The Indian Doctor

The sleepy Welsh mining village of Trefelin is in for a shock. When the local doctor dies, his replacement isn't quite what people expect - Prem Sharma is the Indian doctor who arrives in the Valleys, in this period comedy drama set in 1963. And it's not just the locals who are shocked: Prem's regal wife Kamini isn't too happy with the situation either. Life in the village is centred around the pit, and the Coal Board's local manager Richard Sharpe is keen to welcome the new arrivals - but he also has a few skeletons in his closet. Meanwhile, the doctor strikes up some new friendships and starts to settle into life in the Valleys, but it won't be plain sailing.

In 1963, answering the call of health minister Enoch Powell, Indian doctor Prem Sharma arrives in the Welsh mining village of Trefelin to replace the late Dr. Elwyn. Fortunately, trusty receptionist Gina shows him the ropes and he starts to win over the locals.

The Indian Doctor's wife, Kamini Sharma, is still desperate to leave the village of Trefelin. But as she tries to escape, she finds herself becoming the only person who can help local tearaway Dan when he gets into trouble. With the previous doctor's green leather diary found, Prem's friendship with Megan deepens as she translates it from Welsh into English and they realise that Dr Elwyn's diary holds vital clues to the deteriorating health of the local miners.

When a rather unusual van arrives in the village, the driver, a well-known rugby player, creates a real stir and it looks like the doctor's luck is changing for the better. However, Richard Sharpe, the mine manager, is furious and does his best to turn the locals against the doctor and his X-ray van - although his wife, Sylvia Sharpe, is rather taken with the new driver. Meanwhile, Gina gets some shocking news and the crucial green leather diary belonging to Dr Elwyn goes missing.

A lot is going on behind the scenes as the fete preparations continue. Prem Sharma is preparing to leave the village and Kamini, his wife, goes in search of Dan, who is missing, but finds more than she bargained for. Megan pleads with Prem to stay and help the miners fight for justice and for their health. Meanwhile, Sharpe finally gets the promotion he's been chasing. Matters come to a head as Prem takes on Sharpe once and for all in front of the whole village at the annual summer fete.

A year later, Prem and Kamini welcome her mother Pushpa from India. She is shocked that the couple give respite to Dan Griffiths, a young village boy who has a father troubled by drink, and mind receptionist Gina's baby Nye since Tom left to live in London. On the same train is Megan, returned from visiting her son and local policeman Emlyn is soon smitten by her. The village has a new vicar, zealous ex-missionary Herbert Todd, whose wife has left him to look after rebellious teenaged daughter Verity on his own, and who refuses the baptism of baby Nye as his parents are not married. Whilst Todd is giving a slide show of his time in Africa, Dan falls ill with small-pox, supposedly carried by Pushpa from India. After she scolds him, he runs away.