The Doc’s arrival coincides with a
spate of attacks on key members of the community by a phantom jelly-maker.
The jelly-maker strikes at night, wearing a wig, a Mac, and yellow marigold
gloves, leaving on the victim’s doorstep a brightly coloured jelly
in which is planted an incriminating piece of evidence that is causing
chaos and animosity in this close-knit village community. Marriages are
being destroyed, friendships called into question, businesses threatened
with closure, but the identity of the phantom and her motive are a mystery
- until the Doc arrives.
The village busy-body, Miss Justine Walker points the finger of blame
at the Doc and his new friend, Rita Gorrie , the barmaid at the local
pub. The two have become close ever since the Doc solved a medical problem
concerning her only son, which the local GP Dr Cadbury had completely
failed to diagnose. Justine plots to expose the pair.
As Doc struggles to find his new identity as a single man, and work out
what it would take to make him happy, he learns to laugh again with help
from Harvey and the occasional spliff.
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He decides to stay in the village, put his life in London on hold, and
rather romantically offers to buy a share in Harvey’s lobster boat.
At the village meeting, he is forced to reveal the real reason for his
arrival in the village – his wife’s infidelity, not revenge
on the village because they got him struck off from the local hospital
– to counter Justine’s accusations that he and Rita Gorrie
are the phantom. He promises to help them uncover the phantom’s
identity, if they’ll let him stay in the village. The adventure
is just beginning.
Martin Clunes appears in other Portman titles as Dr Bamford:
Running time
86 minutes
Starring
Martin Clunes
Tristan Sturrock
Barbara Lott
Neve McIntosh
Steven O’Donnell
Jake Wood
Written by Simon Mayle
Directed by Ben Bolt
Produced by Phillipa Braithewaite
A Buffalo Pictures production in association with Homerun
Productions