Poldark

Poldark originally was broadcast here in the US on Masterpiece Theater. While many Masterpiece Theater Shows have been excellent, Poldark stood out as probably the best of any I have ever seen. It was amazing. A story about a man just returning from the revolutionary war to find his home and estate in ruins, the girl he loved gone and many challenges to face. Well acted and well directed this story will keep you guessing and wanting more. I can't recommend this one enough. I hope they put it on DVD soon so I can see it again and again.

Note: There is also another Poldark series, Poldark II, which is a continuation of this series and tells you the rest of the story.

I remember my mum being glued to BBC's Poldark when I was little (eight years old to be exact!) so when the first series was shown again in the eighties I watched and was hooked. I bought the videos as they were released and rationed myself to an hour a night! I have watched and enjoyed both series many times since.

The BBC got everything right, it's a rip roaring tale with a wonderful cast, well worth a look if you haven't seen it or if you haven't seen it for a while!

Why couldn't ITV have employed Robin Ellis and Angharad Rees when they made that Poldark 'special' a few years ago.

What a series! My husband and I were spellbound for the 18 or so hours (over a month) it took to watch Part 1 and 2. The plot twists are great but what is primarily so entrancing is the presentation of life at the end of the 18th Century. We particularly like Ross Poldark's propensity for going into prisons and removing prisoners who have been falsely jailed or whom he is fond of. He does this on a fairly regular basis. Cornwall seems to be very much like Seattle - only a few scenes are shot in sunshine - all in all, a sort of up-scale, historical soap-opera.

When this "mini-series" first aired in the U.S. I was in junior high school and waited eagerly for each weekly episode to air on our local PBS station. Now, as an adult, I still find it completely engrossing and entertaining, only now on my DVD whenever I desire.

"The Poldark Saga" captures the struggles of an 18th century Cornish family, both economic and social, with characters that one can grow to love and cherish. This was a ground-breaking series in the 70's, taking the action off of the sound stage, and on to location. As the series progresses, the outdoor scenes improve, adding the rugged beauty of Cornwall to the cast of characters. This is a lovely series, and highly recommended for anyone who loves a costume drama that is truly British.

If you read the books first or see the series first, either is a very satisfying experience. Lovers of romantic period novels should give this series a try. If I remember correctly, the first series covers the first 3 books; the second, books 4, 5, and 6 (the titles escape me). Graham wrote more books after the first six but those have never been dramatized for movie or television. Look this up on Amazon for more user comments.