Poldark {2015-}

Picture via

The BBC has had a lot of problems over the last few months with its audience. First it announced it was scrapping BBC Three as part of budget cuts, then cancelled In the Flesh despite it taking home a BAFTA in the award season, and then it stopped running Top Gear after Jeremy Clarkson did what he does best - is a dick. Safe to say the UK public, myself included, have been losing faith in the network we pay a license for every year. This year though the BBC is picking itself up again with something it has proven it can do - period dramas. 

Poldark is the latest classic novel adaptation from the network, featuring Aiden Turner of Being Human and Hobbit fame as the titular character. It is the story of Ross Poldark who returns from fighting in the American Revolution after three years only to find that his family though him dead and the woman he was in love with is now about to marry his cousin, Francis. At the same time his inheritance, a house and mining business, has wasted away due to debt.

Within seconds of the pilot episode beginning the aesthetically amazing cinematography and haunting original score have the audience in a daze at the screen. I was doing ironing and with the opening shots of the Cornwall countryside I woke out of a day dream sat down, half an episode in. 

Turner's character, Ross Poldark, is possibly every woman's, and probably most men's, dream. He is tall, handsome, mysterious, brooding, sarcastic, wounded, hopelessly romantic and most of all, he is ripped underneath his basic beige tunics. His character holds an irresistible charm that will make anyone weak at the knees once his dark eyes get a close up on the screen. Turner's performance is haunting with his natural Irish accent completely gone in favour of a country gentleman with a quiet anger bubbling under the surface. Poldark is a three dimensional character that appears to have so many layers only two episodes in that it is almost nail biting to think of how this character will be revealed and grow over the next six episodes.

Not only is Turner fantastic though, Eleanor Tomlinson has stolen my heart once again as Demelza. Tomlinson grew up in the same area I did and was always someone I saw towering over me and thought 'wow'. Skip a few years and she took my breath away with her performance in both The White Queen and Death at Pemberly. Period dramas seem to be her forte as she morphs into the lower class sass machine that is Demelza. Her chemistry with Turner seems to be brewing as well so I am hoping that will prove to be a possible relationship. New ship alert: Pomelza!

This eight episode series is an adaptation of only the first two books of seven though making me crave ten more seasons, a movie and a role-play computer game. Finally the BBC seem to be pulling themselves together. It is a beautiful adaptation that already has an intriguing plot so this strong start is giving me hope in the BBC once more. It is not the most original piece of work the BBC has produced but I have no doubt it will be one of the greats. 

The first and second episode are on BBC IPlayer now with the third episode airing 22nd March on BBC One at 9pm. The series will air in the states in June 2015 on PBS so be on the look out. Check out the trailer below: