Fans of sweeping period dramas such as Bridgerton and Downton Abbey have a new binge-worthy British favourite: Poldark, a series hailed as an 'instant classic' and now streaming in full on Netflix.
The historical drama has audiences raving about its thrilling storylines, stunning scenery, and outstanding performances. Best of all, all five seasons are readily available to stream on Netflix.
What is Poldark about?
Written, created, and adapted for television by Debbie Horsfield, Poldark is based on Winston Graham's book series of the same name. The show first aired on BBC One in March 2015 and ran until August 2019. It adapts the first seven of the twelve novels in Graham's series, comprising five seasons with 43 episodes in total.
Set between 1781 and 1801, Poldark follows Ross Poldark, a British Army veteran of the American Revolutionary War who returns to his Cornish homeland to find his father dead and his once-magnificent estate in ruins. The drama charts his efforts to rebuild his life and fortune while navigating love, family, and society.
Cast and awards
Aidan Turner stars in the title role, alongside Eleanor Tomlinson, Heida Reed, Ruby Bentall, Jack Farthing, and Luke Norris in a larger ensemble cast.
Poldark won the Audience Award at the 2016 BAFTA TV Awards and received nominations at the 21st and 22nd National Television Awards, including Best New Drama, Best Period Drama, Best Drama Performance, and the Impact Award, with Aidan Turner taking home the latter.
Filming locations and ratings
The series was predominantly filmed in iconic Cornish locations, with some episodes shot in Corsham, Wiltshire, and Frome, Bath and Wells in Somerset. Production sets were also built at The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol.
With an impressive 89% average approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes across all five series, Poldark has proved a tremendous success with both audiences and critics.
What critics and viewers say
One reviewer said: "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 offered nothing but admiration for Turner: "I came to it fresh, never having seen the apparently much-loved 1970s version, and was suitably enchanted by Aidan Turner."
Another review read: "Poldark is juicy, romantic, melodramatic storytelling at its most enjoyable." A fourth critic cheekily 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."
Audiences have been thoroughly impressed too. 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."
A user review on IMDB 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 IMDB review 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 viewer simply said: "Fantastic series, definitively one to watch! Absolutely love it."
Poldark is available to stream on Netflix.
