Doc Martin: Regionalism

Regionalism is conveyed in a variety of ways such as mise en scene, camera, sound and editing. One of the highlighted factors that surround regionalism in the clip is the characters and actors used. For example Doc is a traditional Londoner with a common accent which conforms the stereotype of a traditional Londoner, however he is the opposite to all the other actors that originate from the area that he is in. Moreover, the actors that originate from that area are those who are the plumbers. They have a Cornish accent and are relaxed within their surroundings, as opposed to doc who is uptight and hurried in every scene. In addition to this, the setting allows the audience to understand where they are all situated which is in the countryside. With doc being based in the countryside, these surroundings are different to his normality therefore subverting the stereotype. Costumes used also highlight who the characters are and what their position is. The plumbers are wearing old, worn down overalls which apply to their job, and the stereotype of those who live in the county are ones that are hard labor and are paid less, therefore these costumes conform where they are situated. Docs clothing is well presented and clean which is the ordinary outfit that a London worker would wear, however in this sense and surroundings he subverts the stereotype of the area that he is in, although this does match up to the common London office worker. Corresponding with actors and costumes, the lady at the end who forces a conversation with Doc is the lady version of Doc Martin as her accent informs the audience where she is from, as well as her personality. Her clothing is pristine and well kept and she has the most in common with doc, however within her area she subverts the stereotype; a traditional Londoner is known to be posh and well spoken, which she corresponds with. Props also apply to the way regionalism is presented, for example the notepad and clock is used within the presence of doc which shows his personality and his character. These type of props conform the stereotype of a Londoner as well as a doctor as London is known for key past events and old buildings seen as memories, of which he is keeping the clock as an antique. 

Camera angles and shots work well to showing the audience regionalism. In the beginning the first shot shows a pan across the old lady and doc having a conversation, however this is primarily used to show the audience their surroundings, therefore using a master shot. This shot subverts the ordinary image as a Londoner is based within fields, hiking up a path in a suit. One significant shot was when Doc and the plumbers was having a conversation, however towards the end of their conversation the camera is angled higher showing the plumbers looking up to doc on a different level. This could show that Londoners are more respected in this area, especially doc, as he isn't like the others and people who work within a city are pictured with a better intelligence. As well as this, the lady at the end hurrying after doc are both shown in a two shot showing their relationship with one another. This shows the audience that because they are both from the same region they both show respect too each other equally and have more in common. Where as another camera shot which was a Point-of-View shot was used to show doc looking out the window at the group of girls. This again shows a slow movement and tracking as they walk, this could show docs confusion as he follows them as they walk (as shown by the camera) meaning that he isn't used to a group of younger girls trying to intimidate him. In addition a low shot was used to show the presence of a dog entering the home, however he does catch the focus of doc and the audience with the help of sound. This conforms the stereotype of living in the countryside that it is known to have animals everywhere and be surrounded by them continuously; this is shown as difficult for doc too understand as he isn't frequently around animals in the city.

There are a few significant quotes within the clip that subvert and conform the stereotype of where the characters are originally from and the area that they are situated in.'From down here we go with the flow' expressed by the father plumber. This insinuates and conforms the stereotype that those in the countryside are used to daily problems and occurrences. With him saying this too doc, it intimidates him a bit as doc isn't used to at home or DIY problems as a job.  'Guess it would be against the Hippocratic oath' was said by the lady at the end, which conforms the traditional stereotype of Londoners. As this was a method originated by the Greeks and used within London for hundreds of years, this agrees with the stereotype that Londoners are traditional with their views and stick to their own ways. Music is also used within this clip and is used in and out of scenes. The music is parallel to the mood throughout, when there are various events occurring towards the end the music starts to intensify and get of a faster pace, highlighting the more events the more pressure doc feels. In addition to this the younger plumber informs doc on the situation and uses unknown terms which his father had never heard of before. This subverts the stereotype as his father explains 'What are you going on about boy' as those who work in the country side aren't viewed as academic or knowledgeable on random topics, due to the at home, low paid jobs; compared to Doc. Linking with Doc being confused, the group of girls shot at him 'definitely bod min' and from this Doc takes offence and queries those within his company and his workers what it means, however he is set back by it subverting the stereotype of the intelligence of Londoners. 

Finally, editing is used too present regionalism. The actor that receives the most screen time is Doc and he is the focus, along with his opposites who are the plumbers. With him getting the most screen time it shows his day and how it is different from the ordinary job he is used too, which is travelling to the city or his work place, sitting at a desk listening to customers. However this shows Doc in various location, many of which is stressed about a certain event. Along with this the order of narrative is complex and many events happen such as a water leak, a dog jumping into a house, visiting the local town and chatting with a similar person. This conforms the stereotype of what a usual day is like for people within this area, which shows Doc getting stressed, uptight and talking down on those who he isn't used to being around. Corresponding with this, the amount of events also highlight how a Londoners day is continuously busy and is non-stop. As for the cuts within the clip, there are quick cuts within the scenes where the tension is high, for example when the water pipe explodes there are cuts between every character who talks, where as in the beginning the pace is slow when Doc is with the older woman and there are minimal cuts compared to the rest of the clip. As for the order of narrative and the pace as a pair, the clip starts of slow and is packed with random events in between that are out of the ordinary, then it finishes slow again like the beginning, when the lady confides in Doc which is of a slow pace showing their relaxation. 

Overall, there are many aspects within the clip which portray the different types of regions that are used. Significant factors which highlight regionalism in this clip are in mise en scene where the actors represent the different regions, with sound which states the traditionalism of Londoners and the relaxation of those in the South west, with the camera which show the difference of authority and importance and editing which show the entirety of their days and how the complexity is dealt with from each region.