The cast of Best Medicine is led by Josh Charles, Abigail Spencer, Annie Potts, Josh Segarra and Cree, bringing together familiar television stars in a warm small-town medical comedy. Best Medicine premiered on FOX in January 2026 and follows Dr. Martin Best, a brilliant but difficult surgeon who leaves Boston to become a general practitioner in the coastal village of Port Wenn. The series is based on the hit British show Doc Martin and has already been renewed for a second season.
The show is not simply about illnesses and hospital rooms.
It mixes medicine with romance, comedy, family problems and the strange personalities of a small town where everybody seems to know everybody else’s business.
So who plays Dr. Martin Best? Who is Louisa? And which familiar stars make up the rest of the cast?
Here is your complete guide.
Quick Facts About Best Medicine
Series: Best Medicine
Genre: Medical comedy-drama
Network: FOX
First premiered: January 4, 2026
Based on: British series Doc Martin
Developer: Liz Tuccillo
Lead actor: Josh Charles
Female lead: Abigail Spencer
Other main stars: Annie Potts, Josh Segarra and Cree
Season 1 episodes: 13
Season 2 premiere: September 22, 2026
Setting: Fictional East Coast fishing village of Port Wenn
FOX describes the show as a one-hour dramedy about a talented surgeon who gives up his Boston career and moves to a fishing village where he once spent his childhood summers.
Josh Charles as Dr. Martin Best
Josh Charles plays the main character, Dr. Martin Best.
Martin is an excellent doctor.
The problem is that he is not exactly excellent with people.
He is blunt.
He can be rude.
He gets frustrated with the townspeople.
And he often seems as though he would rather be left completely alone.
But underneath that difficult personality is someone dealing with his own serious problems.
Martin leaves his successful career as a Boston surgeon and becomes the local doctor in Port Wenn.
Why?
Part of the reason is connected to a new medical phobia and deeper emotional struggles that he does not want everyone to know about.
FOX describes Martin as a brilliant surgeon whose harsh personality quickly annoys the villagers even though they badly need him.
Why Josh Charles Fits the Role
Josh Charles has spent years playing intelligent, complicated characters.
Many viewers know him as Will Gardner from The Good Wife.
That role showed that Charles could play someone charming while still hiding emotional problems.
Martin Best is different.
He is less charming.
Much less.
But that is part of the comedy.
Martin can solve a difficult medical mystery in minutes and then completely fail at a normal conversation.
Josh Charles makes that combination believable.
He does not play Martin as a cartoonishly rude doctor.
Instead, viewers slowly begin to understand why Martin acts the way he does.
Abigail Spencer as Louisa Gavin
Abigail Spencer plays Louisa Gavin.
Louisa is a local schoolteacher and one of the most important people in Martin’s new life.
She is warm, intelligent and much more comfortable around people than Martin is.
Naturally, the two do not always agree.
Louisa often questions Martin’s behavior and his terrible bedside manner.
But there is also obvious chemistry between them.
That relationship becomes one of the biggest emotional parts of the show.
FOX officially lists Abigail Spencer as one of the five main stars of the series.
Martin and Louisa’s Relationship
Martin and Louisa are almost opposites.
Martin wants quiet.
Louisa understands the community.
Martin says exactly what he thinks.
Louisa understands that sometimes people need kindness before they need facts.
That difference creates comedy.
It also creates romantic tension.
The series slowly pushes them closer together even when Martin seems determined to make everything difficult.
For many viewers, the question is not whether they have feelings for each other.
The question is whether Martin is emotionally capable of doing something useful with those feelings.
Abigail Spencer’s Other Famous Roles
Abigail Spencer will already be familiar to many television fans.
She appeared as Dana Scott in Suits.
She starred in Timeless.
She also appeared in Rectify, Grey’s Anatomy and other major television projects.
Her experience makes Louisa feel confident and natural.
She can challenge Martin without making the character seem cruel.
That balance is important.
Louisa needs to be patient with Martin, but she should not simply accept everything he does.
Spencer gives the character that strength.
Annie Potts as Aunt Sarah
Annie Potts plays Aunt Sarah.
Sarah is Martin’s aunt and one of his strongest connections to Port Wenn.
She understands him better than many of the other villagers do.
That does not mean she always agrees with him.
In fact, she often has to challenge him.
Sarah provides warmth, family history and emotional grounding.
She is also one of the reasons Martin’s return to Port Wenn feels personal rather than random.
FOX lists Annie Potts as one of the show’s main cast members.
Why Annie Potts Is So Familiar
Annie Potts has had a long acting career.
Many viewers know her from Designing Women.
Others recognize her as Meemaw in Young Sheldon.
Movie fans may know her as Janine Melnitz from the Ghostbusters films.
That long career gives Aunt Sarah an immediate sense of familiarity.
She feels like someone who has known the town forever.
And she is exactly the sort of person Martin needs.
Someone who cares about him but is not afraid to tell him when he is being impossible.
Josh Segarra as Sheriff Mark Mylow
Josh Segarra plays Sheriff Mark Mylow.
Mark is the local sheriff.
He is much friendlier and more socially comfortable than Martin.
That makes their interactions entertaining.
Martin often approaches problems logically.
Mark may approach them with more emotion or community knowledge.
Their personalities can clash.
But Mark is an important part of Port Wenn.
FOX lists Josh Segarra as one of the show’s central cast members.
Josh Segarra’s Other Roles
Josh Segarra has appeared in many popular shows.
Fans may recognize him from Arrow, Sirens, The Other Two or Abbott Elementary.
He often brings energy and humor to his characters.
That works well in Best Medicine.
Martin is naturally serious.
Mark helps make scenes feel lighter.
He also becomes part of the show’s romantic and community storylines rather than simply existing as “the town police officer.”
Cree as Elaine Denton
Cree plays Elaine Denton.
Elaine works closely with Martin and quickly becomes part of the chaos surrounding his medical practice.
She brings a younger energy to the series.
Her personality can frustrate Martin.
Of course, almost everyone’s personality frustrates Martin.
But Elaine’s presence helps create some of the show’s funniest office moments.
FOX lists Cree as one of the five main stars alongside Josh Charles, Abigail Spencer, Annie Potts and Josh Segarra.
Elaine’s Role in the Medical Practice
Martin would probably prefer a perfectly quiet office.
He does not get one.
Elaine becomes part of the daily noise.
Patients arrive.
Villagers ask questions.
People interrupt.
Martin tries to control everything.
Elaine helps show how badly Martin fits into normal small-town life.
But over time, even the people who annoy him begin becoming important.
That is one of the main ideas behind Best Medicine.
The village may be exactly what Martin needs, even if he refuses to admit it.
Stephen Spinella as Greg Garrison
Stephen Spinella plays Greg Garrison.
Greg is one of the owners of The Salty Breeze.
He runs the business with his husband, George Brady.
FOX describes Greg and George as a happily married couple and recurring characters in the series.
Their presence helps make Port Wenn feel like a real community.
A small-town show needs places where characters naturally meet.
The Salty Breeze becomes one of those places.
Greg is not a doctor.
He is not a police officer.
But characters like him help create the personality of the town.
Jason Veasey as George Brady
Jason Veasey plays George Brady.
George is Greg’s husband and co-owner of The Salty Breeze.
Together, Greg and George are among Port Wenn’s familiar faces.
They give viewers another window into the community outside Martin’s medical office.
TV Guide also lists Stephen Spinella and Jason Veasey among the regular recurring performers in the show.
Small-town television works best when viewers begin recognizing people beyond the main stars.
Greg and George help create that feeling.
John DiMaggio as Bert Large
John DiMaggio plays Bert Large.
Bert is the local handyman.
Fans of animation may know DiMaggio’s voice even if they do not immediately recognize his face.
He is famous for voicing characters such as Bender in Futurama and Jake in Adventure Time.
In Best Medicine, he appears in live action as Bert.
FOX identifies Bert as one of the show’s recurring Port Wenn characters.
Bert brings another slightly chaotic personality into Martin’s world.
And Martin already has more chaos than he wants.
Carter Shimp as Al Large
Carter Shimp plays Al Large, Bert’s son.
Al becomes part of the wider Port Wenn community and appears across the first season.
TV Guide lists Carter Shimp among the show’s recurring cast.
Al’s storyline also connects with Elaine.
That gives the series another relationship to explore away from Martin and Louisa.
The show works better because it does not place every romantic or emotional storyline around the main character.
Port Wenn has its own life.
Clea Lewis as Sally Mylow
Clea Lewis plays Sally Mylow.
Sally is the local pharmacist.
She is also connected to Sheriff Mark Mylow.
FOX lists Clea Lewis among the recurring stars of Best Medicine.
A pharmacist naturally becomes important in a medical comedy.
Martin may diagnose patients.
But medicine does not stop at his office door.
Sally gives the series another character who understands health care while also being deeply connected to the community.
Didi Conn as Geneva Potter
Didi Conn plays Geneva Potter.
Geneva is a local councilwoman.
She is another example of why Martin finds Port Wenn exhausting.
Everyone has an opinion.
Everyone seems involved in everyone else’s life.
And local politics can create just as many problems as medicine.
FOX officially lists Didi Conn as a recurring guest star.
Many viewers may recognize Conn from Grease, where she played Frenchy.
Her casting adds another veteran performer to the series.
Martin Clunes as Dr. Robert Best
One of the most interesting guest stars is Martin Clunes.
He plays Dr. Robert Best, Martin Best’s father.
Why is this especially fun?
Because Martin Clunes played Dr. Martin Ellingham in the original British series Doc Martin.
That is the show on which Best Medicine is based.
So his guest appearance creates a clever connection between the original British version and the American adaptation.
FOX confirms that Clunes makes a special guest appearance as Martin Best’s father.
Why Martin Clunes’ Appearance Matters
This is more than a random cameo.
Martin Clunes spent many years playing the character that inspired Martin Best.
Seeing him appear as the American character’s father is almost like watching one generation of the story meet the next.
It gives longtime Doc Martin fans something special.
At the same time, new viewers do not need to know the old series to understand the episode.
Robert Best is important because of his relationship with Martin.
But if you know the history behind the casting, the scene becomes even more enjoyable.
Judith Ivey as Vanessa Best
Judith Ivey appears as Vanessa Best, Martin’s mother.
She appears alongside Martin Clunes during a Season 1 storyline involving Martin’s parents.
Rotten Tomatoes lists both Martin Clunes and Judith Ivey in the cast of Episode 9.
The arrival of Martin’s parents helps explain more about him.
Why is he emotionally distant?
Where did some of his habits come from?
Family often provides the answer.
And Best Medicine uses those visits to reveal more than Martin would ever willingly tell the people around him.
Eliza Coupe as Dr. Eden Montgomery
Eliza Coupe appears as Dr. Eden Montgomery.
She arrives in the Season 1 finale.
Rotten Tomatoes lists Coupe as a guest star in Episode 13, where Martin also faces the possibility of his blood phobia being exposed and deals with the arrival of an ex.
Coupe is familiar from shows such as Happy Endings and Scrubs.
Her arrival gives Martin another person connected to his past.
That creates immediate tension.
And because Louisa is already emotionally important to Martin, bringing someone from his romantic past into Port Wenn naturally creates trouble.
Best Medicine Is Based on Doc Martin
One of the most important things to know about the series is that it is an American adaptation of the British comedy-drama Doc Martin.
The original show starred Martin Clunes.
The basic idea is similar.
A highly skilled doctor with terrible people skills moves to a small coastal community.
But Best Medicine is not simply copying every detail.
The American series changes the setting, characters and tone to fit its own world.
FOX says the adaptation was developed for American television by Liz Tuccillo.
Where Is Best Medicine Set?
The series takes place in Port Wenn, a fictional East Coast fishing village.
Martin remembers the town from childhood summers.
That history makes his return more meaningful.
He is not arriving in a completely unknown place.
Some memories are comforting.
Others are not.
The small-town setting is essential.
If Martin worked in a huge city, he could avoid people.
In Port Wenn, that is impossible.
Everyone knows where he lives.
Everyone knows his office.
And everyone has something they want to tell him.
Why the Cast Works So Well
The cast succeeds because every character pushes Martin in a different way.
Louisa challenges him emotionally.
Aunt Sarah challenges him as family.
Elaine tests his patience.
Mark brings him into town problems.
Greg and George pull him into community life.
Bert creates another type of chaos.
His parents reveal old wounds.
Martin keeps trying to build walls.
The supporting characters keep walking straight through them.
That is the heart of the show.
Best Medicine Season 1
Season 1 premiered on January 4, 2026.
The first season contains 13 episodes.
Across those episodes, Martin slowly becomes more connected with Port Wenn.
He treats unusual medical problems.
He struggles with his blood phobia.
He argues with locals.
His relationship with Louisa develops.
And viewers learn more about why he left Boston.
The first season became successful enough that FOX renewed the series before the story had been finished for long.
Best Medicine Season 2
The good news for fans is that Best Medicine Season 2 is officially happening.
FOX renewed the series and scheduled the second season to premiere on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
That means the wait is almost over.
FOX’s official show page still lists Josh Charles, Abigail Spencer, Annie Potts, Josh Segarra and Cree as the central cast.
Season 2 should continue exploring Martin’s difficult relationship with Port Wenn and the people who are becoming increasingly important to him.
When Does Best Medicine Season 2 Premiere?
Season 2 premieres September 22, 2026, on FOX.
That is only a short time away.
FOX has placed the show on Tuesday nights.
Its return shows that the network has confidence in the series after its successful first season.
The network also reported strong multiplatform viewing numbers for the show’s debut.
Main Cast of Best Medicine at a Glance
The main cast includes:
Josh Charles as Dr. Martin Best
Abigail Spencer as Louisa Gavin
Annie Potts as Aunt Sarah
Josh Segarra as Sheriff Mark Mylow
Cree as Elaine Denton
Recurring characters include:
Stephen Spinella as Greg Garrison
Jason Veasey as George Brady
John DiMaggio as Bert Large
Carter Shimp as Al Large
Clea Lewis as Sally Mylow
Didi Conn as Geneva Potter
FOX also confirms Martin Clunes as special guest star Dr. Robert Best.
Is Best Medicine Worth Watching?
If you enjoy medical dramas but do not want something extremely dark, Best Medicine may be a good choice.
It has medical mysteries.
But it also has comedy.
There is romance.
Family drama.
Small-town gossip.
And a lead character who regularly says the wrong thing.
The series feels very different from a traditional emergency-room drama.
Martin may be a doctor.
But most of his biggest problems cannot be solved with medicine.
Final Thoughts
The cast of Best Medicine turns a simple medical story into something much warmer and funnier.
Josh Charles leads the series as Dr. Martin Best, a brilliant doctor who understands illnesses much better than people.
Abigail Spencer gives Louisa the warmth and confidence needed to challenge him.
Annie Potts brings heart to Aunt Sarah.
Josh Segarra adds humor and personality as Sheriff Mark Mylow.
And Cree gives Martin another source of daily frustration as Elaine Denton.
Then there is the wider Port Wenn community.
Greg.
George.
Bert.
Al.
Sally.
Geneva.
Every one of them makes Martin’s dream of being left alone less likely.
That is exactly why the show works.
Martin thinks he needs distance.
The town slowly teaches him that he may need people instead.
And with Season 2 premiering September 22, 2026, viewers will soon get another chance to see how much Martin has really changed.
FAQs
Who is the main actor in Best Medicine?
Josh Charles plays the lead role of Dr. Martin Best.
Who plays Louisa in Best Medicine?
Abigail Spencer plays Louisa Gavin, a local teacher who develops a complicated relationship with Martin.
Who plays Aunt Sarah?
Annie Potts plays Martin’s Aunt Sarah.
Who plays Sheriff Mark Mylow?
Josh Segarra plays Sheriff Mark Mylow.
Who plays Elaine in Best Medicine?
Cree plays Elaine Denton.
Is Martin Clunes in Best Medicine?
Yes. Martin Clunes guest-stars as Dr. Robert Best, Martin Best’s father. Clunes famously starred in the original British series Doc Martin.
Is Best Medicine based on Doc Martin?
Yes. FOX confirms that Best Medicine is based on the British hit Doc Martin.
When did Best Medicine first premiere?
The series premiered on January 4, 2026.
Is there a Best Medicine Season 2?
Yes. FOX renewed the show for Season 2.
When does Best Medicine Season 2 premiere?
Season 2 premieres on September 22, 2026, on FOX.
How many episodes are in Best Medicine Season 1?
Season 1 has 13 episodes.
Where can I watch Best Medicine?
The series airs on FOX, with availability depending on region and streaming provider.
For more television cast guides, celebrity stories and entertainment updates, visit Picanto Magazine.
Meta Description: Meet the cast of Best Medicine, including Josh Charles, Abigail Spencer, Annie Potts, Josh Segarra and Cree, plus Season 2 details for 2026.