A BBC period drama has been called the “best series ever”, with “epic romance” and beautiful scenery. Poldark is a British historical drama television series created and written by Debbie Horsfield and based on the novel series of the same name by Winston Graham.
It aired on BBC One for five series from 2015 to 2019, adapting the first seven of the twelve novels in the series. The novels were initially published from 1945 to 1953 and continued from 1973 to 2002. Set between 1781 and 1801, it stars Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark, a British Army veteran of the American Revolutionary War, who returns home to Cornwall to find that his father has died, leaving his estate in disrepair.
The series follows his efforts to rebuild his fortune with the aid of his maid-turned-wife, Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson), as well as his relationships with his cousins, Elizabeth Poldark (Heida Reed) and Francis Poldark (Kyle Soller), and his rival, George Warleggan (Jack Farthing).
Filming locations include a farmhouse near St. Breward on Bodmin Moor, the north Cornwall coast at St. Agnes Head, and the Botallack Mine near St. Just in Penwith. Town scenes were filmed at Corsham in Wiltshire and in Frome, Somerset.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 91% based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The site’s critical consensus reads: “Like an epic romance novel come to life, Poldark offers a sumptuous visual feast, from gorgeous scenery to a charming, handsome lead.”
An IMDb user labelled the show as the “best series ever,” adding: ” I can’t say enough about how good this show is, and everyone involved deserves accolades from the actors to the producers and writers and costume and set designers. The filmography is spectacular.”
One reviewer described the period drama as the most “captivating series ever made,” with another labelling it a “masterpiece”.
On Rotten Tomatoes, seasons three and five hold respective ratings of 100% and 86%, with season five’s consensus reading: “Poldark’s final season gives fans exactly what they want: emotionally involving period drama fueled by exceptional chemistry with just the right amount of ridiculousness.”
Rosamund Barteau, Winston Graham’s daughter, said of the show: “Our father would have been very, very pleased. He really loved the Poldark novels, and even though he wrote all his life, he was particularly attached to Poldark.
“I think what the BBC has done is amazing. The new adaptation is beautiful and very true to my father’s words. Debbie Horsfield has done an excellent job, so I am absolutely happy with the treatment they’ve given it.”
