Whimsical 'Best Medicine' falls short of 'Doc Martin'

It's nothing new or extraordinary to remake a foreign TV show for a different country.

- 

"All in the Family" was modeled on the British series “Till Death Us Do Part,” as “Steptoe and Son” became “Sanford and Son.” The popular CBS sitcom “Ghosts” comes from the show you can find retitled as “U.K. Ghosts” on American Netflix. The British mysteries “Professor T” and “Patience” (from Belgian and Franco-Belgian productions, respectively), have been successful on PBS. And there is, of course, “The Office,” which outlasted its original by many, many seasons and nearly 200 episodes. It doesn’t always work out ("Life on Mars”; “Viva Laughlin,” from “Blackpool,” which lasted a single episode despite starring Hugh Jackman; “Payne” and “Amanda's,” two failed stabs at adapting “Fawlty Towers”), but there’s nothing inherently wrong with the practice.