(Photo: Acorn TV)

All good things come to an end, and sadly this includes Doc Martin. The hit British medical dramedy starring Martin Clunes will conclude its 10th and final season with a Christmas Special launching December 31 on Acorn TV. You can also check out Doc Martin – A Celebration, a brand new documentary about the series, streaming on Acorn TV from December 26.

So, before we say goodbye to the grumpy doc, let's take a look back at 10 glorious seasons with 10 fascinating facts about the show.

1. In a way, Doc Martin is a spin-off of a spin-off.

A version of the show's title character first appeared in the 2000 film Saving Grace, a comedy starring Brenda Blethyn and Craig Ferguson. Clunes' testy medic, then called Martin Bamford, was a supporting character who proved so popular that he was brought back for a couple of TV movies, Doc Martin and Doc Martin and the Legend of the Cloutie. These ultimately led to the Doc Martin series that we know and love, in which Clunes' character has a new name: Martin Ellingham.

2. And the character's surname isn't random at all.

"Ellingham" is an anagram of the surname of Dominic Minghella, the show's creator. Minghella explains on his website that he likes his characters to have some kind of personal connection to him. "When I wanted Martin Clunes' character in Doc Martin to be more real, more 'mine,' more like me or my argumentative son, I gave him my surname in anagram form – Ellingham instead of Minghella," he writes.

3. Neither is the name of the doc's new baby.

In the latest season, he and wife Louisa (Caroline Catz) welcome a baby daughter called Mary Elizabeth, who is named after Clunes' late, much-loved cocker spaniel. "She was beautiful," Clunes told Femail. "Whenever anybody mentions Mary Elizabeth in the program, I get a vision of that pretty little dog."

4. Original cast member Stephanie Cole left the show at her own behest.

Cole, a British TV legend known for her roles in Tenko and Waiting for God, starred in the first four seasons as the doc's formidable Aunt Joan. "With TV, after four series I always say, 'Thank you, that's the end of it!'" she told TV Times. "That's why I left Doc Martin. There are other mountains to climb, other rivers to swim. I absolutely respect people who spend a long time doing one thing, but I'm not made like that."

5. The show's home, Portwenn, isn't a real place.

Doc Martin is mainly filmed in Port Isaac, a fishing village in Cornwall, Southwest England. Earlier this year, the former fisherman's cottage used for exterior shots of the doc's house, Fern Cottage, was put up for sale. Sadly, the asking price is a cool £1.15 million ($1.4 million) – you can check out the listing here.

6. The show is very much a family affair.

The show's producer Philippa Braithwaite is married to... Martin Clunes. She also produces Manhunt, the true-crime series starring her husband that you can stream on Acorn TV.

7. Clunes does his own stunts.

Remember when the doc abseiled down a cliff to perform a trepanning (drilling into someone's skull)... that was really Clunes. "I did actually do the abseiling, I did that walking out over the edge of the cliff, which was quite alarming," he told the Daily Mirror. "I had the drill in one hand and the medical bag in the other. I think it's ­better if you can do your own stunts."

8. Sigourney Weaver's guest spots are the product of a longtime friendship.

The Hollywood legend has appeared in two episodes as Beth Traywick, a slightly disgruntled American tourist who needs the doc's help. Weaver became a fan of the show because Selina Cadell, who plays Portwenn's resident pharmacist Sally Tishell, is an old friend of hers. They actually met in a London pub way back in the 1970s and never lost touch.

Speaking about her Doc Martin cameos, Weaver told Radio Times: "I made Avatar rework their schedules so I could be here. People expect me to behave in a grand manner, but it’s not like I’m John Travolta. Having a cameo in Doc Martin is a dream job for me. Cornwall is the most beautiful place. I’ve read every novel about it I can and I watch Poldark on my iPad."

9. The series has spawned several international remakes.

So far, there's been a Czech remake of Doc Martin, as well as Spanish, Dutch, Greek, Russian, and German versions. You can catch a glimpse of the German remake, which is called Doktor Martin, below – it definitely has a similar look to the British original.

10. And finally, Clunes has a theory to explain the show's enduring success.

Namely, that the doc is a classic British authority figure we both revere and want to laugh at. "We all like the idea of a bossy posh man fixing everything for us," he told Radio Times. "We despise posh men and so if he bangs his head on the door, then we're happy."

Well said, Mr Clunes!

Do you have a favorite ever Doc Martin episode?