The Indian Doctor: Series 3

The third season of the 1960s-set BBC–aired series centering on an Indian doctor who finds himself practicing medicine in a small Welsh village finds the residents of Trefelin shaken by the unexpected return of Basil and Robert Thomas, long-absent sons of the local mine owner. Indeed, the brothers make a dramatic entrance in a loud American sports car followed by a too-generous offer to buy everyone drinks at the pub. And the eponymous physician, Dr. Prem Sharma (Sanjeev Bhaskar), is taken by surprise when Basil (William Houston) and Robert (Rhydian Jones) offer him a job at a new medical center they are planning to build. But the Thomases actually have bigger real estate undertakings in mind involving the development of a new housing community—a scheme that risks creating more harm than happiness for the people of Trefelin. In the meantime, a cave-in at the mines stirs up anxiety among the locals, especially following the discovery that the disaster resulted from an act of sabotage. While the ensemble cast members turn in fine performances, the stories in this set of five episodes from 2012 are not as compelling as in earlier seasons. Still, fans will likely want to see how everything unfolds, making this a strong optional purchase. (P. Hall)