Ep 1. Going Bodmin

In the small seaside town of Portwenn, Dr. Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes) is about to start a new job as the town's only physician. However, his arrival is not met with the warmest of welcomes as the locals are skeptical of his abrupt and somewhat abrasive demeanor.

The episode opens with Ellingham's journey to Portwenn, where he encounters a stubborn cow blocking the road. After coaxing the cow to move with his car's horn, he finally arrives at his new surgery where he meets the receptionist, Elaine (Lucy Punch). He promptly tells her that her inappropriate outfit does not match the professional setting and she needs to dress appropriately.

Dr. Ellingham's first patient is an elderly woman complaining of dizziness and memory loss. After an initial examination, he suspects that she had accidentally been ingesting toxic amounts of lead paint in her home's water supply. This diagnoses is brushed off by her husband, but Dr. Ellingham insists that she be hospitalized until the toxicity has been treated.

Leaving the hospital, he is approached by Bert Large (Ian McNeice), a struggling restaurant owner who is suffering from chest pains. After reluctantly examining him, Dr. Ellingham diagnoses Bert with heartburn and strict instructions to change his diet. But Bert disregards his advice.

The town's annual dance is coming up and the local constable Mark (Stewart Wright) invites Dr. Ellingham to be his date. However, Dr. Ellingham is non-committal, only promising to let him know if he will attend or not.

Meanwhile, the town's former doctor, now retired, has been working on a book about the town's history. Upon hearing that Dr. Ellingham is in town, he drops by the surgery with some encouraging advice, although his conservative ways are evident.

Dr. Ellingham is still trying to settle into his new life, but his lack of familiarity with the town's ways causes conflict with the local population, particularly with the town's taxi driver, who he tries to report for an alleged non-functioning meter and gets spat on in return.

As the episode progresses, Dr. Ellingham learns of a man, John Slater (Michael Begley), who has resorted to paranoid behavior and has gone missing. Dr. Ellingham investigates and finds Slater's car abandoned near the cliffs. He is joined by the constable, but their search yields no results.

After a stressful day, Dr. Ellingham receives a call from the elderly patient he hospitalized earlier, thanking him for his care and letting him know that she and her husband will be moving to Torquay to live with their daughter, so she'll no longer be his patient. A rare moment of friendliness between them, he even offers her his phone number in case they ever need anything.

As night falls, Dr. Ellingham decides to attend the town dance, but upon his arrival he finds that the constable has been taken to the hospital with a suspected heart attack. Dr. Ellingham is once again reluctantly called upon to attend to a patient, but his swift actions and knowledgeable care save the constable's life, much to the relief of everyone in the town.

The episode ends with Dr. Ellingham returning home from the dance, where he receives a surprise visitor, Louisa Glasson (Caroline Catz), the former headmistress of the town's school, whom he had previously encountered in the episode and with whom there will be more than one confrontation throughout this first season. Their contentious relationship is hinted at in their interaction.

"Going Bodmin" introduces us to a withdrawn and difficult main character, with a good heart beneath a rough exterior, trying to find his place in a new town. The episode's mix of dark comedy and drama sets the tone for the series to follow, with the quirky characters of the town playing a significant role in Dr. Ellingham's story.