Main Cast of Best Medicine: Josh Charles as Dr. Martin Best, Abigail Spencer as Louisa Gavin, Josh Segarra as Sheriff Mark Mylow, Annie Potts as Aunt Sarah, Cree as Elaine Denton, Stephen Spinella as Greg Garrison, and Jason Veasey as George Brady.
The cast of Best Medicine features Josh Charles as a gifted former Boston surgeon whose move to fictional Port Wenn, Maine, makes professional skill only one part of his daily challenge. The FOX medical comedy-drama adapts the premise of the British series Doc Martin while building a distinct American ensemble around family tension, romance, local politics and small-town life.
About Best Medicine TV Series
| Detail | Information |
| Network | FOX |
| Genre | Medical comedy-drama |
| Lead character | Dr. Martin Best, played by Josh Charles |
| Setting | Fictional Port Wenn, Maine |
| Based on | The British comedy-drama Doc Martin |
| Season 1 | 13 episodes |
| Season 2 | 14 episodes, premiering September 22, 2026 |
Martin leaves a major surgical career in Boston to become Port Wenn’s general practitioner. His clinical talent is never in doubt, but his blood phobia, blunt communication style and reluctance to form close relationships make life in a close-knit village unexpectedly difficult.
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Main Cast
Josh Charles as Dr. Martin Best
Josh Charles plays Dr. Martin Best, the show’s central character. Martin is an exceptionally capable surgeon whose career changes course when he moves to the Maine fishing village where he spent childhood summers.
The role depends on Charles making Martin credible both as an elite doctor and as someone profoundly uncomfortable with emotional openness. Martin’s medical cases drive the plot, but his relationships with Louisa, Sarah, Elaine and the town determine whether he can build a life in Port Wenn.
Abigail Spencer as Louisa Gavin
Abigail Spencer plays Louisa Gavin, a Port Wenn schoolteacher and Martin’s most important personal connection. Louisa has an established career, friendships and history in the village, including a former engagement to Sheriff Mark Mylow.
Her relationship with Martin works because she does not treat his difficult behavior as charming or harmless. Instead, Louisa challenges him to consider the human consequences of his words and choices.
Josh Segarra as Sheriff Mark Mylow
Josh Segarra plays Sheriff Mark Mylow, Port Wenn’s sheriff and Louisa’s former fiancé. Mark is confident, socially fluent and deeply connected to the people Martin is still trying to understand.
His role creates a useful contrast with Martin. Where Martin relies on medical expertise and distance, Mark operates through familiarity, community trust and a long history with the town’s residents.
Annie Potts as Aunt Sarah
Annie Potts plays Aunt Sarah, Martin’s independent aunt and a local lobsterwoman. She is one of the few people with a meaningful connection to Martin’s childhood and family life in Port Wenn.
Sarah is not simply a source of comfort for Martin. Her directness and self-reliance ensure that she can challenge him when he tries to retreat into work, isolation or clinical detachment.
Cree as Elaine Denton
Cree plays Elaine Denton, Martin’s assistant at his medical practice. Elaine understands Port Wenn’s people and social rhythms in ways that Martin often does not, making her essential to the practical running of the office.
Elaine also gives the series an important workplace perspective. Her ambitions and instincts do not always align with Martin’s rigid expectations, creating conflict that is personal as well as professional.
Stephen Spinella as Greg Garrison
Stephen Spinella plays Greg Garrison, co-owner of The Salty Breeze. The restaurant is one of Port Wenn’s principal social spaces, where professional conflicts, family tensions and local gossip naturally overlap.
Greg becomes a series regular in Season 2, which gives him a larger role in the show’s community stories. His expanded presence also increases the importance of The Salty Breeze as a setting outside Martin’s medical practice.
Jason Veasey as George Brady
Jason Veasey plays George Brady, Greg’s husband and fellow owner of The Salty Breeze. Together, Greg and George offer a perspective on Port Wenn that is rooted in business, marriage and the town’s wider social network.
Like Spinella, Veasey was promoted to series regular status for Season 2. That change signals a broader role for the restaurant owners in the continuing ensemble.
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Supporting Cast
The supporting players give Port Wenn its sense of continuity. Their jobs, family ties and personal histories make the village feel like an established community rather than a backdrop for Martin’s cases.
| Actor | Character | Role in Port Wenn |
| John DiMaggio | Bert Large | A local handyman and Al’s father |
| Carter Shimp | Al Large | Bert’s son and a member of Port Wenn’s younger generation |
| Clea Lewis | Sally Mylow | The town pharmacist and Mark Mylow’s mother |
| Didi Conn | Geneva Potter | A local councilwoman |
| Cindy De La Cruz | Jeannie | A schoolteacher in Louisa’s professional circle |
| Alexandra Cica | Harley | A resident within the broader Port Wenn ensemble |
| Wattson | Copernicus | The dog who repeatedly disrupts Martin’s orderly life |
Bert and Al bring a family and working-life perspective outside the clinic, while Sally extends Mark’s presence into the town’s health-care and family networks. Geneva, Jeannie and Harley help show that Port Wenn has a social life and local identity beyond Martin’s arrival.
Recurring and Guest Characters
Recurring characters often matter more in Best Medicine than their episode count might suggest. A patient, relative or neighbor can reappear later with consequences for Martin’s work, family life or relationship with Louisa.
- Martin Clunes as Dr. Robert Best: Martin’s physician father.
- Judith Ivey as Vanessa Best: Martin’s mother.
- Eliza Coupe as Eden: Martin’s former partner.
- Michael Potts as Gilbert Carlisle: A recurring patient.
- Patch Darragh as Glendon Ross: A person from Martin’s past.
Martin Clunes’s appearance is a notable connection to Doc Martin, in which he played Dr. Martin Ellingham. In Best Medicine, however, Clunes portrays Martin Best’s father rather than reprising his earlier character.
Character Relationships at a Glance
| Relationship | Why it matters |
| Martin and Louisa | The central romance, shaped by attraction, disagreement and differing expectations of emotional honesty |
| Martin and Mark | Mark’s history with Louisa makes Martin’s arrival personally consequential |
| Martin and Elaine | Their workplace relationship exposes Martin’s limitations as an employer and colleague |
| Martin and Sarah | Sarah keeps Martin connected to family history and village life |
| Greg and George | Their marriage and restaurant make them central to the town’s social world |
| Bert and Al | Their father-son dynamic broadens the show beyond Martin’s work and romance |
Martin, Louisa, Mark, Elaine and Sarah are the most important characters in the show’s ongoing narrative because each influences Martin’s work, relationships or ability to remain isolated. Greg and George become more prominent in Season 2 as their actors move into the regular cast.
Cast Changes in Season 2
Season 2 retains the show’s core leads while expanding the role of two key Port Wenn residents.
| Season 2 development | What it means |
| Josh Charles returns | Martin remains the series’ central doctor and emotional focus |
| Abigail Spencer returns | Louisa remains central to Martin’s personal story |
| Josh Segarra returns | Mark continues to connect law enforcement, town life and Louisa’s history |
| Annie Potts returns | Sarah remains Martin’s strongest family link in Port Wenn |
| Cree returns | Elaine continues to shape the medical-practice storyline |
| Stephen Spinella promoted | Greg Garrison becomes a series regular |
| Jason Veasey promoted | George Brady becomes a series regular |
| Martin Clunes returns | Robert Best remains part of Martin’s family story |
Season 2 has 14 episodes, one more than the 13-episode first season, and is scheduled to begin on September 22, 2026.
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Where Best Medicine Is Filmed
Best Medicine is set in fictional Port Wenn, Maine, but the series is filmed primarily in New York’s Hudson Valley. Cornwall, Newburgh, New Hamburg, Beacon and Hudson were used to create the show’s coastal New England atmosphere, with additional interior scenes filmed on a soundstage.
The creative team also looked to Corea, a small coastal Maine community, for inspiration. Port Wenn itself is not a real town, which gives the series freedom to create its own geography, traditions and relationships.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the main actor in Best Medicine?
Josh Charles is the main actor in Best Medicine. He plays Dr. Martin Best, a highly trained surgeon who leaves Boston to become the general practitioner in Port Wenn, Maine. Martin is the story’s central figure because the series follows his medical work, career disruption, family tensions and evolving relationship with Louisa Gavin. The rest of the ensemble helps reveal the parts of life he cannot manage through professional expertise alone.
Who plays Louisa Gavin in Best Medicine?
Abigail Spencer plays Louisa Gavin, a schoolteacher in Port Wenn and Martin Best’s primary love interest. Louisa is not defined only by the romance: she has her own career, a close connection to the village, and a past relationship with Sheriff Mark Mylow. Her role is essential because she expects Martin to communicate honestly and consider others, even when he would prefer to avoid difficult emotional conversations.
Who plays Sheriff Mark Mylow?
Josh Segarra plays Sheriff Mark Mylow. Mark is Port Wenn’s sheriff and Louisa Gavin’s former fiancé, giving him an immediate personal connection to the series’ central romantic storyline. He also understands the town’s residents, customs and informal networks in ways that Martin does not. That local confidence makes Mark both an effective community figure and an important contrast to the newly arrived doctor.
Is Best Medicine based on Doc Martin?
Yes. Best Medicine is an American adaptation of the British comedy-drama Doc Martin. Both series center on a gifted doctor whose limited social skills create problems after moving to a coastal community. The FOX series changes the setting to Maine, gives its characters new histories and relationships, and builds its own version of Martin’s career setback, family background, and small-town life.
Is Martin Clunes in Best Medicine?
Yes. Martin Clunes appears as Dr. Robert Best, Martin Best’s father. The casting is notable because Clunes played Dr. Martin Ellingham in the original British Doc Martin. He does not play that earlier character in the FOX adaptation; instead, he has a separate role in Martin Best’s family story. Clunes is also set to return for Season 2.
Who owns The Salty Breeze in Best Medicine?
Greg Garrison and George Brady own The Salty Breeze. Stephen Spinella plays Greg, while Jason Veasey plays George, his husband and business partner. Their restaurant serves as one of Port Wenn’s main social hubs, where residents meet outside the clinic, school, and sheriff’s office. Both actors become series regulars in Season 2, increasing the importance of their characters within the show’s wider ensemble.
Who plays Aunt Sarah in Best Medicine?
Annie Potts plays Aunt Sarah, Martin Best’s aunt and a lobsterwoman in Port Wenn. Sarah has a meaningful connection to Martin’s childhood and is one of the people most able to challenge him when he becomes isolated or overly focused on work. Her role provides a family dimension to the series while linking Martin to the practical, independent culture of the Maine village.
Where is Best Medicine filmed?
Although Best Medicine is set in fictional Port Wenn, Maine, filming takes place primarily in New York’s Hudson Valley. Locations including Cornwall, Newburgh, New Hamburg, Beacon and Hudson were used to create the coastal New England setting. The show’s fictional town was also informed by creative research in coastal Maine, including the community of Corea.
How many episodes are in Best Medicine Season 2?
Best Medicine Season 2 has 14 episodes. This is one episode longer than the first season, which has 13 episodes. The larger episode order gives the show more space to develop Martin’s medical practice, the fallout from his professional decisions, his relationship with Louisa, and the expanded stories involving Greg, George and the other Port Wenn residents.
Will the Best Medicine cast return for Season 2?
The established core cast remains led by Josh Charles, Abigail Spencer, Josh Segarra, Annie Potts and Cree. Stephen Spinella and Jason Veasey have been promoted to series regulars for the second season, while Martin Clunes is expected to return as Dr. Robert Best. Additional guest casting and recurring-character developments may be announced as the season progresses.
The cast of Best Medicine works because Port Wenn does not allow Martin Best to remain only a doctor. Louisa, Mark, Elaine, Sarah, Greg, George and the wider community repeatedly pull him into the personal, professional and social relationships he would rather keep at a distance.
