You can always rely on Martin Clunes to deliver a great performance.

From the brilliant nineties sitcom Men Behaving Badly to ITV's gripping true crime drama Manhunt and everything in between, Martin Clunes has become a firm favourite on television, playing amongst him many roles, a lad, a teacher, an undertaker a doctor and a Detective Chief Inspector.
As he returns to our screens this week playing a farmer in ITV1's brand new drama Out There, which tackles county lines drug dealing, I thought I'd take a look back at 5 of his top telly roles...
Gary Strang
Men Behaving Badly (1992-1998)

Martin Clunes first came to public attention and is perhaps still best known to this day, for starring alongside Neil Morrissey, Caroline Quentin and Leslie Ash in the hit nineties sitcom Men Behaving Badly which centred around Gary and Tony, two best friends and flatmates in their early thirties, played by Clunes and Neil Morrissey.
Gary was immature, irresponsible and a commitment-phobe, whilst Tony was a clueless womaniser who was even more irresponsible than Gary. And for a friendship to appear authentic in a show like this, the actors playing them had to have great on-screen chemistry and thankfully Martin and Neil had that in abundance.
Not only did they have great chemistry but Martin also proved that he had impeccable comedy timing and was a master when it came to any of the physical comedy the role demanded.
For a show centred around lad culture, Gary could have easily been a one dimensional character, but not when you pair Simon Nye's script with Martin's performance. Martin was able to slip efforlessly from moments of total hilarity into moments of true vulnerability. A vulnerability that was, and still is, rare to see in male characters on television.
Men Behaving Badly launched in 1992 with two series on ITV, before moving to BBC One in 1994 for four further series, a Christmas special and a three-part finale in 1998, which averaged an incredible 14.5m viewers per episode.
Mr. Chipping
Goodbye, Mr Chips (2002)

In 2002, ITV adaptated James Hilton's novella, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, into a feature-length drama for Boxing Day, with Martin Clunes following in the footsteps of Peter O'Toole and Roy Marsden to take on the lead role of school teacher Mr. Chipping/Mr. Chips.
When he first joins Brookfield boarding school, he's strict and unpopular, but as we follow him over a 50-year career we see him grow kinder and gentler and becoming a much loved headmaster.
At this point in his career, Martin was best known for lighter comedy roles, but in Goodbye, Mr Chips he proved he can take on dramatic roles just as brilliantly as he can comedic ones, winning over critics and audiences alike with his exceptional portrayal of Mr. Chips over several decades.
William Shawcross
Willam and Mary (2003-2005)

In 2003, Martin Clunes starred alongside Julie Graham in ITV's romantic drama William and Mary which centred on the lives of widowed undertaker William Shawcross and midwife Mary Gilcrest who meet via an internet dating site.
Although William is nothing like Gary from Men Behaving Badly, both characters have a vulnerability and relatability that plays to Martin's strengths as an actor. Somewhat ahead of its time, the drama dealt with what we now call blended families and finding love later in life.
It's hard to talk about William and Mary without mentioning the chemistry between Martin Clunes and Julie Graham. Both actors brought so much to their roles as they switched effortlessly between the emotional highs and emotional lows that life, loss and love can bring.
Feel good, without being saccharine, William and Mary was a huge success for ITV, averaging 8m viewers per episode across its three series and who knows, maybe one day we'll find out what William and Mary did next.
Dr Martin Ellingham
Doc Martin (2004-2022)

Martin Clunes' longest-running role to date was playing no-nonsense Dr Martin Ellingham for 18 years in ITV's hit drama Doc Martin, which is set in the fictional Cornish village of Portwenn.
Doc Martin follows Dr Martin Ellingham's relocation from London to Portwenn, where he spent childhood holidays with his Aunt Joan, to become their GP. On arrival, he finds the surgery in utter chaos and despite his fear of blood, bluntness and grumpy demeanour, he proves to be exactly what the village needed.
With another actor playing him, the role of Doc Martin might have been quite one note and unlikeable. Instead, Martin Clunes performed the role with the heart and humour it deserved, creating a beloved character, adored by millions not just in the UK, but globally with tourists flooding to Port Isaac each year (where the series was filmed) to get a glimpse at the iconic locations.
Running for 10 series, the first ever episode of Doc Martin was watched by 9.9m people, peaking with an average of 10.6m viewers per episode for series 5 in 2011, proving that not every television drama needs murder or a crime to solve to be extremely popular. It's a shame in many ways that it ended, but I guess we should never say never about it ever returning.
DCI Colin Sutton
Manhunt (2019-2021)

In 2019, Martin Clunes wowed audiences with his portrayal of Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton in ITV's true crime drama Manhunt, which was based on Sutton's own memoirs and told the story of how he tenaciously tracked down serial killer Levi Bellfield.
The first series of Manhunt told the real life story of how the murder of French student, Amelie Delagrange, on Twickenham Green in August 2004 was eventually linked to the murders of Marsha McDonnell in 2003, and the abduction and murder of Milly Dowler in 2002.
Still primarily known for lighter roles, Martin Clunes won criticial and audience acclaim for his most serious role to date, playing ordinary detective DCI Sutton with depth, subtely and nuance, cementing his versatility as an actor.
Manhunt returned in 2021 as Clunes returned to the role, with the story moving on to the search for serial rapist Delroy Grant as Sutton is tasked with reviewing a 17-year ongoing serial rape case, Operation Minstead.
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