Poldark (2015 TV series)

Poldark
Genre	Drama
Created by	Debbie Horsfield
Based on	The Poldark novels
Written by	Debbie Horsfield
Starring	Aidan Turner Eleanor Tomlinson Ruby Bentall Beatie Edney Jack Farthing Heida Reed Kyle Soller Richard Harrington Phil Davis Warren Clarke
Composer(s)	Anne Dudley
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	18 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Rebecca Eaton Elizabeth Kilgariff Debbie Horsfield Karen Thrussell Damien Timmer
Producer(s)	Margaret Mitchell
Cinematography	Cinders Forshaw
Editor(s)	Robin Hill
Running time	60 minutes
Production company(s)	Mammoth Screen Masterpiece
Release
Original network	BBC One BBC One HD
Picture format	16:9 1080i
Original release	8 March 2015 (2015-03-08) – present
External links
BBC website

Poldark is a British-American drama television series that was first broadcast on BBC One on 8 March 2015. The first eight-part series (aired in seven parts in the USA^[1]) was based on the first two Poldark novels by Winston Graham, adapted by Debbie Horsfield and directed by Edward Bazalgette and Will McGregor.^[2] An earlier television series of the same name was based on Graham's first four Poldark novels, broadcast by BBC One between 1975 and 1977.^[3]

On 8 April 2015, the BBC announced that a second series had been commissioned,^[4] which premiered on 4 September 2016.^[5] On 6 July 2016, before series 2 had begun, the BBC announced that a third series had been commissioned.^[6]

Premise

In the late 18th century, Ross Poldark returns from the American War of Independence to his Cornish tin mines after spending three years in the army to avoid charges of smuggling. When he gets home, he finds his father dead, his estate in ruins, and his old sweetheart Elizabeth engaged to his cousin Francis. He rescues a young woman, Demelza, from a beating, and takes her on as a kitchen maid while trying to help the people of the village and attempting to gain control of the mines sought after by his rival, the greedy and arrogant George Warleggan.

Cast

Main

• Aidan Turner as Captain Ross Poldark
• Eleanor Tomlinson as Demelza Poldark (née Carne)
• Ruby Bentall as Verity Blamey (née Poldark)
• Caroline Blakiston as Aunt Agatha
• Warren Clarke as Charles Poldark (series 1)
• Phil Davis as Jud Paynter
• Beatie Edney as Prudie Paynter
• Jack Farthing as George Warleggan
• John Nettles as Ray Penvenen (series 2)
• Luke Norris as Dr Dwight Enys
• Heida Reed as Elizabeth Poldark Warleggan (née Chynoweth)
• Kyle Soller as Francis Poldark
• Gabriella Wilde as Caroline Penvenen (series 2)

Recurring

• Rory Wilton as Richard Tonkin
• Richard Harrington as Captain Andrew Blamey
• Robin Ellis as the Reverend Dr Halse
• Richard Hope as Harris Pascoe
• Gracee O'Brien as Jinny Carter
• Tristan Sturrock as Zacky Martin
• Emma Spurgin Hussey as Mrs Zacky Martin
• Ed Browning as Paul Daniel
• Matthew Wilson as Mark Daniel
• Pip Torrens as Cary Warleggan
• Sally Dexter as Mrs Chynoweth
• John Hollingworth as Captain Henshawe
• Henry Garrett as Captain MacNeil
• Mark Frost as Tom Carne
• Crystal Leaity as Margaret Vosper
• Patrick Ryecart as Sir Hugh Bodrugan
• Michael Culkin as Horace Treneglos
• Jason Thorpe as Sanson (series 1)
• Robert Daws as Dr Choake (series 1)
• Alexander Arnold as Jim Carter (series 1)
• Sabrina Bartlett as Keren Smith (series 1)
• Harriet Ballard as Ruth Teague (series 1)
• Mary Woodvine as Mrs Teague (series 1)
• Daniel Cook as John Treneglos (series 1)
• Sebastian Armesto as Tankard (series 2)
• Hugh Skinner as Unwin Trevaunance MP (series 2)
• Ross Green as Charlie Kempthorne (series 2)
• Amelia Clarkson as Rosina Hoblyn (series 2)
• Lewis Peek as Ted Carkeek (series 2)
• Rose Reynolds as Betty Carkeek (series 2)
• Alexander Morris as James Blamey (series 2)
• Isabella Parriss as Esther Blamey (series 2)
• Turlough Convery as Tom Harry (series 2)
• Richard McCabe as Mr Trencrom (series 2)

Episodes

Series overview

Series 1 (2015)

Series 2 (2016)

Production

The series was one of the final commissions by former BBC One controller Danny Cohen.^[8][9][10] Filming began in Cornwall and Bristol in April 2014.^{[11][12][13][14]} The production company is Mammoth Screen.^[15]

Filming locations include the north Cornwall coast at St Agnes Head, which represents the 'Nampara Valley', and the Botallack Mine near St Just in Penwith, which is featured as 'Wheal Leisure', the mine that Ross Poldark attempts to resurrect. The beach of Church Cove, Gunwalloe on the Lizard Peninsula was used as a location for a shipwreck scene.^[16] Town scenes were filmed at Corsham in Wiltshire.^[17] The underground scenes were filmed at Poldark Mine in Cornwall. Some interior scenes were shot at Prior Park College in Bath, Somerset.^[18]

Filming for the ten episodes of series two commenced in early September 2015.^[19]

Broadcasts

In the United States, the series began to be broadcast in June 2015 on PBS, shown as part of the series Masterpiece.^[20][21] Poldark commenced screening on ABC TV in Australia on 12 April 2015, and in New Zealand on 22 April 2015 on Prime. The series has also been airing since 2015 on the UK-based Persian language satellite television network Manoto 1 which beams into different areas in Europe and the Middle East for Persian speakers.^[22]

References

External links

• Poldark at BBC Programmes
• Poldark at PBS
• Poldark (2015) at the Internet Movie Database