where to watch: Seasons 1-4 on Amazon Prime. Season 5 will be available on Amazon in the summer
when to watch: When you want some real drama that happens to take place in Cornwall, England, in the late 1780s.
you should note: Easily bingeable. Based on the novels by Winston Graham, but written entirely by Debbie Horsfield, ie, a woman! Also, this is not the first time the Poldark books have been adapted—there was a very successful TV show in the 70s
tl;dr: It starts as a show about an extremely attractive, very modern, highly idealistic man attempting to rebuild his life, hopefully while helping his community. It eventually becomes a show about the trials and tribulations of a great cast of characters living in a small Cornish village.
Happy Thanksgiving week, everybody! I hope you get some time to catch up on TV shows over the weekend, I know that’s what I will be doing!
This week, I’m writing about one of my favorite shows because it just ended forever. One of the most popular shows in the UK in recent years, it is by no means a “Hidden Gem.” Still, I am often surprised by how many people I meet who have yet to watch it. So, read on to find out why you should check out Poldark.
the premise
Let me set the scene.
It’s 1783. Ross Poldark returns home to Cornwall after fighting for the British in the American Revolutionary War. Once back, he finds that his father has died, his estate is in ruins, and his sweetheart is engaged to his cousin.
Depressing, right? Not so! I avoided this show for years because it sounded so dark. But the show is far from dull and depressing. It’s not a comedy, by any means. Still, Ross Poldark is a fundamentally idealistic and hopeful character, and that’s what makes him so exciting to watch. (I won’t lie though, the shirtless scything doesn’t hurt…) Ross’ hopefulness wiggles its way into the fabric of the show. He bunkers down in Cornwall and decides to make a new life for himself in his old home. He sees how the working folk in his town are struggling, and he desperately wants to give them work. So, he decides he will reopen his father’s old mine, Wheal Leisure.
As time goes on, the show evolves into different things, touching on politics, smuggling, the French Revolution, and more. But no matter what happens, there is always plenty of drama.
complex characters
But I love this show for the same reason I love any show—the characters are just so engaging.
Every character is so well-formed and so well-acted too.
Our protagonist, Ross Poldark (played by Aidan Turner), is deeply flawed. He is so modern and principled in his ideas about equality, yet, he is so impulsive. He is extremely generous, but makes the same mistakes over and over. He’s a genuinely complex main character, and he keeps you interested.
Demelza Carne, our female lead (played by Eleanor Tomlinson), is strong-willed and knows what she wants. She’s a force to be reckoned with and never backs down from a fight, even with Ross.
Even our main villain, George Warleggan (Jack Farthing), is multi-faceted and at some (albeit brief) moments, you will find yourself sympathizing with him.
There are many, many more easily loveable characters, but I encourage you to discover them for yourself.
in conclusion
The show has its ups and downs. Sometimes it crosses too far into soap opera territory. Sometimes everything is too dramatic, or there is simply too much going on. But unlike so many other period dramas, Poldark doesn’t shy away from the discussions of class that are usually an intrinsic part of the genre. Ross comes from an aristocratic background, but he always prefers to push those roots away rather than embracing that world. Unlike other period dramas (cough, cough Downton Abbey), class inequality and unrest are not brushed over. I think ultimately, that is why I find this show so compelling—like Ross, it has principles.