By TANIA PHILLIPS
Poldark
ABC1, 8.40pm, Sunday
IT’S been a while since we had a good old-fashioned British period drama. Sunday night on the ABC used to be littered with them. But these days they seem to be few and far between.
So when one comes along it’s worth a look and when it’s one that has already been a massive success for the Beeb, well that’s a bonus. And a chance to see Aidan Turner (Being Human, Hobbit and 2009’s brilliant Desperate Romantics) brood has got to be worth the price of admission.
Turner is the titular character in this eight-part adaptation of the first two novels in Winston Graham’s Poldark which also stars the doe-eyed Eleanor Tomlinson (Death Comes to Pemberley, Jack the Giant Slayer, Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging) as new kitchen-maid, Demelza, who Poldark rescues from a beating.
Tomlinson is fast becoming the go-to-girl for British dramas and acquits herself well.
I suppose this one about British soldier Ross Poldark who returns home to Cornwall after fighting in the American War of Independence was a bit of a risk. It was already adapted for television in the ’70s starring Robin Ellis in the title role. Could lightning strike twice? Had there been enough time between adaptations?
But hey “reboots” seem to be the norm these days and with the amazing Cornwall scenery as co-star to our popular pair and well-written scripts, you couldn’t really go wrong.
In fact it has been so popular (it helped the BBC record its highest ratings share for the first three months of a year in a decade) that the BBC has commissioned a second series.
So if you’ve been watching and are hooked already – then don’t despair we have more to come and if you aren’t then head to iView and catch up.
– Tania Phillips
