Captain Ross Poldark returns from the American Revolutionary War to find his father dead, his estate in ruin, and his sweetheart engaged to his cousin. That is the engine of Poldark, and it drives the show’s first five seasons with a steady, sometimes grinding force. The BBC series, created by Debbie Horsfield and based on Winston Graham’s novels, ran from 2015 to 2019. It covers the first seven of the twelve novels in the series, adapting them across five seasons that aired from 8 March 2015 through 26 August 2019.
Trailer, via BBC.
Ross Returns Home
Ross Poldark, played by Aidan Turner, comes back to Cornwall in 1783 after three years fighting in America. His father, Joshua, has died, leaving the estate deep in debt. His childhood sweetheart, Elizabeth Poldark, played by Heida Reed, is engaged to his cousin Francis Poldark, played by Kyle Soller. Ross hires a young woman named Demelza Carne, played by Eleanor Tomlinson, as a scullery maid. They meet at Truro market, fall in love, and marry in 1787.
The series follows Ross and Demelza as they try to rebuild their fortune. Along the way, they navigate the region’s harsh economy, political unrest, and the ambitions of George Warleggan, played by Jack Farthing. The show also tracks Elizabeth and Francis’s marriage, the loss of loved ones, the birth of children, and the wars that sweep through the period.
A Co-Production With PBS
Mammoth Screen and PBS produced the series together. PBS aired it as part of its Masterpiece anthology. The show was a co-production, and it shows in the scale of its production values. The Cornish landscapes are wild and beautiful, and the costumes are rich and detailed.
| Season | Books Adapted | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 & 2 | 6 |
| 2 | 3 & 4 | 6 |
| 3 | 5 & 1st half of 6 | 8 |
| 4 | 2nd half of 6 & 7 | 8 |
| 5 | Original storyline | 5 |
The Decline in Viewership
The show sustained positive reviews throughout all five series. Its audience, however, declined from the first series onwards. That is a notable pattern for a show that started strong and kept earning critical praise. The decline in viewership is a fact of the series’s history, even if it did not hurt its reception among critics.
The show’s ending lands in 1801, nine years before the events of the eighth novel. The fifth series closes with an original storyline that ends the adaptation early. That decision leaves some threads hanging, but it also allows the series to end on its own terms rather than stretching past its natural conclusion.
Aidan Turner’s Lead Performance
Turner carries the show. He plays Ross as a man of principle who is constantly fighting against the odds. His performance is steady and controlled, and it anchors the sprawling narrative. Tomlinson matches him as Demelza, playing her as a strong, practical woman who becomes Ross’s partner in both love and business.
Farthing’s George Warleggan is the show’s antagonist. He is a banker who profits from the ruin of others, and Farthing plays him with a cold precision that makes him genuinely menacing. The chemistry between Ross and Demelza is central to the show’s appeal. Their romance is not idealized; it is built on mutual respect and shared hardship.
| Character | Actor | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Ross Poldark | Aidan Turner | Protagonist, British Army veteran |
| Demelza Poldark | Eleanor Tomlinson | Maid, later wife |
| George Warleggan | Jack Farthing | Banker, antagonist |
| Elizabeth Poldark | Heida Reed | Cousin, Ross’s childhood sweetheart |
| Francis Poldark | Kyle Soller | Cousin, Elizabeth’s husband |
| Dwight Enys | Luke Norris | Friend and doctor |
| Prudie Paynter | Beatie Edney | Servant |
| Caroline Enys | Gabriella Wilde | Dwight’s wife |
| Sam Carne | Tom York | Farmer |
| Drake Carne | Harry Richardson | Farmer |
| Zacky Martin | Tristan Sturrock | Miner |
| Tess Tregidden | Sofia Oxenham | Miner |
| Kitty Despard | Kerri McLean | Miner |
The Final Verdict
Poldark is a solid historical drama with a strong lead performance and a gripping central romance. It drags in places, particularly in the middle seasons, where the pacing slows and the political machinations become dense. The decline in viewership is a real issue, even if it did not affect the quality of the final product.
The show’s strengths are its setting and its characters. The Cornish landscapes are stunning, and the cast delivers consistently strong performances. The weaknesses are structural: the middle seasons lose focus, and the adaptation’s uneven pace means some storylines feel rushed while others drag.
The series earns a 7 of 10. That score reflects a show that is often excellent and occasionally frustrating, with a final season that ends before the full story could be told. It is worth watching for the performances, the setting, and the romance, even if the middle stretch tests patience.
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