Best Medicine’s Josh Segarra & Abigail Spencer on the Magic of Port Wenn and Comfort TV

Escapism television is not only rare but a lost art form.

The ability to tune into something heartwarming, cozy, and quaint has fallen by the wayside in favor of more high-adrenaline series or those chasing after prestige more than tapping into the hearts and souls of the audience.

That’s what makes Best Medicine, FOX’s American adaptation of Doc Martin, special. Not only does it deliver on the feel-good escapist television when we need it the most, but it also buoys an incredible cast who fully understand the purpose and necessity of what this series has to offer.

I had the pleasure of speaking with some of the cast of Best Medicine. Josh Segarra and Abigail Spencer had plenty to say about what attracted them to this particular project and how special it is.

However, I also had the distinct pleasure of visiting the Best Medicine set just outside New York on a crisp autumn day.

It was my first experience doing a set visit, and actually seeing the magic of television unfold before your eyes, and how the pieces of it come together is enough to make any TV Fanatic or nerd marvel in wonder.

What I quickly learned about the Best Medicine cast is that they’re one of the hardest-working and most passionate broods.

And at the helm is Josh Charles himself, who sets the tone for how everything functions.

His talent is matched by his humility, warmth, and energy.

It was remarkable to see just how hands-on Charles was throughout the day, jumping from his marks to studying the cameras to ensure he had the best shot, and motivating the whole cast and crew the entire time, even during moments when filming could be daunting.

Charles makes filming fun, and most notably, he reiterates how collaborative an experience it is just merely by his interactions. The Best Medicine set fostered a familial environment, and Charles was very much at the head of that.

Nerves quickly gave way to comfort and positivity as Charles spent his time offscreen checking in with everyone: the press, the cameramen, young, fresh-faced actors playing minor roles…

It never mattered who, because Charles values people without distinction with a down-to-earth, friendly, and authentic air that was as refreshing as it gets.

We had lunch with Charles for a bit as he made the rounds, sitting at ease to chat with any number of set members at each table about the show, their lives, or just cracking jokes. And it’s a far cry from Martin Best and the rigidity with which that new Port Wennian doctor holds himself.

Seeing the transition in person is something to behold.

But hearing Charles’ passion about the role fuels you, ignites a similar energy and passion for the series, too. Charles wanted a role that he could pour his heart into and something with great energy, something he casually shared during lunch, and he found that.

And it’s a universal opinion that the cast seems to share. That same day, while chatting with the incomparable Abigail Spencer, huddled up against a heater in a tent between takes, she very much expressed the same.

We inquired about what makes the show special, and she attributed it to “the cast and crew are special.”

I experienced this firsthand, so when she elaborates on it, I know it’s genuine. “Everyone is working on something that they’re passionate about…”

And that passion is so consuming that you feel the magic of Port Wenn with you at every turn.

Similarly, Josh Segarra said the same when I had the pleasure of catching up with him later. And let me acknowledge right here that no one was excited to talk about this project as Josh Segarra.

He missed the opportunity to speak with us during the set visit as he was away for another project. But he was as earnest as Mark Mylow himself in wanting to be there. “I almost switched up everything I had because I wanted to be there that day,” he laughs.

For Segarra, joining Best Medicine was a no-brainer. What was most appealing about the series was the comfort television angle and the laughs.

“If I read something and it makes me laugh, I want to do it. Simple as that,” Segarra shared.

Of course, Best Medicine’s universal appeal and its ability to bring back television that the whole family can watch together was a shared point for two family-oriented individuals like Segarra and Spencer.

“I felt like I could sit on my couch and watch it with my family, and while we’re watching it, I always picture my mom going, ‘Ay papi, do you see Sheriff Mark? He’s best friends with the doctor! This is what’s happening with such-and-such.”

Segarra, whose parents are also pharmacists, felt like that was another check for him in joining the series. On Best Medicine, his mother, Clea Lewis, is Port Wenn’s pharmacist, and Segarra certainly saw that as a sign.

The fact that the series was filmed in the Hudson Valley also meant he could be close to home and his own family.

It’s the familial element that also attracted Spencer. When we asked her about the most rewarding part of this job, it was simply, “It’s being part of a series that’s for everyone. Something I can watch with my kids.”

Her most challenging aspect is, unlike Segarra, she isn’t close to home while filming. The L.A.-based actress found the most challenging aspect of filming Best Medicine to be the logistics of being away from her family during the process.

But her passion for bringing comfort television to the small screen was palpable. She described Best Medicine as ” light-hearted and hopeful.” It’s “unique comedy.”

“I really feel like it’s something that’s needed on television right now.”

“I hope it resonates that way with everybody,” Segarra echoes when I posed a similar question about Best Medicine’s necessity onscreen.

“That’s how I feel when I’m making it. I’m such a fan of this business, so there’s always moments … I try not to let this happen too often, where I kind of step outside my brain when I’m working on something. But we were shooting something… where I was in tears myself, just thinking about my family and about when my babies were born.

“It just put me in a very nostalgic place, and I hope that everybody who watches our show feels like they can come hang out at Port Wenn with us, and I hope that everybody sees a piece of them inside some of the characters and situations.”

Interestingly, neither Segarra nor Spencer was a Doc Martin viewer prior to booking this project, but they both were very much familiar with how special Doc Martin is.

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t before, but now I’m very familiar, and I’m just such a fan of it.” Segarra shared.

“But I will tell you, shout out my friends Justin and Joanna, two of my dearest. They were at the house, and they’re like, Oh, what’s the project you’re working on? I was like, ah, it’s the show, it’s about this doctor, big city doctor comes to his small town… I think that’s all I got out, and they’re like “Wait!”

“That reaction alone told me all I needed to know about the love that exists for the original. I got to work with Martin Clunes. It was just so … he’s such a legend! And he just brought so much love to our set, and you’re meeting the man, right? You’re meeting the patriarch of this thing.

“He could not have been more gracious with his time and with his stories and with his energy. He just wanted to be a part of it, and I felt very much like my uncle that I never knew showed up and just gave us the biggest hug.”

When it comes to channeling Louisa, Spencer didn’t rely on the original in large part because when she first read the script, she didn’t realize it was an adaptation.

“I loved the writing, the script.” She shared. “I was really drawn to pull from the scripts themselves to get into character for Louisa. She’s this fierce character, and that really resonated with me.”

It’s Lousia’s fierceness that attracted Spencer to the role. The character and the overall vibe of the series are different from what she typically plays, and she was eager to dive into something this warm. The rom-com quality of Best Medicine was appealing to her.

It also didn’t hurt that she’d get to work alongside Josh Charles, whom she had previously worked with, and she was excited to join him for a new project.

The chemistry between the two is so natural and compelling that it’s already the crown gem of Best Medicine.

Of course, there’s love triangle drama for the ages, but in a quaint way that’s endearing. Spencer joked about “Poor Louisa” being the interest of the two Joshs during the show.

For Spencer, when it comes to Louisa and Martin’s relationship and why it’s appealing, ” I think it’s the slow burn. That’s what makes it special.”

She attributes the unique nature of this primary romance to a series of misunderstandings and misinterpretations. While initially, it seems like Lousia and Martin butt heads, Spencer notes that Lousia coming to understand Martin and his differences puts them on more even ground.

They’re a bit of an “oddball” and “opposites attract” dynamic, but it’s compelling.

Of course, the added layer to that is Segarra’s Mark Mylow, Louisa’s ex.

Segarra is truly in his comedic element as Mark Mylow. The character has an irresistible charm, heart, and affability that translates well since Segarra radiates a similar energy.

Mark’s journey is one to watch for the series, and Segarra certainly thinks so.

“We’re going to see Mark take care of his people. We’re gonna see Mark protect his town. We’re gonna see Mark try to figure out how to get back up after he gets knocked down,” He shares.

“What’s funny is that, even then, he gets knocked down; he has such a funny way of looking at it because Louisa is still around. So it’s not like you can ignore her. You have to stay in each other’s lives.

“We’re gonna see where that goes between doctor and Louisa and how it affects Mark, and how he takes it all in. And I can’t wait for people to see how he does react.”

But it’s not just an everyday love triangle, where things have to be contentious. In fact, Mark really loves Dr. Best. And loving Best was easy for Segarra since he’s become such great friends with Josh Charles.

“I think everybody should get dumped once in their life,” Segarra jokes. “No, it hurts. So maybe people can see Sheriff Mark and go: “Oh my god, I remember that feeling, and I remember trying to pick up the pieces, and all of a sudden here comes Doc B. Here comes Marty.

“He doesn’t know that Sheriff Mark is gonna make sure they become best friends.”

It sounds like Segarra and Charles have already become best friends themselves. And seeing that onscreen in any capacity is exciting.

It won’t take long before we get to see that onscreen, either. That onscreen bromance is worth looking forward to, but hearing about it off-screen was positively delightful, too.

“Working with Josh, at the risk of making my boy uncomfortable, I have so much respect for Josh, and I’m just such a fan of his. I was a big Sports Night guy. I’ve just been a fan of his for such a long time,” Segarra gushes.

“He’s a New York guy, a New York actor. He’s a father. He’s a husband. He’s got an incredible family, and we’ve just become very good buds. Every job, it’s the people that you work with, it’s the family that you create, it’s a family that you have, and man, I wouldn’t trade him for anybody.

“That’s my guy right there. It’s easy to play Mark loving Dr. Best so much because I love Josh so much. We just have fun making this. When I read it, I knew I could have fun, and if I can have fun at work, to me, that’s the dream, and Josh makes this job really fun,” he adds.

“I don’t do anything in my life at 50%. Everything I do in my life — it’s 100% and he’s the same way. He cares very deeply about his craft. He’s very deeply about this project so I knew quickly that we were gonna be on the same page.”

I can attest from time spent on that wonderful set with great people that everyone poured their heart into this project, and I walked away feeling the cozy warmth and fuzziness of Port Wenn and all of its magic.

Hopefully, it’ll translate onscreen and touch you all just as much!

Best Medicine has a special premiere that airs tonight at 8/7c on FOX. It will re-air the premiere in its official time slot, Tuesday at 8/7c on FOX, followed by the midseason premiere of Doc.

Check out our full review tonight!

We don’t have a PR machine or a million-dollar budget — we have you.
If you’re reading, say hello in the comments or send this to a friend. Every little action helps.

TV Fanatic is searching for passionate contributors to share their voices across various article types. Think you have what it takes to be a TV Fanatic? Click here for more information and next steps.