Fans of hit period dramas such as The Other Bennet Sister, Bridgerton and Downton Abbey are being directed to Poldark as the ultimate replacement, with viewers calling it a "masterpiece" and an "instant classic".
Written, created and adapted for television by Debbie Horsfield, Poldark is based on Winston Graham's celebrated novel series of the same name. The show first aired on BBC One in March 2015 and ran until August 2019, adapting the first seven of Graham's twelve novels across five series and 43 episodes. All episodes are currently streaming on Netflix.
A story of love, loss and rebuilding
Poldark follows Ross Poldark, a British Army veteran returning from the American Revolutionary War to his home in Cornwall, where he finds his father dead and his estate in ruins. Set between 1781 and 1801, the drama charts his determined efforts to rebuild his life and fortune while navigating love, family and the expectations of society.
Aidan Turner leads the cast as Ross Poldark, alongside Eleanor Tomlinson, Heida Reed, Ruby Bentall, Jack Farthing and Luke Norris, with a wider ensemble supporting them.
Awards, locations and critical acclaim
The series won the Audience Award at the 2016 BAFTA TV Awards and received multiple nominations at the 21st and 22nd National Television Awards, including Best New Drama, Best Period Drama, Best Drama Performance and the Impact Award, which Aidan Turner took home.
Filming took place predominantly across Cornwall, with additional scenes in Corsham, Wiltshire, and Frome, Bath and Wells in Somerset. Sets were also built at The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol.
Poldark holds an average approval rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes across all five seasons. Critics have praised its scenery and romance, with one reviewer noting: "Thankfully...the series delivers immediately on the panoramic scenery and romance that this genre demands: plunging cliffs, green fields, galloping horses and burning glances aplenty."
Another critic said of Turner: "I came to it fresh, never having seen the apparently much-loved 1970s version, and was suitably enchanted by Aidan Turner." A third added: "Poldark is juicy, romantic, melodramatic storytelling at its most enjoyable," while a fourth wrote: "Beneath the ruffles and wigs (Turner's glue-stained curls in this season have been abominable) are stories with real heart, and characters we can fall in love with again and again."
Viewers can't get enough
Audiences have been just as enthusiastic. One fan wrote on Rotten Tomatoes: "Poldark has everything I look for in a TV series: great characters, adventure, drama, joy, romance, inspiration, and feel good moments. The acting and the story are not exaggerated like in a soap opera."
An IMDb user review says: "This is a superb series. It recaptures the golden age of UK television, for those of us old enough to remember it. For those who do not, you are in for a real treat. 10 out of 10 from me."
Another review shared on IMDb reads: "Absolute Masterpiece! Where to start? ! This is one of those shows that are unrepeatable, unmatched! The visuals are breathtaking, the atmosphere dense, the music is superb (the intro alone deserves to be played non-stop) costumes, actors, colour palette, everything about this series is extremely well made. This is an instant classic. I thought the same thing back in 2015 when I first saw it. Now that I'm 32, I enjoy it and understand it even more, it's just beautiful in every possible way. 10/10!"
One more fan wrote: "Fantastic series, definitively one to watch! Absolutely love it."
Poldark is available to stream on Netflix.
