Picture Credit: FOX
Netflix is getting another dose of medical drama this August. Following some other high-profile pickups from Fox in recent years, Netflix has picked up the streaming rights to the first season of the breakout comedy-drama Best Medicine. All 13 episodes of season 1 will touch down on Netflix US on August 4th, 2026.
If you feel like you’ve been seeing a lot of Fox shows hitting Netflix lately, you aren’t wrong.
Best Medicine is just the latest broadcast series that Netflix has picked up shortly after its initial run on the network. Fox has been strategically licensing its recent hits to the streamer in hopes of capitalizing on the highly coveted “Netflix bump” to boost viewership ahead of their upcoming seasons.
We’ve recently seen this exact same strategy play out with the Joel McHale workplace sitcom Animal Control, the Jon Hamm-led animated comedy Grimsburg, and the Molly Parker-led medical drama Doc. In each case, Fox has leveraged Netflix’s massive subscriber base to help audiences discover these shows, ideally converting bingers into weekly viewers for new episodes on linear television.
With Best Medicine having scored a swift season 2 renewal back in March 2026, dropping the first season on August 4th gives audiences the perfect opportunity to catch up before the series returns.
What is Best Medicine about and who is in the cast?
If the premise sounds familiar, that’s because it is! Developed by Liz Tuccillo (Sex and the City), Best Medicine is the American adaptation of the beloved long-running British series Doc Martin (which streamed on Netflix throughout most of the 2010s until its removal in 2018). The series premiered on Fox in January 2026.
The US version stars Emmy-nominee Josh Charles (The Good Wife) as Dr. Martin Best, a brilliant but exceptionally brusque vascular surgeon who abruptly leaves a prestigious Boston hospital. He takes up a post as a general practitioner in Port Wenn—a sleepy, quaint Maine town where he spent his childhood summers.
The catch? He’s developed a debilitating phobia of blood. On top of his newfound haemophobia, Dr. Best’s blunt and borderline rude bedside manner quickly alienates the quirky, needy locals of his new home. He desperately wants to be left alone, but he continually finds himself dragged right into the middle of the town’s personal chaos, medical mysteries, and intense local traditions (like the highly competitive annual pie-making contest).
Starring alongside Charles in the first season is a stacked ensemble of TV veterans, including Abigail Spencer (Suits), Josh Segarra (Arrow), and acting legend Annie Potts (Young Sheldon, Ghostbusters), who plays Martin’s aunt, Sarah.
The original Doc Martin star, Martin Clunes, makes a highly publicized special guest appearance as Dr. Robert Best, Martin’s headstrong gastroenterologist father, who shows up to turn his son’s new life upside down.
When is Best Medicine coming to Netflix?
The complete 13-episode first season will be available to stream on Netflix US starting on Tuesday, August 4th, 2026.
It’s important to note that this licensing deal currently only applies to Netflix in the United States. Hulu remains the primary next-day streaming home for Fox shows, but this co-exclusive streaming window means you’ll now be able to binge the entire first season in one place on Netflix.
Will you be checking out Best Medicine when it arrives on Netflix this August? Let us know in the comments below!
