Forty years after the BBC first brought Winston Graham’s Poldark series to life, the BBC and PBS returned to the Cornish countryside to retell the story of the troubled American Revolutionary War veteran. Starring Aiden Turner (The Hobbit) as Ross Poldark, the new series hits Blu-ray on July 7 while the series is still ongoing on PBS stations.
When Ross returns to Cornwall in 1783 after fighting in Virginia, he finds out that everyone believed he was dead. His family was so convinced that they let his lazy first cousin Francis (Kyle Soller) marry his childhood sweetheart Elizabeth (Heida Reed). Ross also learns that his father is dead and his finances are in ruins, while Francis’ father is living it up. Determined to prove that he can live his own life, Ross tries to get his father’s copper mines working again.
He also meets Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson), a poor servant girl who he first hires as his kitchen maid. However, the passions heat up and they find themselves in love. Even though this could ruin his stature even further, Ross decides to marry Demelza.
There’s also another seedy element in Cornwall that makes Ross’ life a real pain - George Warleggan (Jack Farthing). George’s family rose from poverty to become successful thanks to their banking business. While Ross admires the family for climbing class ranks, he hates their greed.
The first season of Poldark, which runs eight episodes, condenses Graham’s first two books. Writer/series creator Debbie Horsfield keeps the action moving as quickly as possible. Pregnancies last an episode and romances lead to marriage in under two episodes. This also leads to scenes that seem to last barely two minutes, just so we can see more shots of waves crashing on the beach, horses galloping or characters walking through fields. Horsfield and the directors sure spend a lot of time setting the scene.
While the series seems inexplicably rushed (especially now that the show has been renewed for a second season), the acting keeps you entertained and wanting more. Turner can seem a bit flat, but he’s more than an impossibly handsome guy. Eleanor Tomlinson also gives a fantastic performance as Demelza. And the rest of the cast does a good job with what they are handed.
The Blu-ray set presents the eight episodes spread over three discs. The bonus material isn’t much, with three featurettes that run a combined 20 minutes or so. The cast and crew also recorded a commentary for the first episode. And although the video is 1080i, it’s still a beautiful transfer. Any shot in this series could be used by the Cornwall tourism board to get people to visit.
I won’t spoil it, but Poldark does end with a pretty big cliffhanger, so it is a good thing that more is coming. But this is a series that, at its base, is just a soap opera that’s a little too concerned with copper. My recommendation is to watch it on PBS first before deciding to permanently add it to your collection.