacist Mrs Tishell.
Delph is nearly killed when she jumps from a moving trailer and crashes through the glass door of village shop. As Martin treats Delph, he’s overcome by his phobia of blood. Help is surprisingly at hand from his receptionist Pauline Lamb.
Pauline is becoming increasingly frustrated by the limitations of her job and is continually overstepping the mark by interfering with the doctor’s duties.
Episode 2
Bert comes to the conclusion that a new challenge will help him move on from Al's departure and decides to open a restaurant, but a spate of food poisoning cases coincide with the eaterie's first day of business. Martin meets Poppy, the surgery's new receptionist, and Pauline returns from her course.
Episode 3
A new family look set to disturb the tranquillity of Portwenn, upsetting the locals with their unconventional lifestyle and even managing to gatecrash an intimate dinner between Martin and their new next-door neighbour Louisa. Meanwhile, a car vandal strikes the village - but new village copper PC Penhale can't investigate because he's scared to leave the station, and ends up admitting he suffers from agoraphobia.
Episode 4
Portwenn is becoming a hotbed of passion. Louisa is furious to discover she has a rival for Dr Martin Ellinghams affections: glamorous divorcee and hotel owner, Carrie Wilson (Louise Delamere). Can Louisa contain her jealousy and claim Martin as her man before Carries flirty tactics take effect? Or will he remain immune to them in typical fashion?
Meanwhile, aunt Joan (Stephanie Cole) unexpectedly finds she has an admirer. Edward Melville (Justin Salinger) is a local painter who is 30 years younger than her.
But after inviting Edward to do some decorating at her house, their relationship progresses quickly shocking Doc Martin when he accidentally catches them in a compromising position.
It seems the doctor cannot help running into Carrie Wilson literally. Having met Carrie for the first time at his surgery earlier that day Martin, troubled by the image of aunt Joan and her new man still fresh in his mind, almost runs her over with his car.
Episode 5
PC Penhale is having a birthday party and Martin doesn't want to go. A local divorcee turns out to be a hypochondriac and takes a fancy to him - and Louisa is unsure of how to deal with this. Martin finds his Aunt Joan in a compromising situation with a much younger man. Al Large returns home but isn't quite himself. Edward has a fit and Martin treats him for suspected epilepsy - but pills he's taking for erectile dysfunction prove to be the cause.
